HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA PEACOCK ~ December 31, 2014

I cannot believe we are on the precipice of 2015!  It seems like only yesterday we were on the cusp of the panic that was Y2K, and here we are, 15 years later purposing to embark on another year.  Our 2015 will be much like our 2014.  We will continue to purpose to serve Christ and honor Him in our actions and in our family life.  The way that we celebrate the upcoming New Year is very different from most, however we use December 31^st to honor one of the greatest men I have ever known, my Grandpa Peacock.

Today my Grandpa would have been 84.  Today he is celebrating his third birthday in Heaven.  Today, as every December 31^st my family and I are ringing in the New Year with chicken and dumplings, some greens or black eyed peas, and a birthday cake, all of this to honor Grandpa Peacock on his third birthday in heaven.  This year I have asked my parents and Grandma Peacock to join us.  I must admit that I am nervous about Grandma coming over, my chicken and dumplings are no where nearly as delicious as my Grandpa’s.  In spite of not being “his” chicken and dumplings, they will be made with lots of love, just like his were.

Happy Birthday Grandpa.  I love you and miss you daily.  It is a great honor to be your granddaughter and I miss you more than I can put into words.  Give my Samuel a big hug; I can’t believe he’s been with you for two years now.   I can’t wait until I get to celebrate your birthday in Heaven with you again but until then I will celebrate your life here and try to make the best chicken and dumplings I can to ring in the New Year.  

CAMPING FUN

For Christmas this year Robert had been planning on getting a family gift, a tent and camping accessories.  I have NEVER camped in a tent in my entire life (and if I’m being honest, I’m not thrilled at the idea of starting now with five kiddos in tow), but the kiddos were thrilled with the gift and the idea of spending time together as a family.  Being the amazing Dad that he is, Robert agreed to let the kiddos try out their camping gear on the 26^th.  All three of my big kiddos went camping in our front yard.  The stories from that night are priceless.

The evening started off with Daddy showing three excited kiddos how to air their mattresses up and get everything set up to be comfortable.  Since they were camping in the yard, Maggie brought out her lamp, her fan, and a couple of books to read. The boys were roughing it with flashlights and their B-B Guns.  Next the quartet moved onto a lesson on how to build a campfire.  This is where I had to bring the two excited little boys inside, for their baths, Cole kept blowing the kindling for the fire out.  Pretty soon it was dark.  Sweet dreams and good night was wished and the parents headed indoors while the big kiddos stayed out.  We watched the kids through the windows.  It was so funny.  All of a sudden flashlights would go off, looking at what every little noise was.  Giggles abounded as they agreed to share not so scary campfire stories.  At last it was lights out, or so they thought.

Setting up the campers in an "at home" style! 

Working on the campfire.

Settling in for the ong night ahead!

At 2:00 AM, I was up nursing and dealing with a grumpy little man when I spotted all the lights on in the tent.  Being the good Mama that I am, I got Jacob back to sleep and ventured out across the expanse of our yard to see what the problem was.  Of course I had to make silly noises the whole way, listening to the “WHAT’S THAT??” coming from inside the confines of the tent.  It turns out Maggie’s air mattress didn’t get completely screwed shut and slowly deflated on her all night.  All three kiddos were awake trying to get her bed resituated.  Of course this made for a great story over a true campers breakfast the next morning.  Maggie came in and made us some extra fluffy camp pancakes.

All in all I think that the big kiddos had a great time camping for the first time, ever.  If the weather will cool off again, I think that there will be some more camping fun.  Who knows, with the marshmallows in the pantry now, maybe, just maybe this Mama will join them! 

CHRISTMAS OF 2014

I love Christmas, it is my favorite time of year for so many reasons.  This year, our holiday time has been challenging, and if I am being truthful, in many ways just not fun or what we expected it to be.  In spite of our personal heartache over some things, we had a great Christmas together as a family of seven.

We normally do all of our Christmas baking on the Friday before Christmas.  Sadly this year I got the stomach flu.  I was in bed all day, literally thinking I was dying, and I was so upset and bummed out about not being able to do the baking with the kiddos.  I shouldn’t have worried though, Maggie, being the amazing big sister and young woman that she is, got the supplies together and did the baking with the boys.  She even took a lot of photos for me.  Knowing this was Jacob’s first Christmas, she didn’t want me to lose out on any memories.

The Saturday or Sunday before Christmas the Best side of the family has a get together.  This year, like last year, Robert was on call and actually wound up working so we couldn’t attend.  But, after me having the stomach flu, I didn’t think they would mind us not sharing our germs.  Christmas Eve is the day that we usually celebrate with his side of the family and all of the Massey’s.  Sadly we weren’t able to join them for this due to some circumstances that were beyond our control.  But, Poppa Best came to our rescue and joined us for some relaxing fun time on Christmas Eve.  Poor Maggie wasn’t feeling well and went to bed with a migraine, so our annual pajama and reading tradition was cut short.  I don’t think any of the kiddos even slept in their Christmas jammies this year.  I know that it’s a silly thing, but it is something that bothers me a lot.

Christmas Eve fun with Poppa Best

Making silly faces waiting on Maggie to get her meds.

Finally time to open Christmas Eve presents, new pajamas.

At LAST it was Christmas morning.  We told the kiddos not to get us up before 6:00 so Jacob wouldn’t be too grumpy.  I was up at 5:30, so excited I couldn’t stand it.  I had to WAKE my kiddos up at 6:30 for our family time.  It was the perfect morning.  We opened gifts, including our big family gift of new camping gear, we ate a big family breakfast, and then spent time playing with our new goodies.  For me, this was the time it finally felt like Christmas.  No one was sick, no one was hurt and disappointed, and no one was sad; we laughed, relaxed, and enjoyed each other.  At 1:00 we headed to my folks home to visit with my Grandma and parents and celebrate Christmas with them.

Christmas morning FUN!

Time for Christmas with Nana and Papa and  Great Grandma Peacock!

While this Christmas season didn’t go as we had hoped, and we were disappointed and saddened by a lot of things, one aspect was even more precious to me; my family.  My children were amazing as they loved and served each other to prepare the cradle for the birth of baby Jesus.  My husband was awesome as he got more and more excited over being able to make memories with his children.  My heart is full because within the confines of our small home, we saw God in action in full pursuit of our hearts with His love.  All because of the holiday we call Christmas. 

Chrismtas of 2014 was not the perfect Christmas, but it was one that was ful of joy, laughter, and love.  That is what makes this our BEST Chrismtas ever.

NEW CHRISTMAS TRADITION ~ Preparing the Manager

I love Christmas.  I love the fact that it is the one time of the year that everyone seems to slow down and focus more on what matters the most.  Be it faith, family, or just a more general focus on love, Christmas time seems to be the time that the whole world focuses in on the good and not always the bad of life.  Then the reality of excited kiddos and the “ME” syndrome hit our home and I wasn’t happy. So I knew we needed to change the focus in our home to Christ.  Our new tradition of preparing the manager for Christ was born.

I can’t take credit for this idea.  I actually read it in a book that was given to me several years ago from a precious friend and veteran homeschooling Mama of seven!  The book had been her mother’s and knowing my love of Christmas and Christmas books she graciously passed the book onto me.  It was in this collection of short Christmas story’s that I first read the idea of preparing our hearts and home for the coming of Christ by serving others.  It was from this story my new all time favorite Christmas tradition was born.

Sitting underneath our Christmas tree in the middle of all the presents is a baby cradle.  Our family goal is to fill the cradle with enough straw to make a comfortable bed for the upcoming arrival of baby Jesus, our Savior on His birthday and the reason our family celebrates Christmas. Preparing the cradle takes effort, service, and love on our parts.  Best of all it is all done anonymously so no one knows who is doing what to serve.

Every Monday we draw names out of a hat to see who we will be serving the upcoming week.  The only rule we have is that you can’t draw your own name.  How you choose to serve your person is entirely up to you.  I know that the first week I never had to ask for the trash to be gathered up.  It was done.  This past week I needed the freezer defrosted and the boys working together did it to serve me (I think that one of them had my name, but I’m not sure which one.).  Every evening our bed is filled with a little bit more straw.  More than that, I have noticed a difference in the children and our entire family.  Instead of squabbles continuing, they are looking for ways to make the other person smile and laugh.  Instead of demands being made about “ME”, there are questions being asked on how to serve.  There has been more laughter.  There has been more serving hearts.  Most of all, I think that there has been more love shown in our home all because of simple acts of service, deliberately purposing to prepare our hearts and our home for the coming of the Baby Jesus.

Drawing names, John Robert let us use his hat.

Not too bad for the end of our first week.  As we get closer and closer to Christmas our bed is being prepared nicely.

The children giggle and smile as they do chores, knowing that what we do for the “least” we are doing for Christ and that we are working for Him in all things and areas of our lives.  There is laughter, smiles, and silly notes left on beds.  Clothes are magically put away.  Bathrooms are cleaned.  Even Mama’s dreaded laundry is being thrown into the washer or dyer for her.  Coffee is prepped in the morning.  All because our family is looking for ways to show love and prepare ourselves for Christmas morning.

I think that this is my new favorite Christmas tradition.  This simple “game” is helping us to focus on others more than ourselves.  It is changing our home this Christmas season.  Christ is being welcomed into our home; we are actively preparing ourselves for Him.  After all, He is the best gift we have ever gotten, period.