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Category Archives: Christmas

If I sent you a Christmas card, this is what I’d say.

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If I sent you a Christmas card, this is what I’d say.

I gave up sending Christmas cards years ago. I tried for a long time but it came to feel too much like an obligation. Sending Christmas cards takes so much time and is hard on the budget. And for something that would probably get tossed when the Christmas décor came down? Nah, not worth it. Cards and stamps are not cheap!

I love getting Christmas cards, though, so if anyone sends me one, know that they don’t get tossed. I keep them and on years when I can keep track of them in the middle of moving from place to place, I keep them out, rotate them off and on and pray for each person or family who sends me one. This is not the point of this post but I did want to acknowledge all you do-gooders out there. Your efforts are not wasted on me. I know there was sacrifice involved. I wouldn’t be offended in the future, though, and I would actually applaud you if you chose chocolate for yourself instead of a stamp for me.

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Different Kinds of Gifts to Give for a Different Kind of Christmas

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Different Kinds of Gifts to Give for a Different Kind of Christmas

When we think of Christmas gift giving, we think of rocking horses, the latest and greatest doll, or maybe a shiny new bicycle and legos. Our minds and hearts turn to a simpler time in our childhood or at least what we wished for in our childhood. So much of Christmas revolves around kids because of the joy on their faces when they get a gift that they didn’t expect or even know existed. It’s exciting.

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Christmas Memories I Hope To Have One Day

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Christmas Memories I Hope To Have One Day

I look back to so many wonderful Christmas memories. My mind turns to a few painful ones as well. As we are celebrating the newborn life of our Savior, our lives continue to live themselves out – and it ain’t always eggnog and candy canes. Some Christmases I’ve wished would linger and some I’ve “Merry Christmas’d” my way through to get to January. All of those Christmases and all of the memories that came with them are a part of my story.

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This Christmas is not bad, it’s just different.

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This Christmas is not bad, it’s just different.

Riding the coattails of my daughter’s post yesterday, I think I’m okay with Christmas…, things are different for all of us this Christmas. With only one big kid left at home, the house is quiet. No sleepy eyes or footy pajamas walking anxiously down the stairs. No sweet cuddles and gentle good mornings. No eager kiddos waiting to hear the go ahead to tear into the presents. I’m enjoying a leisurely cup of coffee, taking the time to process and sit and write a little bit here.

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I think I’m okay with Christmas… {Guest Post by Anna Stunz}

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I think I’m okay with Christmas… {Guest Post by Anna Stunz}

I’m beyond proud to introduce you to our youngest daughter, Anna. She has graciously agreed to offer her honest perspective on how she is approaching Christmas this year with her two older siblings being married. There are 6 years between her and our middle child so as our nest empties she gets the good and the bad parts of being the “only child” now. You can imagine my mom pride as I share this piece with you. Please help me welcome my most beautiful and favorite baby girl, Anna.

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Sorry, I don’t send Christmas cards.

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Sorry, I don’t send Christmas cards.

When we first got married I thought sending Christmas cards was the good wifely thing to do but as years passed I had such a hard time justifying it. When the kids were little, money was often still a factor but there was that thing about keeping up with addresses when I couldn’t even keep up with sippy cups. A few years ago I came to the realization that Christmas cards and I needed to part ways.

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Settling Into Holidays As A Young Family

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Settling Into Holidays As A Young Family

This Christmas will be mine and my husbands third married Christmas together. Looking back, our Christmases couldn’t be more different. We had our first married Christmas. A year later, we had our first Christmas with a baby all the while closing on and renovating our first house. This year we are settled in our home, most of the big renovations are finished and we have a busy one-year-old roaming around.

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Saturday Share 12.12.15 #LinkUp {Focus: Encouragement in Pain}

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Saturday Share 12.12.15 #LinkUp {Focus: Encouragement in Pain}

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that so many people are struggling during the holiday season. I’ve been one of them more times than I’d like. It’s such a season of contradiction at times. Life is still happening but for some reason we think it all has to stop and we have to happily sip our hot cocoa. I love how more and more of my writer friends are writing about their struggles in this season. But what I love more is how they freely offering not only their story of struggle or pain but they are offering encouragement to others on how they made it through.

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Mingling Holiday Traditions As Newlyweds

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Mingling Holiday Traditions As Newlyweds

It was about 9 o’clock one night last week when my husband and I loaded up in our single cab truck and headed out to Home Depot. We decided that it was the perfect night to take on the highly anticipated search for our perfect first Christmas tree.

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Five Holiday Traditions That Need To Be Tossed! {And Ones To Replace Them With}

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Five Holiday Traditions That Need To Be Tossed! {And Ones To Replace Them With}

I’m following my own advice in writing this post and keeping it simple. No fluff here. I don’t have time for that today but I do have some words that I know someone out there needs to hear with their “eye ears”.

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