Stories from Christmas 2008

I've been so busy that I have not had a chance to post about how great Christmas was!

We have this "tradition" in our family of wrapping gifts in a unique way. We make the receiver work to get their gift! Multiple boxes, layers of wrapping paper and other tricks are always fun!

This year my little brother was the recepient of a treasure box from my brother Pete and his girlfriend Debbie. They created this huge treasure chest out of cardboard boxes and duct tape. Inside the box was various boxes , crumpled up paper and lots of chocolate and other hidden "gems". The theme was "Legend of Zelda", my little brother's favorite video game. My brother Pete had sound effects the treasure chest too. He had the sounds choreagraphed for each box or layer.

We laughed as my brother went through each layer of paper and each box. The boxes either had chocolate or Little Debbie Christmas Tree cakes. He finally got down to a tiny ring box. He opened it to find a lone hershey's kiss. The little paper sticking out of the kiss said "failure"

So finally after his "failure" my brother hands him another box. It's smaller but as he starts opening it he finds more boxes. Finally he got to his gift and it was some flute from the video game. We were all tired after watching him go through all that to get his present but it was worth all the laughs.

We also did something similar for my Mom's gift. But her gift was more sentimental. We put together 6 boxes inside of a bigger box. Five of the boxes represented each of my siblings and the last box was the gift. We had her open the boxes in birth order.

Each of the five boxes had a momento and personal note from each of us. Each box was individually wrapped so Mom had to work to get her gift too! My box had an old ring and a little something of each of my kiddies. These things represented the fun times we had in the past and the Mom I had become because of her :)

We all cried as my Mom went through all the boxes and read all the notes aloud.

Finally she got to box six, the gift box. Inside she found something that she had been asking us to get her for years... A Mother's Ring. Her face was priceless and she cried some more. She actually took off her wedding ring and replaced it with the Mother's ring! My Dad laughed and took her wedding ring to replace his lost one.

I wish I had pictures but I do have a video of my Mom opening her gift. I'm just waiting for my Dad to upload it to the computer and send it to me. Once he does that I will post it up!

Preparing for a New Year

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I am excited about 2009. A new year always marks the possibility of change and new beginnings.

ISome things I am doing to start the new year:

1. I finally cleaned out my 2 e-mail inboxes!!! I had over 5,000 e-mails in my gmail account!!!
2. We went through all the toys and threw out everything that was broken or not used anymore. I would have donated some of the stuff but Julia's toys were not in great condition!
3. I started studying for the test to get myself certified to teach in NYC. I minored in English Education when I went to college as a back up and now I need to use my back up!
4. Making a plan to lose weight after the holidays. I need to get serious. I gained back all the weight that I had lost and I have to get control of my yo-yoing weight! 2009 is my year to lose the weight and keep it off!


My list is short but I'm sure there will be more to add in the coming weeks and months! What are your plans to start out the new year???

I wish everyone a Glorious, Prosperous and Happy New Year!

God Bless!!!

The Parable of the Birds

I read this for the first time this morning and I hope it blesses you as much as it blessed me this Christmas Eve morning.

The Parable of the Birds

Louis Cassels

 

Once upon a time, there was a man who looked upon Christmas as a lot of humbug. He wasn't a Scrooge. He was a very kind and decent person, generous to his family, upright in all his dealings with other men.

But he didn't believe all that stuff about God becoming man, which churches proclaim at Christmas. Why would God want to do anything like that?

So when his family left to attend midnight services on Christmas Eve, he stayed home.

Shortly after the family drove away snow began to fall. He went to the window and watched the flurries getting heavier and heavier. Sometime later, as he was reading his newspaper by the fire, he was startled by a thudding sound that was quickly followed by another. Then another.

When he went to investigate, he found a flock of birds huddled miserably in the snow. They had been caught in the storm, and in a desperate search for shelter had tried to fly through the window.

"I can't let these poor creatures lie there and freeze," he thought. "But how can I help them?"

Then he remembered the barn. It would provide a warm shelter. He quickly put on his coat and boots and tramped through the deepening snow to the barn. He opened the doors wide and turned on the light.

But the birds didn't come in.

"Food will bring them in," he thought. So he hurried back to the house for bread crumbs, which he sprinkled on the snow to make a trail into the barn.

To his dismay, the birds ignored the bread crumbs and continued to flop around helplessly in the snow. He tried shooing them into the barn by walking around and waving his arms. They scattered in every direction -- except into the warm, lighted barn.

"They find me a strange and terrifying creature," he said to himself, "and I can't seem to think of any way to let them know they can trust me."

"If only I could be a bird myself for a few minutes, perhaps I could lead them to safety."

Just at that moment the church bells began to ring. He stood silently for awhile, listening to the bells pealing the glad tidings of Christmas.

Then he sank to his knees in the snow. "Now I understand," he whispered. "Now I see why You had to do it."

Louis Cassels was religion editor for United Press International.   His "Parable of the Birds" has been reprinted and rebroadcast on radio many times in the years since it first appeared in the Christmas editions of newspapers across the country in 1959.


God bless you all and Merry Christmas!