Merry Christmas From Us

I like when people send out a Christmas letter instead of the regular Christmas card - telling us all about their last year.  I did that one year, but I am so bad about sending out cards or letters... Facebook has this nifty little year in review feature.  So here you go.
Merry Christmas from our family to yours!!!!!

click here to see my year in review

If You're Right And You're Rude - You're Wrong

Something I've been thinking about lately - what to do when someone is rude to you... how do you respond in a situation like that?  It happens a lot - at least I see it happen a lot, especially working in retail.  Retail's motto tends to be that the customer is always right.  Well, if you're right and you're rude, you're wrong.  When someone is nasty to me just because they think that is their right, it makes me so mad.  It's like a switch is flipped and I have a very hard time smiling and holding my tongue.  Well, there was an incident with a customer at my job the other night, and I just couldn't sit back and pretend like how she was acting was ok.  I told her right then and there, that she was going to have to wait her turn, that I was trying to help the other customers ahead of her, and if and when she returns to the store to please not act like that again.  Then I just turned around and walked away.  I have to say - it felt REALLY good.  I was not rude in return - I just said what needed to be said.  If you let people walk all over you, they are going to do just that.  Ok, not everyone - but you know what I'm saying.  Don't treat me poorly because you feel like you can.  And I totally understand that I had no idea what kind of day she just had... which is why I was very civil.  Sometimes you just gotta let someone know that they are being an ass.  It's easier if you are friends or family maybe - maybe they will take it better, maybe not.  I've told my husband many times when we are having "discussions" to just let me know (in a nice way) that I am acting crazy.  Sometimes I get frustrated with people, things, whatever.  I need to vent sometimes... Well, my venting can turn into shouting, and my poor  husband feels like he's the one being yelled at.  Which is totally not the case.  But it's not ok for me to make him feel bad because I need to vent.  So I've told him to just stop me and say - babe, you're yelling at me again.  haha

But do you see what I mean?  It's ok to be angry, frustrated, upset - whatever.  But it's NOT ok to treat people like crap in the process.  So this is fair warning... If you are having a bad day - or not - and you see me and are mean to me or someone near me, I WILL confront you.  If you're ok with that, then bring it on - if you're not, then please take a few deep breaths.  It will all be ok.

Would love to hear how others deal with this?

-M

Christmas and Stuff

My kids have never really believed in Santa - and we have never pushed the issue.  Somehow they've always known that Santa isn't real.  Whenever they would ask, (which was never very often) we would tell them that mom and dad buy their presents.  Now that they are older (10 &13) they are past that age anyway.  We have told them the basic story of the real St. Nicholas - but somehow over the years Christmas has turned into a ME frenzy.

What we have tried to teach them over the years, is that Christmas isn't about them.  We want our girls to have generous hearts despite our innate selfishness.  I don't think that Christmas is the only time of year, you should promote this idea, but Christmas time is always a good reminder time of year.

For us, Christmas is about Jesus - His birth, and that is what we rememeber and celebrate on Christmas.  I'm not saying that my kids don't get presents - because they do.  They are blessed little girls with lots of grandparents that like to spoil them.  But that needs to be balanced out.  We are blessed to be a blessing, and while we definitely don't have tons - we have more than alot of people.

So this year, we are going to start a new tradition with the girls.  We are going to give them each a set amount of $, and they will get to pick how they want to spend the money (the focus of course being someone else - with some guidance from us).  Brandon and I try to demonstrate this for them through the year - whether it's buying someones meal in line behind us at the drive through, or giving the homeless man on the corner a value meal for lunch.  Our kids have started looking for those little opportunities to give.  That's what I want to focus on this holiday season.  I love that our church also puts the focus on others.  Every November, we have the opportunity to buy gifts for people in our community that wouldn't otherwise be able to.  So that is also something we do as a family.  This year we bought for a 5 year old little boy.  It feels so good to give - and to know that you had a part in making someone else's day a little brighter.

What are some things that you do as a family to teach generosity?

-M

Random Acts Of Kindness

This last year has been a hard year for us.  There has been a lot of transition, a lot of trying to figure out what we are supposed to be doing.  I will spare you all the boring tidbits for now of everything that has happened over the last year.  But we are finally in a better place, moving forward, adjusting to our lives in New York.  One thing that we have tried to do over the last year in particular is be generous.  There was a long period of unemployment for both my husband and myself - and we determined that even though we didn't have much we still are blessed to be a blessing.  I know that taking the focus off of ourselves and our problems helps us to not live in a "why me" mindset.  Have you ever noticed that it's easier to be generous when you have less?  It seems like the more you have, the less you rely on God, and the less generous you want to be.  At least, that seems to be true for me.  That's one of the things we are trying to learn, and feel like we were supposed to learn from this last year.  It doesn't matter what you have or how much money you have, everyone can be generous.  Whether it's finanically, with your time, making something for someone, a smile for someone in a bad mood - we ALL can be generous.  It's not always easy, but it is always so worth it.  

Yesterday, on my way to work I stopped at Dunkin Donuts for a hot chocolate and a blueberry muffin. I also paid for the car behind me.  The cashier got a big smile on his face and his mood changed almost instantly.  I hope I helped to make the day a little brighter for the guy behind me too.  I don't want a pat on the back for that - just doing that little bit for someone else also put me in a much better mood.  I looked at people differently for the rest of the night!

So let me encourage you to do something nice for someone today.  No matter how big or how small - it will change your day, I promise.

My Thanksgiving Weekend In Pictures

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.  We had the opportunity to get to MA for the long weekend.  It was nice to sit around and not do much.  There was lots of fireplace sitting and ornament decorating and wreath making here.  If you're ever in Worcester MA, you should def. check the place out.  So cool.

Anyway, enjoy the pics and have a great Wednesday!

-M