Christmas A to Z: G is for Giving

Christmas A to Z has been so much fun!  

Like I need a reason to be focused on Christmas. 

Today's post doesn't have many pictures - mainly because I forgot to take them.  We started something about 4 years ago and it has just stuck as a tradition.  Our donation day. Great thing to talk about since G is for Giving. 

We all give at this time of the year. We think about it more. It's easy to think about people that don't have as much as we do. When are the one at the other end of the giving, it is a really humbling experience. 

Donation Day is always early in our countdown to Christmas time.  In November we have Little Mister's birthday, so there has been an influx of new toys.  Things become less loved and out grown. What a great time to give away what we don't love anymore.  There will also be an influx with Little Miss's birthday and Christmas(es).  

We will be did this on Monday. I have already gone through their clothes and pulled out the outgrown items.  Usually I just take everything to The Healing Center at our church and call it a day. This time I put it on Facebook - I have 3 and 4T clothes for boys - anyone need them?  Well my friends that run a daycare  responded saying the center could really use them. I had set them aside in a nice big box. Well when we returned from Wisconsin I wanted the kids to go through their toys and add to the box. 

Little Mister gave away a racetrack since he now has 3 of them and prefers smaller cars. He included a bunch of cars that he never touched. We added in the last few "baby" toys we had. Little Miss wanted to give books and a few dolls. 

Here is the best part. We took everything to the center. My friends faces were priceless. The best part - the kids got to see just how happy they made these kids with the race track. Seven 18 to 24 month old "babies" were over-joyed with the gift. 

It was great to see how appreciative my friends were. But to see my kids seeing their actions bring that joy to others - that was my gift from God. 

When I went to the gym today and saw a giving tree. I am so blessed to be able to pick two small gifts wants off that tree this year. I think that is truly my focus this year - giving back and finding more and more ways to do it. 

Later today we will be starting our treat making for 4 Christmas parties at church. I am so looking forward to my serving role at Thursdays party. I am handing out gifts!  More about that later. 

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Christmas A to Z: F is for Family

Welcome back!  Today it is letter F. 

This is actually a hard one for me to write today.  I am rather frustrated with my extended family. 

It has not been a secret that I was "back home" for 2 weeks. I have blogged about it, I have shared all sorts of things about it on Facebook and Instagram.  But that is a different rant for another time.  

F is for family. When family is in three different states you have to be flexible about the holidays. Last year we were all able to be together.  You can read Christmas Review here. 

This year we were not all able to be together.  Joe couldn't make it up from Atlanta and Keith can't take 2 weeks off work when you are new with the company. So Christmas #1 was my parents, sister, kiddos and me.  

The kids and I at Christmas #1 in Wisconsin.

The kids picked out all of their own gifts with minimal guidance.  Little Miss even wrapped all of her own gifts.

Thoughtful gifts (and possible a hot toy of the season with all the struggles my sister had getting this bad boy.)

And fun time #selfies.  

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Christmas A to Z: E is for Eddie the Elf

Welcome back for today's installment of Christmas A to Z.  I would love to see what you are doing for the holidays.  Link up your posts at the bottom!  

E is for Eddie the Elf.

Eddie is our "Elf on the Shelf"  He mostly just sits there and watches, reporting back to Santa. 

He shows up with this kick off breakfast every year.  He brings a small gift or two.  This year he brought a little more than most years since we were out of town.  He brought goodies for everyone.

This year he brought the ingredients to make Eddie's Crazy Candy Bark.  

The kids made it with Grandpa and it was dessert one night.  

My parents got a huge kick out of getting involved.  My dad would move him randomly throughout the day.  Eddie was found in the penny jar.  He must have been looking for cookies.  He was found in the bathroom and creeped out Auntie.  He was on top of the refrigerator.  He scared the daylights out of Max (the chocolate lab) and had to be relocated a time or two.  We were careful not to touch him.  

He wrote a note to Santa about behaviors. That same night he lost his magic and didn't move since he was touched 3 times!

The day we left there was a post-it note tree on the wall and a note, see you in OHIO!

Since we have been home he has been found trying to play games and in the wreath.    

I thought I had a close up picture of Eddie, but it appears that I do not.  I will add one later when I get a great picture of him. 

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Christmas A to Z: D is for Decorations

Today's installment of Christmas A to Z - D is for Decorations.

I LOVE DECORATING FOR CHRISTMAS!  

I don't mean to offend you with my all caps exclamation, but it completely fits.  If we lived on our own it would be hard for me to not start decorating November 1st.  I have done it before.

The kids help decorate.  They put the ornaments on and get help from Auntie and Triple A {Adopted Auntie Andrea}.

 Since this is how the ornaments usually end up after the kids have gone to bed we move ornaments some.  

 You take silly pictures in front of the tree.  Because what is life without silliness?  

Then you sit back and admire the beauty.  

This is my parents tree.  I am looking forward to setting up ours when we get home.  That is of course if Husband hasn't already done it for us.

Share your Christmas Posts below!

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Christmas A to Z: C is for Carols

Christmas music starts playing in my house anytime after March July 1st.

Our local Christian station starts playing Christmas music October 31st and I love it!

I love hearing these and so many more.

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen



Happy Holidays



The Aaron Shust version of O Come O Come Emmanuel



Silent Night by Mercy Me



Link up your Christmas posts below.

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Christmas A to Z: B is for Baking

Welcome back to our Christmas A to Z series.  Today's installment.  B. B is for baking.  Check out this post from last year about our baking.  

I love baking so much  I signed us up for "treat making" at church FOUR times.  We even have Christmas aprons for these festive activities!

Here we are baking pies for Thanksgiving with Grandma.

These were made, baked and devoured.

I love Mom's pumpkin pie recipe so much, it is written down to make it for Christmas!

You will see more about our baking throughout the season!

Link up your Christmas posts below!

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Christmas A to Z: A is for Advent

Welcome to Christmas A to Z.  The Hickman Five loves Christmas.  We love all things about Christmas.  Do you LOVE Christmas?  Link up your Christmas posts below.

A is for Advent.

I was making an advent calendar a few years back.  When I finally got it all done I didn't love it.  I as looking for ideas I had come across this idea of a book advent calendar.

You wrap 24 books and unwrap one each night.  Some of our books are really short, others are longer so I also have a collection of books to read when the book is too short.

Seeing that we are spending the first part of December in Wisconsin I brought enough books with us.  Our first book was "5 Little Reindeer".  I am looking forward to when we get to "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and "Muddy Paws First Christmas".

When we get home we have our Santa blanket and Christmas Bear that we cuddle with while we read our stories.

Tomorrow -- B is for Baking

Link up your Christmas Posts below.

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Church when on Vacation

Do you go to church when you are on vacation?  

If I grew up in the church I would probably go to the church I attended growing up.  However, I didn't grow up in the church.  Which makes things fun when I go to visit my parents.  I get to check out churches! 

I don't do this at home.  I love my church, so why would I check out anywhere else?

Last time I visited I had visited a different church.  I didn't like that church so I went on a quest to find something else.  Something that was similar to what I was used to back home.  I found a church with a website that was similar to ours.  I looked around and decided RIVERGLEN Christian Church is where I was going this Sunday.

This picture is from the RiverGlen Christian Church website.

It was great!  The music was good.  It was a great message on the problem with the comparison game.  I talked to one of the women's ministry ladies and will be going back on Friday to attend 

They are having Micca Campbell from Proverbs 31 speaking.  I am really excited.  I am going to get nice and filled up before heading home on Sunday.  It will be $10 well spent I am sure.  

I am so thankful that my parents are willing to babysit and let me use their car.  

Third Annual North Pole Breakfast

It is the Saturday after Thanksgiving.  The tree went up on Friday (okay my parents tree went up since we are out of town - not sure if hubby put ours up.  I doubt it).  That means it is time for our annual -- NORTH POLE BREAKFAST.

This year's menu ...

Cookie Cutter Pancakes
Snowball doughnuts
Hot Chocolate with Candy Canes and Peppermint Marshmallows

Eddie has been a little sassy this year and hung Santa ribbons all over the house.  He always sets such a pretty table.

I am excited about that blue bin -- Eddie's Crazy Candy Bark (a recipe for the kids to make with Grandpa).

Like always Eddie brought small gifts and his note from Santa.

One of my favorite mornings of the year.  Only thing missing was Hubby.

{Tell Me About it Tuesday} Mama, You Can Do It!

Recently I read a blog post about how us mom's need to put on our swimsuits (I am so sorry I can't find it now) and get in the water with our kids.  How we just need to suck it up and do it.  Now, I have never been one to love how I look in a swimsuit, even when I was a size 10.  Well, I was uploading pictures from Keith's phone and I found these from last year and our 6 weeks in Wisconsin.  This quite possibly could be the worst I have ever looked in a swimsuit.  

I am not going to lie, I wish that we could do that every summer.  The reasons we were there stunk and the reason we had to stay weren't the best either.  It was hard to come home and get back in the swing of life.  

Auntie braved the lake water.  Auntie and I split kids.  It was nice to be able to one on one with the kids.  It made things much safer in my mind.  Little Mr is 18 months in these pictures.  Little Miss is 3.  

This was little Mr.'s first real trip to a beach.  When you live in Wisconsin lake beaches are what you get.  An ocean beach is much to far.  Lake beaches ... that's another story.  They are abundant.  

The only time she would actually look at the camera.  Oh and this suit still kinda fits her.  It's official her brother is going to out weigh her by the time she is 5.  

Quite possibly my favorite picture. 

Although I had hoped to get them to Atlanta or back up to Wisconsin this summer looking like it's not going to be in the cards.  We will be taking a long weekend for Labor Day to recharge our batteries in the mountains.

I am so looking forward to a weekend with just my loves.

Maybe we can hit a day trip to a local lake with a beach this weekend.  They are not as abundant in this part of Ohio.

Sharing Our Love

We have been counting down days to big events in February, Valentine's Day, Nana's birthday and Mommy's birthday.  

For some reason this little one {Little Miss} is in LOVE with Valentine's Day.  Could be because she is my daughter?  Today is only like my favorite holiday!  I love everything about it.  Love, hearts, pink and glitter!  It is right up my alley!

Too many people hate Valentine's Day.  If you don't have your person then you are not loved.  If you don't have your person then you don't have a reason to celebrate.  Maybe it is because the person they love is gone - over seas or heaven.  Maybe they are just hurting and alone and today just hits that point home for them even harder.  Everyone has their reasons for loving or hating the day.  

Even though my husband and I are sacrificing this Valentine's Day for our long term goals.  I wasn't going to completely scrap it for the kids.  I didn't do the whole, Valentine's Day is time to buy the people you love presents!  There is enough of that stuff going around.  Nope, I went more with today is a day where we can shower people with love.  God loves us all, so let's show people that God loves them by saying Happy Valentine's Day.   I asked what she wanted to do.  "Hand out Valentines!"

So we set out and got two boxes of Valentines.  I wrote "You" in the To: and in the From: I wrote, "God loves you."  We taped them to Kit Kat bars.

Since I had two kids that went to bed like champs last night we headed to the mall.  

She started out by giving them to the Mommy, Grandma and Daddy playing with their kids at the play area.  When Little Mister and Little Miss were done playing we walked around the mall and she handed out around 25 valentines to 'strangers'.  Several employees said, "I wish we had something for her.  That is too sweet!"  I told them, "it's perfectly okay, we are just sharing our love today."  It didn't matter man, woman, old, young, black, white, shopper or employee.

After the first few she saw someone and said, "What about him/her Mommy?"  I only stopped her when it was a worker who was really busy (She wanted to go in the jewelry store - 8 shoppers and 3 workers) I just redirected her attention to someone else.  It was obvious that she was really getting into it.

Some she gave out were to men shopping for suits.  Women who were working.  People who were just shopping.  Some just took them and said, "Thank You".  Others looked at me with that look asking if it was okay/confusion.  One was an older lady sitting on a bench reading a book - she was almost brought to tears.  One worker looked at me and said, "She just made my day."  Then there was the mom with 5 or 6 kids - she just looked at her and said, "Happy Valentine's Day to you too Sweetheart."  Her oldest boy then found us later and gave them a stuffed animal he won in the claw game.

After I asked her how she felt about handing out valentines to strangers.  "It made me happy."  I then asked her how she thinks it made the other people feel.  "Happy and special."  I then asked her if she like making people feel special and happy.  She just nodded.

There was something in that simple nod.  With her simple nod I saw the fingerprint of God right there on my baby girl.

I prayed before I got out of the car.  "Lord, if I am supposed to pray for someone today that needs to be hit me with a semi-truck clear, because that is not a strong point of mine and I am not the most comfortable with it, but if you need me too I will."  All I did was facilitate what she wanted to do.  Yes, I bought 2 boxes of Valentines and a bag of candy.  I saw smiles that might not have been smiles today.  I saw twinkles in the eyes of strangers.  I saw a little girl who runs and hides behind my knee walk up to people and say "Happy Valentine's Day".

You can't tell me God is not alive.  I saw Him today.  I saw him in the heart of a 4 year old little girl.  I saw Him warm the hearts of strangers, even if it was just for those few seconds.  I am sure that for some of them they are going to see that little Doc McStuffins or Thomas Valentine and smile.

God doesn't need much space, He just needs to be invited in.  We might have storms raging all around us - but in the midst of it we can still be a blessing.  We can still pour out God's love in simple ways.  What can you do today to show a stranger love?

Faith Fridays {New Tradition}

I am sure you have heard ...

I would also lean toward ...

I don't really talk about it much here, but I LOVE OUR CHURCH.  There are amazing people that serve there.  They offer tons of classes to help you grow in your faith.  Our new Sr. Pastor is animated and engaging.  We are so, so blessed to have him join our Vineyard family.

We attend a "mega church" and it has a ministry arm that is called the Healing Center.  It is part free store, part job coaching, part healing, part uplifting, part encouraging - all wonderful.

Before Thanksgiving it was announced that The Healing Center would be holding 10 Christmas parties for the people they serve.  They needed us to help.  Husband and I have been looking for ways to serve more.  There are not many ways that we can serve as a family with a 4 year old and a 2 year old.  Plus, it is difficult with our babysitting options right now.   This was right up our alley!  We could serve at home - as treat makers.  We could all be involved.

We served with LOVE and laughter.

I packaged up our goodies and dropped them off at the Healing Center the day of the or day before the parties we were serving.  I said a quick prayer over our goodies - that the people being served at The Healing Center would feel God's love at this time of the year.  A time of the year that can be really hard on some people.

My prayer for us as a family is that we will find more and more ways to serve together - and more than just at Christmas.

How do you serve God in your family?

{almost} Wordless Wednesday

Lately I feel like I am forcing out these wordless Wednesday posts.  I think it is because I am not able to take great pictures because my camera has "passed away".  While working on a project my camera fell out of my hand and hit the hearth of our fire place.  It bent the lens.  This caused the pictures to be out of focus and the camera would not turn on after I turned if off.  

So I have been without a camera for going on a month now.  I take pictures with my phone.  Sure they turn out well enough, but it's not the same as having a camera.  I am not sure how you guys do it using your phone for it all.  Now sure, some of the pictures turn out great, but by far they are not exceptional.  I get frustrated with the phone camera often because of the delay in the shutter and that causes me to miss the great smile or funny expression.

I had been hanging on to my first digital camera for quite sometime.  It was just one of those, it still works so why get rid of it things.  I had upgraded but I kept it.  When my dad's camera died, I gave it to him.  He is willing to send it back to me since he just uses his phone to take pictures.  I think I might need him to do this.  October is on it's way and we have so much going on.  I am not sure I am going to be able to rely on just our phones.  I mean pumpkin farms, fall festivals, and Halloween not to mention all the Touch of Home Learning preschool stuff we do that we need pictures for.  

So for today's Not-so-wordless {almost} Wordless Wednesday I give you ... the best my phone has to offer.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
Oh do I ever have a mini me.  She walked into Garden Ridge
and gasped! "Mama look at all the Christmas Trees!" 

Fall may have decided to come with full vengeance
but that will not stop us from taking advantage of
parks without kids because they are all in school.

When the kids are in school that means that
Mommy lets me play too.

We are still pretty green, but we have 2 parks that are just so peaceful.
After playing we went to spend some time looking at the water
and the birds.  Enjoy God's creations.

Happy to be helping Mommy make lunch.

{My World Monday}

We have had some big changes happen at The Hickman Five house.  The biggest.  Daddy now works from home.  Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday we tried having him work down in the living room near the main computer.  

So the kids and I escaped.  We went to play on Tuesday.  We went to our favorite indoor play area.

  

Tuesday we ran errands.  I was able to keep them out and about until lunch time, but this was quickly turning out to not be the best solution.  

Wednesday afternoon we moved an office space into our room.  We are now able to keep the schedule we had with him working outside of the house and he is able to get work done in a quiet setting.  Win-Win!

At the end of the week we had some drama that messed with Friday.  We took care of it and decided to escape as a family.  

The enemy was working overtime in our house this past week.  We took time to stop, reflect on what is really important and ask God for revelation.  These attacks from the enemy did one thing.  Confirmed that we are on God's path for us.  He wouldn't be attacking like this if we weren't.  

We are standing strong on the promise in Jeremiah 29:11- I have a plan for you to prosper declares the Lord.

The enemy will come and try to get us back in the boat.  We will not back down.  We will stand through this storm.  

What is going on in your world?  Anything we can pray for you about?  Let us know we - if you don't want your comment published, but want prayer just let me know you don't want it published.  (Yes, I moderate all comments.)

5 years ... 5 years! {My World Monday}

A couple of weeks ago we celebrated our 5 year anniversary.  With a big ... fat nothing.  Okay, well it wasn't nothing - but we definitely did not plan for the events of this year very well.

We ended up spending some special time with Little Miss.  She is very interested in tennis.  Hubs found out about a tournament that his friend was playing in.  He wanted to check it out, so we took Little Miss with us.

Hubs was excited to see what the courts were like at the Western Southern.  For any tennis fans out there this is where the Cincinnati US Open Series is played.  He is playing in this tournament next year, and it is giving him a great goal to shoot for. 

Someone else was excited too.  All the way there, "We're gonna watch some tennis!"  We walked up to center court when we got there.  "Hey, do you want to see where Serina plays?"  "YEAH!"  There was a match taking place so we didn't stick around because she couldn't stay quiet yet.

Little Miss had been asking for a picnic a lot lately, so since his friend was playing at 12 we took lunch with us. 

So Hubs' friend won his match by forfeit and we didn't get to watch him play.  Then he said to Hubs, "Do you want to play a quick game?"  Even though he didn't have his racket with him he looked at me with that 'I really want to do you mind' look on his face.  I told him we planned to be here, might as well.

Mama was prepared for Little Miss to get bored.  Yep, crayons, coloring book, cookies and you can see it, but she has the iPod in her hand to listen to "Go Go's"  She watched some, picked flowers, played bounce, colored and basically had a great time.

After the tournament we went to pick up Little Mister (who was being watched by Uncle and Aunt) we went to Lakota Fall Fest with them.

There were several businesses there.  We check them out, played little games and somewhere got this crazy hat.

There was a barrel train that took them around the festival.  The people running it must have thought she was younger than she was because they wanted to make sure she would be okay to ride the train without us.  She did fine.  Plus her cousin was right behind her.  She had a blast!

So the day that I had wanted to be just Hubs and I, a get away from the kids all together and out of town.  Ended up being a fun family day.  I am okay with that too.