Our Non-Traditional Christmas
Last December was very hectic - well beyond the usual shopping, wrapping, decorating, baking and celebrating. My son Kade was involved in a huge Eagle Scout project with the United Way, and the deadline for my third Lisa Bearnson book was near. We had company coming for Christmas, which meant pressure to have a perfectly clean house. I had also volunteered to host the annual neighborhood party, the teacher party at school and our large Downs family party.
I barely had time to breathe. My idea of a perfect December is reading a new Christmas story to my kids every night, lazily sipping hot chocolate by a roaring fire and driving around town to see the lights. This just wasn't happening.
My husband and I stepped back from all the chaos and made a pact that Christmas in '06 would be different. This year, we're hauling our family in a trailer to Mexico for two weeks. We're buying very few gifts for our children - our focus will be on children in an orphanage. We plan to visit them on Christmas Day and at other times throughout our visit. My family's been saving coins in a large container all year for gifts for the children. I can hardly wait!
My holiday season is already going smoother. I've paced myself so I'll have things done by the time we leave on the 21st. I'm sending cards out early, reading "One Frosty Christmas" to my girls and drinking steamed vanilla milk almost every night.
I'll keep you posted on how our trip goes. Here's wishing you a very merry, non-stressful holiday season. Remember to find joy in the journey.
Best wishes,
Lisa B.
I barely had time to breathe. My idea of a perfect December is reading a new Christmas story to my kids every night, lazily sipping hot chocolate by a roaring fire and driving around town to see the lights. This just wasn't happening.
My husband and I stepped back from all the chaos and made a pact that Christmas in '06 would be different. This year, we're hauling our family in a trailer to Mexico for two weeks. We're buying very few gifts for our children - our focus will be on children in an orphanage. We plan to visit them on Christmas Day and at other times throughout our visit. My family's been saving coins in a large container all year for gifts for the children. I can hardly wait!
My holiday season is already going smoother. I've paced myself so I'll have things done by the time we leave on the 21st. I'm sending cards out early, reading "One Frosty Christmas" to my girls and drinking steamed vanilla milk almost every night.
I'll keep you posted on how our trip goes. Here's wishing you a very merry, non-stressful holiday season. Remember to find joy in the journey.
Best wishes,
Lisa B.