~ Gratitude~

To live simply is to appreciate each and every day and find gratitude even in the hardest days. As you focus on what you are grateful for and the blessings in your life, over time, you will less and less notice what you are lacking and more and more notice how much you really do have.

 Have a simply wonderful Wednesday!!

~SimpleMom~

~ New Blog~

Hello friends! 

We are posting to let you know we are beginning a new blog called "Heart 2 Heart". We will still keep  up with this blog from time to time, but we feel our hearts have changed and grown in a new direction. While we still desire to live a simpler life...we feel most importantly that Father God has been showing us some things about Him and our walk with Him and we have more to write about regarding those things then a simple life! We will still write about simple living from time to time..as it can and does go hand in hand, really. 

If you are interested in following our blog Heart 2 Heart then please do so! I will be making a FB page to go along with that blog as well! If you are a Follower of Jesus Christ then Heart 2 Heart may interest you. Or , if not, please still follow along if you wish!

Heart 2 Heart is going to focus on our personal thoughts about the Christian Faith. On many different topics and levels. Sort of like a journal really. A place to share the joys, struggles, challenges and growths of a walk with Yeshua. 

Thank you and we hope and pray both of these blogs can be a blessing to you!!!

In Jesus Name,

M & M

~3~

"At Christmas, all roads lead home." ~Marjorie Holme

Isn't this so true?! I know for me, at Christmas time I always reflect on my childhood. I miss it, and if I think hard enough about it, it is as if I go there somehow. There are no memories quite like the fond memories of Christmas as a child.

~4 Days To Go!~

"Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; that can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth; that can transport the sailor and the traveller, thousands of miles away, back to his own fire-side and his quiet home! "~Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers, 1836


This quote really stands out to me. There is no memory and  no time like when I was a child at Christmas time. Sometimes I really miss those days and the excitement and joy this time of year brought to me. But, now I can enjoy it through my children's excitement!

A Simple Holiday??

Is it even possible? 


The thought of a nice simple holiday for some families is a far off dream :-)  I know for my family , we have always done a big Christmas dinner with all the family coming to one house. Usually my Mom's house since her home is the biggest. It is always a fun time and I really love being with all the family on Christmas...since we do not see each other much throughout the year. However, it can be a bit much at times with hosting, cooking, cleaning, decorating, dessert...you name it. By the end of the night...my folks are wiped out and so are we! A fun time for sure...but is there ANY way to still get together with everyone...still have a lovely time gathering for gifts and laughs and food..without all of that stress? 


Before today, I would not be able to create this post...due to not really knowing how to simplify the holiday other then staying at home. I know some families that do that. They go to one parents house on Christmas eve...then to the other the day after Christmas or even the following or previous weekends. But on Christmas Day they stay put. I would LOVE to do that one year...but alas we must see family , it just would not be right! Well, some things will be a bit different this year for our family on Christmas Day. 


Due to my folks being unemployed for almost 2 years now and the stress that goes along with that, they are not up to hosting Christmas dinner this year. My mom expressed just wanting a "simple" holiday with a light dinner. Well, we came up with a "simple" plan and I am actually excited about it! 


We moved to a new town this year , so we are about 1 hour and 30 mins from each of our parents homes. There is no way to have a nice calm Christmas morning at our house and then get to each parents house for a lovely dinner and gifts. We would be so rushed and stressed and this would go against everything we want and value in our family. So, with the graciousness of my Mother-in-law who is one of the kindest gentlest women I know, she is ok with having our family visit her on Christmas eve day! We will have our Christmas on that day with her. I tell you, I am so blessed by her! I only hope and pray I can follow in her lead and be that kind of mother -in-law to my future Daughter in laws.  We will be able to have a nice calm Christmas morning with our boys on Saturday and then head off to my Mom's house for a relaxing dinner with just our family and her and her husband. Calm, simple, easy. She has invited the rest of my family members to join us at her house for dessert anytime from 6pm on. We will be cleaned up and finished with dinner by then. They can just sit down, eat dessert, enjoy the family time and gifts. Calm,simple, easy. 


Can a holiday be simple, you ask? Actually, it can!! With a bit of compromise and planning. With making sure that each parent or family gets adequate time, even if you have to split up the days...you can achieve a pretty simple holiday after all! It does take some scheduling and letting go of old traditions and ideas of how Christmas should be spent. But, if everyone can work together then there will be a very Merry Christmas for all!! 


Another challenge. Ask yourself...do we really NEED to do the big huge dinner? Now, if your family has a great time working together in the kitchen and cooking that big dinner then by all means, do it!! It's fun and delicious! But, if your family is anything like mine, the big dinner is more of a stress and hassle. If this is your experience then try proposing the question of "Do we have to do all of this? Could we simplify it a bit?" And you can! You could forgo the turkey and just do something simpler like a baked lasagna dish or something like that. Or do a turkey but just a have a few sides depending on how many people you have joining you. If it is a smaller bunch, don't do the 10 , 000 side dishes and gigantic turkey.  What about turkey sandwiches? My grandmother told me that when she was young...her family always had Christmas dinner at home. They would go to one grandparents in the morning ...head home for dinner and have turkey sandwiches. Her mom would cook the turkey the day before and they would have the sandwiches on Christmas Day. Then , in the evening they would head to the other grandparents house. This sounds pretty simple to me! 


I will post again after Christmas has passed to let you know how Simple and/or easy it really was:-)


Oh...and they are predicting snow on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day for us....so....we may end up having a more simple holiday then we really desire!! :-)

~5~

"One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day.  Don't clean it up too quickly."  ~Andy Rooney

~9~

"Did you ever notice that life seems to follow certain patterns? Like I noticed that every year around this time, I hear Christmas music."
Tom Sims