Here Comes Christmas!

This past Friday during my awesome 4 day vacation from work, I spent the afternoon decorating the house for Christmas.  I couldn't sleep the night before as I was too excited to get started and had way too many ideas flowing through my head.  I really enjoy decorating as I find it a lot of fun.

Before I start any project, I have to mentally think about it and plan it out in my head.  It works great except for when you want to sleep as my mind doesn't shut off very easily.  I had all sorts of ideas and wanted to spend very little on supplies which meant using what I have around the house.

I decided to decorate the main part of the house - kitchen, dining room, and main living room.  I opted to not put up the Christmas tree for now as I am afraid Makenna would grab it and pull it down.  Instead I decorated in places where little hands can not reach.

I love to decorate with ornaments specifically red, silver, and white.  I used them everywhere in my decorating.  Below two pictures are of my corner built-ins in my dining room.  Each have glass door but I just opened it for the picture.

 Below pictures are a ledge on top of my windows in my kitchen - the garland was cut to size, a string of white lights, and I added some berry picks to the mix.  I then made some arrangements out of ornaments.

 Back in my day, I was an inventory planner in the Christmas department at Target headquarters in Minneapolis, MN.  While working there, I obtain a lot of really cool decorations which I still have and use.  Below is the 5 piece village set Target had one year.  I actually planned out the inventory and purchased it for all Target stores.  It was only right I took home a set of my own.  Isn't it adorable? I decided to display it on top of our wine cabinet in the dining room.  I used empty shoe boxes for the back two houses.

I don't have photos but I made my own piece of wall art for a wall in the kitchen.  I used an unused 16x20 frame, wrapped the back in red foil Christmas paper, added some ribbon as a border, and threw on the words HO HO HO on it.  Kind of looks like a bad bulletin board but I like it.  Nice to do something original and be a little creative.

Anyone else decorate this past weekend?  Hope you enjoyed it as much a I did.

Girly Maya

There is no dispute.  Maya is a girly girl.  Sorry Dave.  Maya loves wearing dresses and tights or skinny jeans with her boots.  She loves to wear lip gloss and she loves to style hair, my hair.  Maya also loves having her nails polished with sparkling nail polish. 

This morning after breakfast Maya picked out her colors (usually two colors as the sparkling color must go atop of the base color) and got her nails painted. 

Did I mentioned Maya is a girly girl?  I think I did.  Smile.

A little hard to see - base coat is red with blue sparkling nail polish on top

Look at that smile - she is letting them dry while take her picture

Maya insisted I take a picture of her with her head tilted

‘Tis the Season

To be Jolly. Fa La La La La La La La La

I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I hope all of you took time to be thankful for all the wonderful things in your life. We enjoyed our day very much. Our original plans of spending time with family fell through but instead we got to spend the day as a family and enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving meal with good friends. We are thankful.

Now it is time to look ahead. I am thrilled to say Christmas is a mere 29 days away. Woo Hoo! Christmas is by far my favorite holiday of the year.

Who couldn’t love:
• Christmas Lights
• Christmas Decorations
• Christmas Carols
• Christmas Spirit

I love all of it. I am not a Black Friday shopper by no means but I love hitting up Target in the late am. This year we got an awesome night sleep, got ready, and headed to Target. It was so busy but I didn’t care. I loved it. I loved being surrounded by others and I was in such a great mood. It feels great to be in the holiday spirit.

Now I am busy nesting at home. I’m not sure exactly why except maybe because Christmas is only 29 days away! And maybe because Dave is leaving me right afterwards for Ethiopia. Regardless, I am nesting and am loving it.

Off to tackle more of my list…

Wordless Wednesday - Beads, Beads, and More Beads!

Being Thankful

Thanksgiving is only a couple of days away and it is a day to give thanks.  It is a day to remember and to maybe verbalize things you are thankful for such as good health, family, and a feast on the table.  But why do we wait an entire year to be thankful?  Why not be thankful year round? 

As I think about all the things I am thankful for, I can not help but think of the people in Ethiopia.  I can't help but think of my girl's birth families, the boys at Kolfe, the families who call Korah home, and all the street kids.  I can't help but think of the little boy and girls in the orphanages and the beggers in the streets.  These people work hard everyday to survive, literally.

I am thankful.  I am thankful for my family, my friends, the roof over my head, the food in my cupboards and refrigerator.  I am thankful for my job, the car I drive, and the clothes in my closet.  I am thankful for my education, my church home, and the ability to be compassionate towards others. 

I am thankful but not just today or in two days.  I am thankful year round as I know how wonderful and good I have it.  You see unlike many people who don't know where their next meal will come from, I do.  I know I will have 3 meals, I know I will sleep in my bed tonight, I know I will get up and be able to shower in clean water.  I am thankful.

Let's not be thankful for one day only but instead be thankful everyday of the year.  Remember all the good things in our lives.  I do.

"You're Adopted" - Sony Playstation Commercial

There is a new commercial out for the Sony Playstation gaming system which is pretty funny. It is of a family playing a golf game and the mother is beating everyone so the family goes to great lengths to distract her during her swing including running a blender, shaking keys and blowing a vuvuzelas (side note - these things are not going away after this summers World Cup). Then the grandfather says just as the mother is in the middle of her stroke "You're Adopted."

So at work, I had a co-worker watch this commercial with me and provided him no context to what it was a about. At the point of the grandfathers phrase, "You're Adopted" he laughed out loud. It was the one line in the entire commercial that made him laugh. 

So I asked him what about that phrase made him laugh and he explained that it is an often used phrase for a joke, such as a sibling telling the other they are adopted. It was then that I asked him, but why is that funny?

I am asking all of you as well, why is it funny to tell someone they are adopted?

If your young daugther saw this commercial and heard that phrase and looked up at you and asked, "Daddy, what did they mean by "You're Adopted", what would you say?

I don't believe that Sony was trying to be intentionally derogatory with the statement, but I think you need to look further and understand that the reason the joke is 'funny' is just that - it is meant as a put down.

I am trying not to be overly sensitive,, but my experience with my co-worker confirmed the uncomfortable feeling I had with the commercial and I felt it is important as a conspicuous family to educate others on this topic.

Would love to hear others feedback on this topic. Do you feel the same as I? Do you defend Sony and the use of this phrase? Maybe you think I am overly sensitive? Let us know by leaving a comment.

And if you want to let Sony know your comments, you can send the to scea_media_hotline@playstation.sony.com.

A "ME" DAY

No

+ No

= ME

This day is almost all about me (besides Makenna's follow-up ear appointment and Thanksgiving lunch at the girls' daycare). I plan to spend the day doing what I want to do. Holiday shopping, window browsing, and spending the evening catching up with some girlfriends. I feel like I won the lottery!

Hard to Say Good-Bye

It is true.  My kids are growing and there isn't a thing I can do to stop it.  Sad but true. 

I have slowly been going through all the baby stuff in the house and trying to decide what to do with it all.  We decided to try to sell some of the good stuff on Craig's List in hopes to find it a good home and to get some extra cash in our wallet.  We have sold only a few things so far.  Although I am happy to see my house become less cluttered, I can't help but to be sadden by it.  I personally find it hard saying good-bye to something that both of my girls used due to all the memories.  I feel like I should call in the cluttered expert, you know the one that used to be on that show on TLC?  Well anyway, I know it is only a material object but it was my girl's material object. 

I can say good-bye to most of the baby stuff in my house even with all the memories except for one item.  This particular baby item brings back so many memories for both girls that I can not see it go.  I will probably hold onto this item for a long time. 

Do I need it?  No. Do I used it?  No.

Doesn't matter.

What is it?  My Baby Bjorn.

We bought this before we left for Ethiopia to bring Maya home.  It was our saving grace while in Ethiopia with both Maya and Makenna.  I actually carried both of my babies through the many airports as Dave's back could not support them.  I soathed Makenna in it countless times while home on maternity leave as she needed to be close to me. 

This Baby Bjorn means to much to me and brings back too many wonderful and heart ache moments with both of my precious daughters.  No way can I say good-bye to it.  Not now anyways.

Is there anything you have kept due to sentimental reasons?

Faces of a Vanishing World

I came across this amazing documentary and story yesterday. The story documents photographer, Joey L, and his return to Ethiopia to give back to the subjects of his photography what was rightfully theirs - their photographs. He visited remote villages and captured the unique traits of each of the tribes, the personality of the people.

Below is the trailer for the documentary, but also take time to read his summary of the project here. It captures the essence of Addis Ababa and the beauty of the people combined with the hard realities of life there for so many.

He even talked about exchanging money on the black market, something that we did our first trip back in 2007 as well, although unknowingly until we were in the middle of it.

Enjoy and thank you Joey L. for capturing the essence of these tribes for today, and for future generations.

We Co-Hosted a Concert - For Real!

Have you heard of the band David Wax Museum? 

The most random and the most craziest thing happened.  In July we had the pleasure of discovering a new band (new for us) who opened for one of my favorite bands, The Old 97's.  You may remember my post about it.  The night was great as it was an adult only night which was really needed. 

While at the concert, we added our email address to the David Wax Museum fan list.

Fast forward a few months.

A few weeks ago, David Wax Museum sent out an email to all the fans in my town to see if anyone would be interested in hosting a concert in their house.  What???  Well...Dave and our good friend Evan both replied agreeing to do host without even consulting with one another.  How cool and random is that? 

Last night was the concert which we co-hosted with our friends Evan and Teri-Lee.  The show was simply amazing and everyone had a great time.  The food, beverages, atmosphere, company and the music could not have been any better.  What a way to end the weekend and start off the work week!

I realize many of you either lost interest in my post or are asking "Who is the David Wax Museum?". Here is a short review from Last.FM "Tagged as “one of Boston’s hottest new bands” by The Boston Globe, The David Wax Museum fuses exuberant Mexican roots music with rockin’ country folk reminiscent of old school Jayhawks and early Wilco to create “Boston’s homegrown answer to Calexico” (The Bostonist)."

If you love music and want to add a new band to your playlist, you have to click play below and/or look these guys up.  They will surprise you, hook you, and make you a new fan like us!

Let me know what you think (these videos are from their show in July at that Venue in Fargo)!

Can Anyone Relate?

It's that time a year. I just love this time a year where I have to make decisions that affect all of the next year. I am sure many of you or maybe your spouses are also experiencing the pleasure of re-enrolling in your company's benefits. All and all, it isn't too bad and not very hard.

While looking at the dependant care flexing account, I can't help but wonder "why only $5000 per household?". For those of you with children in daycare, does $5000 cover your expenses or even most of your expenses? I know that it certainly does not cover our expenses and it certainly doesn't even cover one of our two kids. I am incredibly thankful for a tax deduction but why hasn't it changed after all these years especially when daycare has gone up considerably? Any answers?

I did a big no no today. I actually calculated how much we will spend in daycare this calendar year with the new increased rates at our daycare. It was beyond scary. Our girls go to a daycare center versus a home daycare. No reason except we felt more comfortable with a center and so far it has fit our needs. We like it and our girls love it. They feel comfortable, safe, and loved. The staff is remarkable and you can't put a price tag on everything my girls are learning.

For a long time now, I have been really down on myself. Please don't judge but I feel like I have given up so much in order to have my two beautiful girls who are close in age. It is a constant internal struggle for me to realize that I no longer have the disposable income that I once had and to accept it. I often get very jealous and envious of those around me who seem to have an endless supply of discretionary income and who are always wearing new clothes. I used to be that gal who would replace my purse every 6 months and now I have been using the same one for over a year. I used to be that gal who could buy a new shirt, pair of jeans, or some new make-up (within reason). Now I am the mom who has to budget, watch for sales, and pay my enormous daycare bill.

I love my girls without a doubt and I would never wish to go back to the time before them as my life is better with them in it. I just have to realize kids come with a price tag and for us it is our daycare expense. We will get through this time and one day I'll get a my new purse. Until then, I will continue to budget, continue to watch for sales, and continue to make good money decisions. Besides, materials are not what matters anyway. Too many people are searching for their next meal, a place to call home, education, and so much more. These are the things that matter and I just have to keep reminding myself of it.

Another Way to Give Back - Ethiopian Scarves

fashionABLE, a new non-profit from the folks from Mocha (who were behind the I Need Africa More than Africa Needs Mevideo).

Everyone reading my blog knows how much Ethiopia means to me and my family. By promoting fashionABLE and purchasing these one of kind scarves, we can give back to Ethiopia and to the women who are desperately trying to make a living and feed their families. I am in awe of this organization and am excited to have found them. Please watch this video and share with others this amazing organization.

The vision of fashionABLE is to make a new kind of fashion statement as a responsible consumer. Your purchase of a scarf does far more than just create jobs. The fashionABLE mission is to create sustainable business in Africa so that the people are not dependants on charity, but a vital part of a developing economy. It’s a simple business model: Scarves provide jobs; profits provide restoration. When you buy a fashionABLE scarf you are ABLE to provide opportunities, and women in Africa are ABLE to have a new choice.

It's Me, Makenna

Hi. It's me, Makenna. You know, the little one that my mom keeps blogging about?  I thought I'd share 5 things about me that you probably didn't know (or maybe you did because my mom blogs a lot)

1. I'd like to think of myself as the cute one in the family thanks to my big brown eyes. Yes, Maya is cute but I am WAY cuter - ha ha!

2. My ears finally don't hurt thanks to tubes being put in. My mom and dad finally caved and realized I wasn't screaming for nothing. I do miss the meds though as they were tasty.

3. My mom refers to me as the next Dennis the Menace. I guess it is because I like to get my hands on everything and into everything. What can I say? I am curious. But...who is this Dennis guy anyway?

4. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my pacifier. Unfortunately daycare makes me go without it during the day. At night and weekends, I can just cry and fuss enough where dad and mom give in to me. The last two nights I have gone without it though which I am not happy about. I may have to wake up and start crying (but don't tell my mom and dad!)

5. My favorite past-time is eating. Yep, I love it. My dad is the cook and he never seems to have dinner ready when I want it. I really love most everything too but I am not a fan of chicken which we have a lot at my house. I prefer the good stuff like hot dogs or hamburgers.

Well that is all the time I have - now it is time to get busy and start destroying the house. Or maybe I'll grab some leaves off of my mommy's plant. She loves that :)

Bye!

Wordless Wednesday - Maya's Mad Face (Oh She Makes Me Laugh)

Birthday Celebration

On Saturday we spent the day as a family celebrating Dave's birthday.  We didn't do anything too crazy as we all needed a day of rest.  Dave decided a birthday lunch out was in order so we enjoyed a Mexican meal.  The girls loved it and especially loved the free chips! 

Later in the evening, Dave made his own birthday meal (yes, I know I should have cooked but Dave is the cook and so he cooked) of yummy BBQ's full of veggies and homemade fries.  We finished the meal with a surprise Cold Stone Creamery ice cream cake.  Dave loved it as I had it especially made for him which meant pumpkin ice cream, Dave's favorite.

Thank you to all of you who wished Dave a happy birthday and who granted Dave's birthday wish of giving $37 for his 37th birthday.  Words can not express how thankful we are to have such wonderful friends and family. 

Orphan Sunday - Let Me Overwhelm You With Staggering Numbers

• There are more than 143 million orphans in the world who have lost one or both parents. That is almost one-half of the population of the United States
• Every year 12 million children become orphans
• There are currently 500,000 children in foster care in the United States. Approximately 118,000 of these are available for adoption
• Every year in the U.S. alone, 25,000 children age out of the foster care system with no family to belong to and no place to call home 
• Please watch this video and please pray for all the orphans in the world.  I am.

Hope is Fading – Orphan Sunday from Allan Rosenow on Vimeo.

David’s Birthday Wish

I turn 37 on Saturday and I have a birthday wish – to share with 13 others from my church the amazing boys at Kolfe Boys Orphanage in Addis Ababa. As a birthday wish I am raising $1369 which is $37 for each of my 37 birthdays. If you feel obliged to make a donation, you can do so here: Donate Now

As an parent to two Ethiopian children I have a fond connection to the beautiful people of Ethiopia as well as an understanding of the great needs of children who have been orphaned through the loss of one or both parents due to poverty and disease.

The day after Christmas a group from Olivet Lutheran Church will leave for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to spend a bit over a week at the Kolfe Boys Orphanage. Kolfe is an orphanage made up of over 130 boys aged 10 and older. These boys are truly amazing and have touched many hearts already. You can read more about Kolfe and the relationship Olivet has with this orphanage here.

Other organizations such as Gladney and Luke 8:21 Orphan Care Ministries have provided resources and connections to these boys. You can read about a scholarship program that Gladney operates that provides an opportunity for these boys to attend school.

Upon our return it is my goal that our entire group will have been captivated by this amazing country, these amazing boys of Kolfe and the spirit and hope that they will then ignite an entire congregation to get involved in the relationship with Kolfe.

If you can help with even $5 or $10 it would truly be appreciated. I will be blogging and Facebooking the trip so you will be able to follow along on our journey. Thank you in advance for your thoughts and considerations.

Donate Now

Mom's Tip #3 - Guest Blogger Amanda's 5 Little Wonders

Today’s Mom Tips guest blogger is Amanda at Our Wee Family. When she’s not chasing her streaking toddler through the house, reading “Fancy Nancy” for the zillionth time to her preschooler or cleaning out all of the crushed bunny crackers from the backseat of the van, Amanda enjoys writing articles for magazines, taking photos and attempting to knit.

Five Little Wonders

When my husband and I watched the “Babies” documentary last spring, we turned to each other in utter astonishment as the Mongolian nurse used strips of cloth to tie up the swaddled newborn. No, we weren’t horrified at the restraint. We were kicking ourselves that we never thought of it!

You know what it’s like. You hear about an idea or product from a friend, test it out and thank your lucky stars for the discovery. Unfortunately, I didn’t learn of the Mongolian swaddling technique in time for both of my kids, but here are the five wonders that made our job a heck of a lot easier.

INFANTS

SwaddleMe

The inventor of this product should simply be kissed. It’s one of the best swaddlers on the market – so simple to use with very secure Velcro. Thanks to the bottom pocket, you can change your baby while still keeping his arms wrapped. The small slit opening in the bottom also makes it easy to buckle baby into a swing or even a car seat. And, bonus, in our culture the SwaddleMe  is a bit more acceptable than tying up your kid.

"The Nursing Mother's Companion" 

I was lucky to have an amazing lactation specialist to coach me through questions with both of my kids, but I still used this book as my nursing bible. It describes EVERYTHING you could possibly want to know about nursing, as detailed as to what to expect the first few days to how to maintain a nursing relationship when returning to work. It’s perfect for reading before baby – either to help you make the decision to nurse or not, or to get you started.

Baby Signs

Baby sign language may be trendy, but its benefits go far deeper than what you’ll get from the latest fashion diaper bag. Simplified American Sign Language signs make it surprisingly easy to communicate with your baby long before he can talk. There are several programs out there, but I’ve had a wonderful time using Baby Signs. Sign up for a local class or just buy the starter kit online. Your baby will thank you (in sign).

TODDLERS

SleepSack
As soon as we stopped swaddling, our kids moved into SleepSacks, genius zip-up suits that replace blankets in the crib. The sacks come in several sizes, though we typically just ordered a couple in a size or two bigger and used them for months. This particular brand washes and wears beautifully and even comes in toddler sizes with little foot holes at the bottom for walking. Bonus feature: with babe’s little legs all tucked in a sleep sack, she’s less likely to successfully swing a leg over the crib rail. Sweet!

BabyLegs

Not surprisingly invented by a mom, these baby leg warmers are even more functional than they are adorable. Easier to pull on and off than tights, they make the perfect accessory to skirts and dresses. But they’re also amazing for potty training. Simply dress baby – boy or girl – in undies, shirt and baby legs for easy potty use. We’ve also used them on both kids during diaper rashes, when their bottoms needed some fresh air. We dressed them in a shirt and baby legs to let them play or take a short nap in the crib. BabyLegs are available in adorable girl and boy designs.

Now that you know my little parenting product secrets, what are yours?

Read more of Amanda’s adventures in motherhood at Our Wee Family.

Holiday Traditions

Now that Halloween is behind us, I have shifted into planning for my favorite holiday, Christmas. I LOVE Christmas. I love the music, the baked goods, the church services, the lights, the decorations, and I love the buzz in the air. This year is especially meaningful as we will be celebrating our first Christmas as a family of four. On top of that, we will be hosting our extended family for the first time in our current house. I can not wait to celebrate with my family and to have them worship with us in our amazing church.

I realize Thanksgiving is the next holiday and I really do enjoy Thanksgiving. Who can't love spending an entire day feasting on delicious food, seeing family, and gearing up for the biggest shopping day of the year? I love it but I love Christmas even more.

When I think of Christmas, I think of traditions. I have always wanted to build my own family traditions that Maya and Makenna will continue when they have families. As a kid growing up, I recall my own family traditions such as attending church service on Christmas Eve and then driving around my small town looking at all the beautiful lights.  I also loved having my grandparents come to visit and knowing Santa didn't forget to put a big bag of chocolate Twizzlers in my stocking. 

Great memories.

As I think back to my childhood, I can't help but think "What are our traditions?"

I guess I don't feel we really have any at this point.  We usually spend Christmas with either my family or Dave's which means incorporating each families traditions into ours. With each family having their own traditions, how do we incorporate our own? 

I really feel my generation is used to spending each holiday with family whether it be Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter.  I also think my generation not only spends the holidays with family, we are also the ones driving and rarely hosting.  Spending each holiday with family is wonderful and precious but it does make it hard to find your own family tradition. 
 
Does anyone have this issue?  Has anyone overcome this?  Is it possible to have your own traditions as well as share in your extended family traditions?

Halloween 2010 Video

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