Hoping It Was Merry

December 29, 2011September 30, 2015 Lindsey P. Brackett1 Comment

We had a very merry Christmas. Lots of toys that the girls had really been wanting, lots of new clothes for my Millie who has been in hand-me-downs since September, lots of food I’m still eating but need to quit.

But I’ve got a little after Christmas expectation let-down going on. As usual there was lots of family drama-rama that’s sure to continue into the New Year and even though it’s silly, I always believe we’ll put it all aside for Christmas.

Sigh.

Maybe next year?

Drama aside, we did have a good time with lots of family this year and I was so excited to have lots of folks over after church on Sunday for Christmas brunch. Madelynne was baptized Christmas Day and that made it extra special.

But now everyone’s migrating back to their groove and surrounded by piles of need-to-recycle toy boxes and Christmas dishes that need to be packed and bills that were ignored a few too many times.

I miss the expectation, the anticipation, the waiting just a bit.

But as the New Year approaches, I am wondering in my heart how I can go about making everyday special, everyday a bit of the joyful of Christmas.

And I think the secret lies in the everyday. The delight of having another chance everyday to praise, to glory, to savor.

I hope your Christmas was delightful and you’re looking forward to much joy this coming year.

Sacrifice

December 22, 2011September 30, 2015 Lindsey P. Brackett3 Comments

If you really had to give up something, a true sacrifice, what would it be?

I honestly don’t know. Giving up my job didn’t feel like a sacrifice for me. It felt like relief. And we may struggle, but there’s food on my table, clothes in my kids’ drawers and in the hamper, gas in my car. We may not have everything we want, but we have everything we need.

I think, in some ways, my husband is the one who sacrificed. He’s working at a job that’s not our ideal because someone had to have a paycheck. He drives 90 minutes everyday when I know he’d rather be home with us. He misses soccer games and play practice and Wednesday Night Supper and library afternoons and bike rides and cookie making.

He never complains.

I couldn’t think of a single gift to get him this Christmas. He doesn’t need anything. Except maybe some new socks. But I think, maybe, he just needs my support. My encouragement. My gratitude. I’m sure he’d rather have that than my grouchiness or frustration or lack of faith.

Merry Christmas, Joshua. You remind me everyday what unconditional love truly is.

Christmas · Paynes · sisters

Santa Train Experience

December 22, 2011 Lindsey P. Brackett1 Comment

https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf

On Tuesday Marmie treated all the grandkids to a ride on the Blue Ridge Santa Train. We saw Rudolph, Frosty, and Santa and enjoyed the antics of the small ones (and some pouts from the big ones). These are my favorite Christmas gifts, not the ones you can wrap up under the tree, but the experiences you can give and the time you can spend with those you love.

Christmas · cooking · Manic Monday

Managing the Mania

December 20, 2011September 30, 2015 Lindsey P. Brackett1 Comment

When I was working full-time at parenting one hundred middle schoolers in addition to my own three, I used to write these Manic Monday posts.

I thought those days were behind me when I became a stay-at-home mom. Wrong, again. Yesterday was straight from the manic files and I couldn’t even post about it because I collapsed, literally, into my bed at nine o’clock. Of course, that meant I was wide awake by five to bring you this blogging goodness.

So what kept us so busy yesterday?

Well, it takes a lot of cookies to get a face like that. Batches of peanut butter with kisses, which I’ve always called silver bells. Yum….this recipe is from my Land of Cotton cookbook I posted about last week.

And Daddy’s favorite chocolate chip. No fancy recipe here, ya’ll. Just read the bag of Nestle (or Laura Lynn) morsels and don’t skimp.

Best if eaten warm from the oven and assisted by little elves.

I made two chicken pies for dinner, one for us and one to give. I mailed Christmas cards. I braved Ingles with all three. Why is it the big ones are more work than the little ones? We went to Jazzercise and Madelynne worked out with me. Oh, and because it’s the first day of a vacation we went to the pediatrician because the beginning of a break is Annabelle’s favorite time to develop strep throat.

I know, she looks really sick doesn’t she? We’re so used to this that I felt like super smart mama and caught it early. A weak positive on the test and ten days of antibiotics. And no, she didn’t contaminate my cookies.

How was your six days until Christmas Monday?

Christmas · thankful Thursday

A Little Christmas Thankfulness

December 15, 2011September 30, 2015 Lindsey P. Brackett2 Comments

A little gratitude is what I need to shake off today’s family-drama-funk and re-embrace the beauty and spirit of the season.

Though I do sometimes wish we didn’t try to cram an existence into thirty short days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I had hoped to slow down this year, enjoy that I wasn’t rushing at the last minute (because that’s when school ends) to get everything done. But folks, time shrinks just when you think it’s expanding and it’s nine days until Christmas and I don’t have any gifts wrapped, any cookies made, or any extra serenity floating around.

But today I’m thankful that while I may not be the craftiest, thriftiest, efficient-ist mom around, I did get to go to my girls’ Christmas parties and be glad they have teachers they love who love them right back.

Belle and Claire who sit together and play together and eat all the classroom snacks together.

Madelynne’s class exchanged books and her teacher was smart enough to time that exchange with the half-price bookfair. Total gift cost: $2.50

I’m also thankful for this wonderful woman. Her daughter and Belle are in the same class this year which is fun for us because I clearly don’t see her enough when I go in for my OB checkups. This is Brittney, my fantastic midwife who delivered Amelia, held me while I cried when the test was positive, and in May will hold this baby boy even before I do.

I promised in my last post that I was going to write about lots of holiday baking in the next few days and yesterday I broke out one of may favorite cookbooks that I am ever so grateful for. A dear family friend gave it to me for my wedding and it’s full of all those recipes everyone loves to eat. And there are never ingredients I haven’t heard of and can’t get at the local Ingles.

But, alas, apparently the banana bread recipe can’t survive me having to turn off the oven to go get the girls and run an errand after school….it was almost done…so I thought maybe it would be okay…..two loaves have survived to be gifted but one fell into a delicious pile of banana bread crumbles. Which means now I’m wondering if I can salvage it into a trifle. If there is success, I’ll let you know. In the meantime, stay tuned for a post of the recipe because I promise, if you follow the directions, it’s the best banana bread EVER.

And if you’re my brother-in-law reading this, yes I’ll make a new loaf for you. And yes, I’ll include icing.

What’s your favorite Christmas recipe? Let me know and link up with Thankful Thursdays below!