Good Grief

The kids are all happily watching the "Charlie Brown Christmas" special for half an hour tonight.  And while I'm on the subject of watching television, let me share a few thoughts about a commercial I saw last night.  I was on my elliptical and happened to catch a DirectTV commercial.  The whole commercial focused on two children.  There was a boy watching a movie...he paused it to go eat his lunch and conveniently there was an iPad on the kitchen counter right next to his plate where he was immediately able to tap the screen to finish watching his movie while he ate.  Meanwhile his little sister was in the other room playing with her dollhouse...so sweet.  But then the camera zoomed in and you could see that there was another iPad inside the dollhouse that she was watching while she played.  Is this really what we have to look forward to for our kids?  I'm seriously considering moving to a ranch in Wyoming where I can avoid exposure to all this crazy technology.

The checked out ReindeerCam the other day, which they really enjoy.  It was time for Santa to grab some letters out of his mailbox and read them.  And it completely amazed me that child after child after child wrote letters to Santa asking him for a new iPad or a new Kindle.

I am saddened to see people so reliant on technology that we seem to be forgetting the importance of what is "real".  We all have so many "friends" online, but when times get tough, how many real friends will you have to support you?  Will our kids even know how to go outdoors and play in a few decades or will all of them just be constantly glued to a glowing screen?  Is all of this really progress?

Sorry, maybe I'm a buzzkill, but I'm really not all that excited about the new video games or new iPhone or new whatever.  I'd rather get a handwritten card in the mail any day than a text.

The past few days with the holiday were difficult for me, and I'm definitely struggling to find that "Christmas Spirit" this year.  My whole perspective has been changed so much since last year...so much in my life has changed.  I hate the idea of feeling like I need to buy gifts just to fill space under the tree or to give the kids lots to open.  I want to instill in them what true gratitude and thankfulness are...and an appreciation for even the small things.  I want them to be as excited about giving gifts as they are about getting them.

A song that's really been helpful to me this week is Prince of Peace by Hillsong.  The lyrics are just so beautiful and a reminder of God's continuous presence in our storms of life.

More Thanksgiving

 We could not possibly have had nicer weather for Thanksgiving Day.  The kids were outside more than inside all day long!  Enjoyed catching up with all of our family!

Happy Thanksgiving 2015

Happy Thanksgiving, from the Berad....3?  Well, the 4th had blue marker all over her face and was still wearing her jammies when I took this pic so I thought we'd best leave her out...although it would have added a little laugh factor.  :)

What is Thanksgiving?

Carter with Nani's new kitten...

In just three more days, millions of Americans will be sitting around tables covered with dish after dish of scrumptious food, sharing smiles and laughs and good conversation, and a meal that we look forward to all year long.  The purpose of this day is supposedly to remember all the things we have to be thankful for.  But how many people, either leading up to it, or on Thanksgiving Day, really take more than a minute or two (if that) to stop and appreciate ALL the things they truly have to be thankful for?

I've heard so many people talk about having to be around all of their family for the holiday and how difficult that can be sometimes.  Some say it jokingly, others, not so much.  This year, this holiday season, I can only say I WISH with all my heart I could be with ALL of my family.  I want to tell everyone to cherish the time you have with your family, because you never know when it will be your last visit with them.

You never fully appreciate how much you have, until you experience a tremendous loss...whether that be a loss of health, loss of a job, loss of a loved one.  Clarity comes quickly in retrospect...you suddenly see how lucky you were...suddenly realize how much you had, how much you took for granted.

Leading up to Thanksgiving this year, I am trying to be more in tune with all of the things I have to be thankful for, both big and small.  From the beautiful sunrises I see in the morning to the smiles on my kids faces, from the warm, lovely weather we've been having all month, to the friendships I have been blessed with, from good health and plenty of food in our refrigerator, to having my parents living in Pittsburgh now, from the many ways God has spoken to me through verses and songs and encouraging notes from friends, to the ways He has challenged me to go deeper in my faith during times of trial.  I am SO blessed.

Thanksgiving is SO much more than eating an enormous meal...it is a time to reflect, a time to refocus, a time to appreciate all that we have.

Tis the Season?

Christmas is coming...I know I know...I don't mean to be one of those people who starts working on Christmas before Thanksgiving is over...but it's true.  Christmas is right around the corner and with that seems to come the inevitable push for mass consumerism and the expectations of all the presents to come.  At Target the other day I became so discouraged by the kids' attitudes of "I want I want I want!"  Part of me just wanted to scream..."But you already have SO MUCH!"

In my Bible Study this week, I read the above passage and was reminded to seek after the "life that is truly life."  I was reminded that real riches come in the form of doing good, good deeds, generosity and sharing with others.  All great reminders to focus on during this busy holiday season.

Life here continues to be busy and crazy, as usual.  It was so warm the other day that I was out on the driveway with the kids doing chalk drawings, and wearing shorts!!  I had to stop to take Reese to gymnastics and was running a couple of errands while she was at class.  Coming out of Whole Foods I looked down only to realize I still had pink chalk all over both of my knees!  Ugh...

 We had a great time at the Children's Museum yesterday.  The kids enjoyed all the different exhibits but the water room was the best.  Sienna absolutely loved shooting air in her face to dry off a bit at the end!

Warm day at the zoo

 We enjoyed a lovely afternoon at the zoo today...no coats needed...amazing for mid-November.  The animals were active and kept us interested and smiling the whole time.  We saw yawning tigers, huge elephants, and a playful baby gorilla frolicking around with the other big gorillas.

Baby gorilla giving high fives!

Giraffe!

Reese liked these glass fish

Jellyfish

Smiles in the stingray tunnel

8th Birthday Fun

Yesterday we had Carter's big Minecraft Birthday party.  Can't even believe my little guy is already 8 YEARS OLD!!  AHHHH

And me, being the insanely crazy person that I am, invited 13 boys to come to the party.  So there were 14 boys running crazy around the house for a couple of hours yesterday, but thankfully, everyone survived.  We had a lot of fun doing the usual pinata.  I made everyone their own Minecraft t-shirt with their name on it using Freezer paper stencils.  WAYYY too many shirts to make at once, let me tell you!  But they loved them.  Then we played more than an hour of Minute to Win it games, which were a real hit.  When the day was over, I told Derrick that I am very glad there is now an 8 month break from any kids' birthday parties in our house!!!

Ahhhh, spider!

There is never a dull moment in our lives and Sienna has certainly been seeing to that with all her antics lately.  This morning she came wondering onto my bed around 6:45 and told me, "The sky is rainbow."  That was a very sweet way of telling me there was a pretty sunrise.  Then she proceeded to punch Derrick in the head.  Ah, that's the Sienna we know and love!

Every night at dinner now, not only Lawson is screaming but Sienna is too.  It's an all out screaming match between both kids sometimes.  And Sienna is insistent that she needs help eating her dinner.  Terrible Threes??

Creeper Pinata

Every night, Sienna starts to fall asleep on the couch around 7 pm.  (this is because she is awake most mornings around 6 AM or even earlier). We have been trying to keep her up till at least 8 pm to try to shift her sleeping patterns, but to no avail.  Once she starts falling asleep it's impossible to get her to use the batherroom...so we have a 10 minute battle every night now in the bathroom trying to get her to go.  I so look forward to this every day when I'm already tired and short on patience!

Finally, Sienna has started to ask both men and women a very personal question lately...doesn't matter if it's someone she knows well or someone she's only met a few times.  She likes to go up to a person and ask, "Is there a baby in your tummy?"  Oh gosh, my crazy little girl...she always keeps me on my toes!