The Grinch Didn't Steal Christmas

Christmas was nearly three weeks ago. We have all moved on and started to enjoy 2011. Still this is some sort of a journal for me to record what life is like for me, Arica, and Braden. So even if it is a new year I have to post something about Christmas. Otherwise when I look back on this year I might think that the Grinch really did steal Christmas back in 2010. With the way my mind is deteriorating it won't seem that strange in another 10 or 15 years so documentation is necessary.

I'm sure most of you don't care, but for those of you that like pictures, here is visual proof that we had Christmas this year. Furthermore it is proof that we once only had one kid. Because next year things will be much different.

Another good reason to share these pictures is to show you how prevalent the "CHEEEEESE!" face has become in our house. Every picture taken of Braden, unless you go all stealth mode on him, results in the cheese face. It's cute, but once in a while it would be nice to see his big brown eyes.

So enjoy the pictures on the basis of a love for Christmas, a love for cute kids, a curiosity about the cheese face, or simply because you are bored to death. I don't care. I'm just glad to know that I have successfully documented Christmas 2010 for all future generations. Tomorrow we'll get back to the current decade.

Christmas Blard 2010

MERRY CHRISTMAS

From Life of a New Dad to You

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas via my first ever Blog Christmas Card (Blard). And yes Arica and I are at the real live Christmas Story House in Cleveland.

Random Christmas Thoughts

I haven't done a random Tuesday post since December 22, 2009. That is exactly one year from tomorrow. This is Tuesday and this is a random thoughts post so I suppose technically it could be a Random Tuesday. Instead though I am calling it a Christmas random post because it's my blog and I can do what I want. Read on for this version of Random Christmas Thoughts on Tuesday.

• If you are new around here click over and read the post I wrote about the true Christmas Spirit that our family experienced last year because of a stranger at Wal Mart. I read it again recently and I am still amazed.
• The top of our Christmas tree was bent when we put it up this year. In all my infinite wisdom I tried to bend the metal post back straight while it was in its place at the top of the tree. This genius move snapped one of the plastic supports that holds the post in place. For a day or two we had a leaning tree. I eventually fixed it by snipping up a clothes hanger and duct taping enough pieces together to wedge them into place and provide the support missing because of the broken plastic rib. They don't teach you that in engineering school.
• Our Church study group, for lack of a better term, is delivering food to needy families tonight. I am really excited. What better time of year is there to spread the love of Jesus by "Loving your neighbor".
• Christmas shopping for Braden is fun. Apparently I am just a larger than normal kid with facial hair.
• I'm ready to see Christmas Story again. This will be my first viewing since actually visiting the house. Don't believe me? Here it is.

• While visiting the house we got a leg lamp night light and a leg light ornament complete with Fra-GEE-Lay box. And stay tuned for a leg lamp picture of yours truly and my better half in the days to come.
• Finally it's time for some Christmas music. Last year I shared some Bob and Doug and Cheech and Chong. These are two of my favorite Christmas songs, but they are more reminiscent of a Canadian Christmas and a Christmas spent on hallucinogens than Christmas as I know it. This year I thought a little Charlie Daniels Christmas Time Down South would be more fitting. Warning: May pertain reference to redneck activity.

Curing the Christmas Blues

Christmas can be a difficult time. I hear so many people say that they can't wait for Christmas to be over. It is too stressful. It is too much work. It costs too much money.

While I understand that this is the true reality we have here in this country, it still makes me sad. Some of you may call me a sentimental fool or something even worse, but Christmas still gives me a warm feeling in my heart. I can't help but be overwhelmed with joy because of the true nature of the holiday.

I have never used this blog to talk about my faith. But earlier this week I saw a tweet from my Pastor that said the number one time people will talk about faith is during the Christmas season. He followed that by saying we have a great opportunity. I would like to take advantage of that opportunity today. If I am honest I have to say that I have always been uncomfortable sharing this part of my life here. But I know from reading The Bible that being afraid to acknowledge my faith is dangerous business.

Jesus tells us, "Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. " (Mathew 10:32-33)

This combination of things has compelled me to really talk about Christmas as I know it this year. I need to share why Christmas makes me truly happy and excited. How can I not be excited knowing the following truth.

I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord (Luke 2:10-11)

I want to take this opportunity to encourage everyone out there who is feeling down this Christmas to do something about it. I have a three pronged solution. Any one of the three will help lift your spirits. All three should do even better. Don't be down during this wonderful time of year. Take time to reflect on what Christmas means and then share that love with someone else. Without further ado here is my cure for the Christmas blues.

1. Pick up your bible and read the story of Jesus' birth. It is found in both Mathew Chapter 1 and Luke Chapter 2. If you don't have a bible visit Bible Gateway for an online version. God's word will comfort you while reminding you what this holiday is really about. It will also probably take you back to the happy times of your youth when you heard these words every year as part of some Christmas program. The story hasn't changed. We just neglect it.
2. Go to church and take in a Christmas service. One of my favorite services of the year has always been on Christmas Eve. That service is always filled with beautiful Christmas songs. Forget about the stresses of the season. Just sing and be happy.
3. Give. I don't mean give your nephew more toys or give your aunt a fruit cake. Give to the poor. Give to the needy. It's great to drop a few coins in the Salvation Army bucket, but to experience the true joy of giving it is better to get involved in a more personal way. Our church runs an organization in our town called Stomp Out Hunger where we feed local families in need. Our family is participating not only by giving food but by organizing bags and hopefully even delivering food. We all have heard that it is better to give than to receive. Well this year try it out. Be a cheerful giver to those less fortunate.

I am not here to judge how you spend your Christmas. I only want to share the things that make Christmas so special to me in the hope that it will make your holiday a little more enjoyable.

Most of you probably know by now that I am big on prayer. Odds are that if I have ever left a comment on your site then I have said a sincere prayer for you. My prayer right now is for everyone out there to have the best Christmas possible and to share it with all your family and friends. I pray your holiday season is filled with overwhelming love.

Merry Christmas!

Is Chocolate Healthy?

Much like the rest of the human race Braden loves chocolate. We discovered this a while back, but his love hit a fever pitch during the holiday season.

I know this discovery is along the lines of De Soto discovering the Mississippi River. As Jerry Seinfeld once said, "Like they wouldn't have found that anyway." The discovery itself is certainly not blogworthy, but my little man's passion for the cocoa bean is something to share.

We put out a Christmas candy jar for the holiday season. It contained my favorite candy, Reese's, and Hershey's Kisses.  We rarely give Braden candy, but on that special occasion when he eats all his food and been a good boy he can have a treat.

The first time we gave him a Kiss he was a happy man. Then he returned to the foot of the bar where the candy jar rested and began to point. Then he began to cry. Then he began to scream. This went on until we finally hid the candy jar. After that he could only get candy from a secretive place.  We had to guard the secret location of the candy jar like Colonel Sanders guards his 11 original herbs and spices.

At our Christmas Eve celebration at Arica's mom's house all the kids got candy canes filled with kisses and some Reese's as well. Right from the beginning Braden picked up the candy canes and carried them around beating things.  Then we gave him a kiss and he carried them around for a different reason.

Braden would carry the candy to his mom and scream.  If he didn't get any he would then turn to me, then to the next person and so on. He just kept crying for chocolate. Of course my brother in law thought this was hilarious.

Somehow amidst the chaos of the evening we made it home with everyone's Kiss filled candy canes. I think we have 4 or 5 canes.  The day after, when the house was still a bit in disorder from all the presents and paper, Braden found some kisses and brought them to me. I declined to give him one and he seemed OK and headed for his room.

A few moments later he emerged from his room with another Kiss loaded container. I guess he has a secret stash.

Unless some government funded academic out there can prove that chocolate is indeed healthy when eaten in mass quantities we are going to have to start storing chocolate in a strong box at our house.

Christmas Is Gone Until 2010

I am sure there are a lot of people out there on blog reading and/or writing hiatus until the new year. So I don't want to get into any good stuff that will be ignored by the masses. That sounds like a good excuse for not having anything to say doesn't it?

Christmas is gone faster than I could blink an eye. We spent a lot of time shopping, wrapping, cooking, and otherwise preparing and now it is gone like a fart in the wind.

Braden is still not really old enough to understand the presents concept.  He  usually waits for them to be opened and then plays with the toys. He definitely likes the toys.

Now we move on to the chore of finding somewhere to put all of his new stuff. Arica and I are definitely going to have a toy purging party in the new year.  The rattles and other such newborn trinkets have to find their way into a storage bin. Then that storage bin will have to find a way out of our house.

The truth is we might need to have a storage bin purging party.  The house is just becoming a little too small for all of our stuff.  Anyway we had a great Christmas spending time together as a family. It was fun to see Braden enjoy all his new toys. Of course Arica likes to dress him up in his new clothes too. With his Christmas haul  Braden will continue to be a sharp dressed man.

With that I will leave you with a shot of Braden covered in the remnants of a very good Christmas.  I hope all of  you had a great Christmas as well.

The Christmas Spirit

So here it is, my first ever Christmas post.  As you all know I am a Christian so the true meaning of Christmas in my life is quite obvious, but that is not what I decided to write about today.

Every year I am troubled by all the commercial aspects of Christmas.  On black Friday there are always stories of fights over a special toy or a place in line.  Some people have even lost their lives in stampedes when the stores open.  How can this happen at such a special time of year?

I know so many families that insist on buying presents for every living family member.  Some people spend more at Christmas than the GDP of Australia.  How can this be wrong because Christmas is about giving, right? I don't think these people do it for the true joy of giving. It seems like the pressure to give better and better presents is put on people by family members or society.  You must give as much as Aunt Susie or you will be ostracized from the family. In short too many people must have presents, and we don't want to disappoint them.

When such a wonderful holiday is completely driven by greed then something is wrong.  The greatest gift to give this time of year is love.  Spending time with family and friends and sharing that love is much greater and certainly more lasting than a PS3.  One day something will come along that will make your video game or other gadgets obsolete, but nothing can ever replace the love you give and receive.

I am certainly not down on giving gifts.  Giving just has to come from the right place. You must give for the sake of giving not as part of a social contract that allows you to get gifts in return.

I want to share a story that happened to our family a week or so ago.  Arica, Braden, and I were standing in line at Walmart.  A guy behind us started talking to Braden about Santa.  We told him of our failed attempt to take Braden to see Santa, and exchanged other pleasantries.

As I was checking out the man behind me said, "Will you do me a favor?"

I turned around to see him extending his hand with a folded $20 bill in it.

"Put something under the tree for him from a stranger. That way he will know that Santa came."

I was speechless.  My mind could in no way grasp what just happened.  I tried to gather myself and muttered thank you very much and Merry Christmas. I probably should have refused the money, but I was so stunned that I couldn't function.

Now THAT is the Christmas spirit.  THAT is the true spirit of giving.  I will remember that nice man for the rest of my life.  Can you imagine how wonderful Christmas would be if everyone had that kind of generosity in their heart? I hope you all experience that type of love this year.

Merry Christmas!