Christmas Ideas

Here's a few of my thoughts about Christmas-

1. You have to dare to be different.

2. Kids resist meaningful ideas sometimes, but they end up loving them because they are more substantial and lasting.

3. You don't have to follow traditions unless they match your values.

-I do not value buying tons of un-neccesary stuff.

-I do not enjoy creating selfish children.,

-I hate shopping and enjoy saving.

I see the holidays as a time to magnify what is really important. Here's some ways we've tried to

focus on the 4 missions of the church:

1- Relieve the Poor

(Last year we did not buy our kids presents.  We took the money we would have spent and sent it to one of our friends whose baby has cancer.  We made a little video of her to show our kids on Christmas morning.  They loved it so much, they are begging to do it again this year.  What a relief to do NO SHOPPING during this crazy time of year... it makes it feel uncrazy.)

(Invite lonely people to join your family activities- or ask others if you can join them if you are lonely)

(Caroling to widows is always one of my favorite activities.  We are learning songs at family nights and we want to go every December Sunday to a nursing home- Myriam wishes we would go every night)

(One year, we got a full year's supply of food storage instead of wasting money on toys= Future relief of the poor)

2- Redeem the Dead

(We go do sealings with my parents since their anniversary is during the holidays)

(We spend time doing genealogy over the holidays since Donny has extra time)

3- Perfect the Saints

(We got cross country skiis one year for everyone so that we would get more exercise in the winter)

(We usually make a health goal- like not gaining any weight from Thanksgiving to Christmas- or going to bed at a decent hour during the holidays- or doing exercise or sports with family members when we are together)

4- Proclaim the Gospel

(Acting out or teaching the nativity story to our children on Christmas Eve)

(Reading meaningful Christmas stories to our children throughout December)

(Sharing the gospel through music/songs and through blogs)

(We could help missionaries- both with referrals and financially)

Musical Family Night

We have been starting our family night off each week

with a musical talent show from everyone.

We each perform a song on the piano, organ, violin,

or Donny's latest= the bagpipes!

He's only been playing the chanter for a week-

he is obsessed an improving quickly.

I love what an avid learner Donny is.

We definitely have a love of learning.

(And ours is usually obsessive learning)

Here is his new (used) bagpipes:

We recently bought a FULL PEDALS ORGAN.

I love it!  I have been practicing my head off every day.

I feel like I get so much inspiration while playing the hymns and classical music.

It really helps me to TUNE IN to the spirit.

Here's Myriam teaching everyone the Christmas Song-

 "Angels We Have Heard on High"

She wants to go caroling to nursing homes every night!

Here's Holland joining in the fun with a made-up song

after everyone else had performed.

Time with Grandma Anderson

Funerals do bring families together.

I think I am turning into my mom- I enjoy funerals.  

The spirit is so strong as it comforts us and gives us hope in the resurrection.

Hunter could not stay away from the casket at the viewing.  

He kept looking at Great Grandma and stroking her hand.

He said that "she looked so cute."

It was a great experience for our children to learn about death-

and they really understood it- they watched the whole process.

They witnessed a mighty change of heart 

as their great grandma prepared to meet her God.

Grandma Anderson came for the graveside service of her mother

and stayed with us for a couple of weeks.

We hardly get to spend much time with her since she lives in Portland.

She enjoyed observing the children and teaching them a few things as well.

Here she is playing a word game on her lap

 to teach the younger children "opposites" 

Here she is teaching Myriam some pointers on the piano.

Kathy is a very accomplished pianist and a piano teacher.

Myriam has got SO MUCH talent- it excites her.

Here she is teaching Sadie how to make

 her delicious cinnamon bread.

Primary Program

We had our primary program on Oct. 28.

All 6 of my kids are in primary (well, Benson is in nursery)

and I am in the primary presidency.

I was in charge of writing the program- it was a lot of work- but it went very well.

My parents and Logan & Elisabeth came to support us.

One of the sunbeams sang this solo for the last song.

She inspired Holland- she keeps practicing and hoping she'll have a turn

to sing a solo in church sometime too.

Family Economy

Recently, We have re-implemented "token economy," with our children who are 8 and older.  

We have been calling it "cookie economy" because they earn cookies/popcorn/granola in the evening if they did all their responsibilities.  We also went back to paying them allowances for some of their needs & wants.  

They needed to start buying some of their "things" so they would take better care of them. 

In general conference, Elder Perry's talk re-affirmed our desires in this direction by saying:

"We can organize our families based on…'family economics,' where children have household responsibilities and can earn allowances so that they can learn to budget, save, and pay tithing on the money they earn."

Here are some of the principles we've learned:

3 R's for FAMILY ECONOMICS:

         

1.    RESPONSIBILITES

a. Individual Work

b. Family Work (Specialist)

c. Education (Homework)

d. Talent Practice (8+children)

2.    REWARDS

a.      Work earns Food

b.     Honoring Parents earns Lengthened Days

     c.     Allowance Money (children 8+)

  

3.    RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

a. Time (Freedom Funnel)

b. Money (Budget- clothing,learning, fun; Tithing; Savings)
c. Talents (Mental and/or Physical)

'Till We Meet Again

Donny's grandma, Dorothy Edwards Milligan, died today-

ON HER 96th BIRTHDAY!

We were on our way to go visit her-

to take her a doughnut and sing to her,

like we do every Sunday,

and we got a phone call on Donny's cell

from Scott Monson (the owner of Williamsburg Retirement Center)

saying she had just passed away.

We still went in and sang to her and held her hand.

We felt so much love in the room-

the Holy Ghost comforted us and filled us with gratitude

for having been able to spend her last 2 years with her.

 These are some pictures of us at one of our last visits with her.

She held onto Hunter for quite a while, hugging him.

She sure loves him and feels something special for him.

She told us she would watch over him as his angel.

She was so prepared to go back home to her Heavenly Father.

She was full of love and had truly submitted her will to His.

She ended her days in peace and contentment.

We know her spirit still lives and is REJOICING to be with her husband again.

Donny put a picture of her husband by her pillow and we sang to her-

God Be With You Till We Meet Again!

And we know we will meet again because of Jesus Christ and the hope of Resurrection.

Thank you Military

Donny's brother, Reed, is currently serving our nation in Afganistan.

Our kids learned some songs of gratitude for those who are fighting for our country.

We love America and we love uncle Reed and everyone else in the service.