Part II: A Pinterest Christmas

This year our family needed to scale down the gifts a bit.  The Byrd parents have had opposing opinions on gift giving for 15 years.  Hard Working Dad wants the flock to experience opening more smaller gifts.  Very Involved Mom believes it's okay for the flock to have 1 big gift and maybe a couple more.  We needed compromise...Pinterest saves the marriage day again!  

Here's the poem that was found:

THE FOUR GIFT RULE

FOR GIFT-GIVING TO OUR KIDS

1 THING THEY WANT

1 THING THEY NEED

1 THING THEY WEAR

1 THING THEY READ

We sprang it to the flock the last Monday (Family Home Evening) in November.

They all took it well.  It was more of a challenge for the parents than it was for the children.

Very Involved Mom admits that Hard Working Dad did a fantastic job!  

We also wanted to purchase a new television.  Our old one was well... OLD.  The sound was horrible and it required us to have cable (budget draining and wasted hours-favorite shows being on Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, ESPN, Fox News).  

We let the flock know that cable was going, but we did not tell them about the new tv.

Again, thinking about our funds for Christmas giving, the parents decided not to give each other any gifts.  This was another difficult decision.  About a week before Christmas, Very Involved Mom suggested we give instead a list of 12 dates to each other and place them in our stockings.  So in total 24 dates for the year... about 2 per month... that's about 20 more legitimate days than last year!  The date idea had been floating around the Pinterest World here, here,  and here.  

Christmas day arrived.  We read the Story of the Birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ from the scriptures and then opened the gifts under the tree.  What joy it was to see the children figuring out their "Want, Need, Wear and Read"  items!  They also loved all of the gifts from extended family members as well.  Then we went to our stockings.  The parents opened up their "Dates for the Year" papers and started busting our laughing!  Here's why and what they wrote:

January (same)

Dad-Crocker Art Museum-Norman Rockwell Exhibit

Mom-Norman Rockell exhibit at the Crocker Art Gallery

February

Dad-Plan vacations at the library

Mom-Go see Les Miserables at the movies

March (same)

Dad-See a concert/performance

Mom-Free Concert at a Local University

(next 3 months same/similar)

April 

Dad-Movie Night

Mom-2nd Saturday Art Walk

May

Dad-Walk around Old Sacramento

Mom-"Chick Flick" Movie at Home

June

Dad-2nd Saturday Gallery tours

Mom-"Guy" Movie at Home

July (same)

Dad-Dinner at Ella

Mom-Dinner and Temple Date

August

Dad-(had a typo)

Mom-Lunch at Gatsby Diner & Cribbage in the Park

September

Dad-Deseret Book & Dessert

Mom-Walk 2 miles on the American River Trail

October

Dad-Gift Ideas at the Mall

Mom-Cook a Fancy Dinner at Home Together

November

Dad-Netflix night

Mom-Walk Around at an Antique Shop

December

Dad-Drop Off Cookies

Mom-Shopping Date

If you look closely, we have about 6-7 of the same or similar dates!  

We've been dating for nearly 22 years and our minds have almost become one.  

We're looking forward to our year of Christmas Planned Dates.

(As an added bonus, Sister #6 gave us a family pass to the Crocker Art Museum.  

So our first date will be with the entire family!  Too Funny!!) 

A Pinterest Christmas

 So I (Very Involved Mom) have been enjoying the Pinterest World these past few months.  During the perusal of this site, I've come upon many Christmas traditions that I'd like to try this year for my Byrd Flock.  For the past 20 years, Hard Working Dad and I have collected various books and videos that seem to be ignored throughout the season.  By placing them in a prominent location and making it look pretty, we've attracted the children's attention and brought anticipation and mystery to each day in December. We have been pleasantly surprised by their reactions.  It's been a joy to watch!

 Here are the links that inspired the "Christmas Advent Basket": 

Idea #1

and 

Idea #2

The photos below show the items that were opened on each day.

 

 

 "The Nativity: A Glorious Pop-up Book" by Francesca Crespi 

(we've owned this book since about 1995)  

This is the one book every child and adult must read every December!  We adore this book!

"Christmas Memories" fabric book

 Various Printed stories that have been collected by Aunties, Teachers in Church, Homemaking Activities.  One of my favorites is "Red Mittens" by Mary Moody.

(I cry just about every time I read it or it's read to me.)

The Salt Lake Temple Card read, 

"Watch the First Presidency Christmas Devotional @ 5:00 PM".

The Red Box was opened on Christmas Eve with a card that read, 

"Helaman 14:1-8".

(We always read the New Testament's Birth of Jesus Story on Christmas morning 

before opening any gifts.)

 These are the other books and movies (also "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" movie) we watched during the month of December.

(One of the days was attending the Ward's "Night in Bethlehem" Activity)

Here are a couple of our other Advent Calendars:

 At the beginning of the month, all the hanging ornaments begin on the stars around the tree.

As the month continues, each ornament is placed on the Christmas tree.

Auntie #1 made this years ago and we put it up every year. 

Our Thankful Tree was made in the month of November as a Family Home Evening Activity.  We liked it so much that we've kept it up.  It's helpful to remember our blessings year round. 

We try to make some type of home gifts to give to our home teaching and visiting teaching families.  Last year, we made THIS and THESE.  

This year we made THESE and THESE.

We've had a fun Christmas and hope that you've had a great one too!

Merry Christmas!

Instead of Christmas Cards again this year, we created this video.

We all had a great time in the prepping and the filming.

Enjoy!

Bless All the Dear Children

One of my favorite Christmas Songs is Away in a Manger.  

The third verse always touches my heart, but it's been in my head all day yesterday.  

It's been an emotionally sad time.

"Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask Thee to stay Close by me forever and love me, I pray.

Bless all the dear children in thy tender care And fit us for heaven to live with Thee there."

My heart, thoughts and prayers go out to all those who have lost loved ones.

Answers to Fasting

Found these scriptures upon finishing my fast this past Sunday.  

It gave great comfort to me during this time.

2 Corinthians
Chapter 4

6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

 8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

 10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

 11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

 12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

 13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;

 14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.

 15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

 16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.