Christmas Headlines

If my holidays were summed up with Headlines and Teasers ...

Sick Children Left to Fin for Themselves
With the last day of school hanging heavy in the air, parents continue to teach others' children while their own children suffer at home with a tummy bug.

Tummy Bug Take Two
As if to teach her parents a lesson about taking care of their children, Hadley, age 13, proceeds to vomit for twelve hours straight--beginning at nine in the evening; her mother is heard to have said, "Ugh."

Family Unpacks Before They Even Leave
Having their three-day sojourn to southern Oklahoma thwarted by sick kids, the Davis family repacks their suitcase so as to not haul too much stuff. It didn't help.

Heather Davis Spends Eight Hours In A Car
After leaving from Christmas with her In-laws, Davis repacks her bag to travel with her mother to Stillwater.

Family Enjoys Time Together; Wishes for Different Circumstances
Davis's Uncle Mac passed from this life to the next. His family expresses regret at his passing, but rejoices in his perfect healing.

Candlelight Service Calms Davis's Heart Before Storm
 Singing carols with her family and friends and sharing candlelight as they sang "Silent Night" helped Heather Davis, ever-graying, to regain Christmas spirit in her heart.

Teen exclaims, 'This Is The Best Christmas So Far'
After opening Christmas gifts from family on Christmas Eve, Hadley Davis makes her miraculous exclamation. Parents rejoice over positive words escaping from their teen's mouth.

'Mom, I don't feel good,' Cries Tween
Heather Davis was awoken (it's a word) by her 11-year-old Briley on Christmas morning, not with shouts of excitement, but with moans of misery.

Davis Receives Fateful Call From Her Husband
With all the urgent care offices closed due to Christmas, Brian Davis takes his tween to the ER due to high fever. Calls his wife with one word: Flu.

Evacuate Nana Plan Goes Off Without A Hitch
Davis and daughter Hadley transport Nana to sister, Rachel's home to keep her away from sickly tween (and eventual sickly husband).

Mother Daughter Share Quality Time Thanks To Hotwire
To allow the sickies to heal and the wellies to stay well, Davis and Hadley score a deal at a hotel less than half a mile from her house; both enjoy a Duck Dynasty marathon.

Good News: World's Best Aunt Wins Christmas
When Davis's four-year-old niece was denied drums by her parents, Davis purchased herself some drums and left them in the care of her niece. They both rock.

Joy At Last

I remember being about 11 or 12 and sitting in church hearing my pastor, Lucinda Holmes, talk about Mary being just a young teenager when she was told she'd be pregnant. Then we read the scripture about Mary singing song of Joy (or something like that) and sang "There's a Song In The Air." Many of the grown-us were smiling. I wasn't smiling ... not at all.

I was mortified.

I mean, what if God came to me and told me that I was going to be pregnant. First thing I'd do was calmly explain to God that I was afraid of needles, and I was pretty sure I'd have to get a shot if I were pregnant.

And then maybe He'd say, "Okay, Heather, I'll find someone else." Then, he'd pick someone who was older, like 22, and who wasn't afraid of needles.

Those were the days that we ended every hymn with "Amen." Only, I would sing, "Awomen" because it was the early 80s, and I was a feminist. I think, I wasn't sure. I just knew that I could bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan.

I was certain, though, that I'd be anything but joyful if I were told I'd have a baby a very young age.

Now, I'm older and wiser (sorta), and I know that I still wouldn't be joyful if I'd have had a child at 12. I have a 13 year old and an 11 year old. The word "mortified" isn't nearly strong enough to describe how I'd feel if they turned up pregnant.

What I do know now is this: God has in mind to give me opportunities on a daily basis to find joy.

In a world where I cannot get enough sleep, I haven't taken a shower or peed by myself since I can't remember when, and the laundry is multiplying with every sunrise, finding joy is not always easy to do. This week? I'm going to have it in my mind to look for the joy--the things that make me smile, that make my heart happy, that offer me joy. And I'll take those things.

Peace. Yes.

The second Sunday in Advent is Peace. And let me just say, "AMEN!"

Y'all? This week.

Whew!

On Monday, I launched my fourth and final TMI Mom book, Girlfriend Rules. (Don't worry--it's not my final book; just the final in that series.) The online party was a blast! (Did you miss it? So sorry.)

The rest of the week was a blur. Seriously. We had basketball practices, meetings, parties. A blur.

Then we hit the weekend.

Friday, I took dinner to a dear friend who had just had a baby, Hadley had a party at our house with a bunch of super sweet but super loud teens, and Briley had a hitting clinic in Tulsa after her club Christmas party.

Saturday, we woke up at 4:45 to drive four hours to a birthday party for the  sweetest three-year-old*, ate lunch with family, drove four hours back to Briley's first basketball game (she won), cleaned the bathroom after a massive, major messy mishap, listened to the Oklahoma Bedlam game (the Pokes won! WOO!), took Briley to a birthday party, fried chicken (twice--I can never get that done enough) then collapsed into bed about eleven or so.

This morning, we woke up about seven to get Briley ready for her three-show spot as Elizabeth, the cousin of Mary and mother of John the Baptist, made breakfast biscuits for Sunday School, started three worship services (finished one), argued with one kid about where we'd eat lunch, argued with another about who she could invite to said lunch, went grocery shopping at Hellmart, put away about a gazillion pounds of groceries, started beef stew in the crockpot, wrote three articles, completed four loads of laundry, fed two dogs, fed two cats, ran the dishwasher three times, and am finally sitting down at 9:21.

Mercy, y'all.
This Sunday in Advent is Peace. 

Ironic? Nope. 
Is God trying to tell me something? Always.
What can I do about it? I'm not sure.

But this week, I'm going to be more cognizant about finding small moments in which I can be still.

My friend who had the baby is slightly older than I am. I've thought to myself that I'm so incredibly happy for her and her family, but if I were in her spot, I'd freak.

When Briley realized that Mary was only slightly older than she is right now and expecting a baby, she freaked.

Last night about midnight with the weight of the week and the coming day, I almost freaked. In fact, I wanted to freak--I didn't. Instead, I ate a Reese's Peanut Butter Christmas Tree.

Big sigh.

This week: Peace.

I think I like Advent best

Today begins Advent. This is the time (four weeks) that we prepare for Christmas, which I always thought was my favorite. But really? I think that Advent is my favorite.

When I was a kid, we made an advent wreath at church. We had the four purple and one pink candles around the edges. We'd light one each week in church and at home. When I was a kid, those four weeks lasted about a year. Now, they fly by.

Why? Because life is busy.

Life is just busy. There's no other way to say that.

We have work and home and meetings and contacts and sports and parties and activities and Facebook to help us keep up with everyone in the whole wide world and Pinterest to make us look good while keeping up (or make us feel inferior about our crafty skills--whatever).

As an adult, Advent is my reminder to s l o w  d o w n.

The thing is this: Christmas--the birth of Christ--did not happen in just one night. The Jewish people had been waiting for a very long time for a savior. Mary and Joseph had to make a very long trek to get to Bethlehem. The shepherds weren't just hanging beside the manger that night.

Christmas is about slowing down, waiting, taking our time.

Advent reminds me of this.

We have two advent wreaths in our home. The first is from my childhood. I found it when we were cleaning out my mom's garage. I grabbed it and screamed, "Mine," before my sister even know what I was hiding behind my back. (Not really, but kinda.)

The second is one that I had put together/made. The jars are a Pinterest success.

So, what is my hope this Advent season?

To slow down. 
To prepare.
To anticipate.
To accept.
To pass along.

 What do you hope for this season?

She's my kid

Sunday morning, Daughter 1 circled the word Christmas three times in the church bulletin. 

"Ohmygoodness, Momma!" she whispered during the announcements, "I cannot wait!"

I nodded my head in agreement. This is the most wonderful time of the year. 

Tonight as we watched the first Christmas commercial (I think it was Target, and their song this year is not nearly as cool as last year's song), she said, "Don't you wish we could put up the tree right now?"

I giggled and nodded. I considered putting up the tree. Then, I changed my mind. Then, I changed it back again. 

As I sat staring at my beautiful daughter who was becoming just as giddy as I am about the whole season, she spoke again.

"I'm so excited I could pee my pants."

Just wait, baby. In 20 years, after you've become a mom, you actually will pee your pants. 

My Favorite Things: Christmas Eve Services

I love Christmas Eve candlelight services--all Christmas Eve candlelight services. The day leading up to the services is full of cooking, baking, cleaning, fighting, lounging, watching movies. There's an energy in the air, but life goes on.

I yell at The Daughters to put on clean and appropriate clothes. I fuss about having to do all the chores myself even though I told The Daughters I wouldn't ask them to do anything on this particular day. I grumble with Brian because he runs around all day delivering pecans and buying Christmas ornaments because Christmas day has snuck up on his yet again. We'll finally get in the vehicle and the chorus of "Get Me To The Church On Time" will waft through my mind as I sit in the front seat breathing heavy because it took us way too long to get to this point.

Then, we'll walk into the sanctuary. We'll hear the story of a young mother giving birth and how that baby will grow up to offer us a love that the world has never known before. We'll stand together, passing the candle light from one candle to another, and lift our voices in celebration of the miracle of Christmas.

The beauty of this message is this: The yelling and crankiness and fuss and muss of the day leading up to this night falls away; The ugliness doesn't last; I am not in charge of this life (I hear all y'all saying "Thank God," and I follow it up with an "Amen."); There is more than just this world.

There is hope and love and joy and peace and light--and it comes in the symbol of a little baby who can take the cranky world away and replace it with beauty.

It's my favorite night of the year, recognizing once again that there's more to life than this world has to offer. That's a beautiful light in this often dark world.

Merry Christmas!

My Favorite Things: My Neighbors

Earlier this month, I filmed a segment for Great Day Green Country (if the link goes online, I'll post it here). The segment was about holiday gifts for your neighbors. These are all items that your kids can make or that you can easily whip up and share with those you have to look at your metal flamingo in the front yard. (Brian says sorry; I think it's cute!)

First up, Spicy Nuts. These are so incredibly yummy and easy! We get our fresh pecans each year at  Schaper Pecan Farms in Ramona, OK. 

2 cups of cleaned pecans

2 T butter

1 T Worcestershire sauce

1 T seasoning salt

2 t garlic powder

pinch(es) of salt

Melt the butter and Worcestershire sauce in a microwavable bowl. Stir in the seasoning salt and garlic powder. Add the pecans and stir until they are well coated. Microwave for one minute, then stir. Microwave for another minute, then stir. Microwave for a third minute, then stir and pour onto a paper towel-lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt and let dry for about an hour. If you don't want to microwave, you can bake at 400 for about thirty minutes, stirring every ten minutes.

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Marshmallow Straws. These are so good and easy. The girls eat them for breakfast. No, I'm not kidding. Melt chocolate bark (or almond bark). Stick a straw in one end of the marshmallow (I used the ginormous marshmallows) and then dip the marshmallow into the bark. You can add sprinkles for fun. Then they can stir them into hot chocolate or coffee for a great treat. Or, you can eat them for breakfast. 

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Rice Krispie Tree: Did you know that once you mix the marshmellows into the Rice Krispies, it becomes like play dough? Just butter up your hands. (Really. Add a lot of butter.) And shape and mold the delicious Krispie treats into whatever shape you want. The Daughters made a Christmas tree and decorated it with M & Ms.

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Santa Soup: Layer one third cup of rice, one third cup of red lentils, and one third cup split peas. Add a Knorr Stock packet, one third cup dehydrated onion, 1 T black pepper, 1 T garlic salt. They add six jars of water to the mixture and let it simmer all night (or day). They can also add eight oz of ham or chicken if they wish.

We did get a pic of the Santa Soup, so here's a pic of the Stock Packet.
They are not paying me to say this, but I wish they would. I love these little things!

~

Easy Breezy Candy Bar Treat: If you don't have time to do any of this, I feel your pain. But, that doesnt' mean you should neglect your neighbors, especially, if you live close to me. So, grab a few giant Hershey bars and add this cute little poem that I got from my scrapbooking buddy, Suzanne, several years ago--but it's been around the block a time or two.

Dashing from the mall

With groceries left to buy

Kids, school, work and stuff

Life's so busy, why?

Bells on our phones ring

Voicemail will take the call

We have no time for family or friends

It drives us up the wall

So, how are you?

How's your life?

We really want to know.

Hope your ready for Christmas

Now many it will snow.

A day or two ago, 

we thought we'd make a treat

For all our special friends

A Holiday treat to eat.

Our intentions were top notch

But our schedules wouldn't budge, 

So, we hope that you enjoy this year's

Davis* Family Fudge.

*insert your own name, duh.

~

And finally, a gratuitous picture of my own personal camera man who took the pics while I filmed. Isn't she adorbs?

My Favorite Things: Rhonda Bramell

Today, my favorite thing is Rhonda Bramell. I met Rhonda in Arkansas. This girl always has a smile on her face ... even when she's relating how her minivan almost blew up on a windy Arkansas road! Then I saw her in Listen To Your Mother. She's funny and she's fresh and she makes you want to hang out with her and her kids and just have a grand ol' time. Enjoy her. She's one of My Favorite Things.

The Advent Calendar:  Easy For Mom and Fun for the Kids

I saw a discussion awhile back on Minivan Momma’s Facebook page about Advent calendars, so I thought I’d share our family’s calendar.  I’ve wanted an Advent calendar since my oldest child was born, but knew I needed to wait until she was really old enough to understand the meaning of it.  As I shopped around for a commercially-made one, I realized two things:  1) they were really expensive or 2) they were really cheap-o and involved giving my kids a piece of candy or a small trinket they would either break or choke on.

Last year, we found ourselves stranded at home over the long Thanksgiving holiday due to our own beloved minivan being in the shop.  I needed something to entertain the five-year-old and crafting is her thing.  Thanks to this little thing called Pinterest, I’d found several pins of homemade Advent calendars by those moms who have perfectly decorated homes and children.  So, off to Hobby Lobby we went to gather up our supplies. 

Instead of giving the kids candy every day, I wanted to have activities for us to complete as a family. However, I knew that with a five-year-old and a couple of two-year-olds, that our Advent activities needed to be simple, easy for them to complete and have some sense of “specialness” to them. 

Our supplies included felt in many colors, decorative embellishments, dowel rods, hot glue, a Sharpie and blank tags to write our activities on.  You should know that I don’t sew; the hot glue gun is my friend. 

We spent the better part of two afternoons cutting, gluing and decorating our Advent calendar.  The kids did so great with it last year and loved each activity we completed.  Here is a partial list of some of our activity tags:

·       Drink hot cocoa after dinner
·       Sing a Christmas song
·       Do something nice for your brother & sister(s)
·       Watch a Christmas show on TV
·       Eat dinner in your PJ’s
·       Drive around and look at Christmas lights
·       Choose some toys to donate to others

This works well for us now, but I’m sure the activities will change as our kids get older.  Our Advent calendar made its appearance last night while they were sleeping—yes, a day late…but that’s how I roll.  I’ll give them a piece of candy to make amends.

Rhonda lives in Northwest Arkansas and works full-time outside the home in retail marketing. In her spare time, she writes at Bramell, Party of Five where she's been blogging for over six years. You can find her blogging about everything from the funny things her kids say to Pinterest projects with her kids to occasional product reviews and giveaways. She's your typical southern gal turned minivan-driving mama. Live with twins plus one is a crazy, busy life but definitely provides her with a lot of creative inspiration!

Counting The Days--Celebrating Advent

Thursday on Great Day Green Country, I shared several ways to help kids count down to Christmas while not driving their parents totally wacko before the big day. Oh, you'll still go wacko, but not totally wacko.


Christmas Books. When The Daughters were younger, I would wrap each book and we'd open it and read it that night before going to bed. Because we designate each day with their initial, that person got to unwrap the book. Once I realized that I didn't have infinite time to wrap books nor did I have infinite resources to purchase wrapping paper for twenty-four books, We just left them unwrapped. The Daughters are now nine (practically ten, if you ask her) and twelve and we still read a Christmas book a night.

Tip: If you don't have twenty-four Christmas books, be sure to check out your local library. You could also form a co-op with a group of mommy friends. 

Advent Jar. I made filled jars with twenty-four pieces of candy each and gave a jar to each of The Daughters as well as our three nieces. Each day, they'll get one piece of candy. When the jar is empty, then it's time for Santa to come. After Christmas, the nieces (and The Daughters) can return the jar to me, and I'll refill it the next year. A way to add some meaning (even though eating candy is pretty darn meaningful in my life) would be to add a sticker on the pieces of candy with an activity to do. You don't have to put an activity on every piece of candy, but one it would be a cool addition about half the time. Some activities include: Watch The Polar Express, call your favorite aunt and sing your favorite Christmas carol, or make hot chocolate and deliver it to your local police station or fire station.

Tip: Buy extra chocolate so you don't have to sneak from the Christmas jar. It would stink to have to celebrate Christmas on December 19 because that Twix was calling your name when you were up wrapping presents. 

Lollipop Tree. This is very similar to the Advent jar, only you're using suckers and a styrofoam tree.  The lollipops will poke right into the styrofoam tree. Each day, the kid(s) get a sucker. When the tree is empty, it's Christmas! Again, you can put an activity on some of the lollipops to add meaning to the season.

Tip: Buy your lollipops on November 1 when the Halloween candy goes on sale, and reuse the tree. Momma is nothing if not cheap and easy.

Advent Wreath. The most wonderful time of the year is also the most busy time of the year. Between sports practices, concerts, recitals, family gatherings, work parties and everything else, many families don't get to have family time every night. The Advent wreath, while it's sacred in its history, can be used by any family to count down to Christmas. Designate a day a week for the four weeks leading to Christmas that you will meet as a family. Each week of Advent is designated as follows: 1) Hope; 2) Love; 3) Joy; and 4)Peace. To make your own Advent wreath, you'll need four candles, one for each week. Typically, the candles are purple except for Joy, which is pink. However, you can make them any color you wish. You'll also need one white candle for Christmas Eve. Each week, meet as a family and talk about your week as you light one, then two, then three candles, counting down to Christmas Eve when you light the white candle.

To make my advent wreath, I tinted canning jars and used my Nativity candle from Keepsake Candles. The "wreath" sits on our dining room table.

Tip: Let your kids help you make these jars--it's fun, easy and they'll end up making extra to give away as gifts. Again, cheap and easy!

How will you count down to Christmas?

#NaBloPoMo: The Last Thing I Hid

I made Advent jars for my nieces and The Daughters. Basically, an Advent jar contains twenty-four pieces of candy. Each day, beginning December 1, the kiddo takes a piece of candy out and eats it--just one piece. When she takes the last piece of candy, the next day is Christmas.

Typically, kids ask 261,528 times a day if it's Christmas yet. With this jar, when they ask, you can give them a piece of candy. They'll only ask 261,527 times a day if it's Christmas yet. See how these Advent jars make your life simpler?

But, more about the Advent jars on Friday, after I reveal them on Fox 23's Great Day Green Country. (Tune in at 10:00 to see me live!)

And, the topic of this blog for #NaBloPoMo is "The Last Thing I Hid," not "Weird Ramblings About TV Segment Prep."

So, that last thing I hid? Easy. The leftovers from the Advent Jars. Now ... If I can just remember where I hid it throughout December so I don't break into the Advent Jars and have to celebrate Christmas on December 19 instead of the 25.

I'm The Coolest

Every Christmas, I get the little kids of my own momma's family a big ol' chocolate bar. I usually hand the chocolate-y goodness to them and say, "You can eat it all by yourself and all at one time." They love me. And that, my friends, is why we give gifts: So that others will love us best. Mission accomplished. Until this year ...

Dirty, Dirty Santa

Prior to my tossing the brownies, we played a wild game of Dirty Santa. Typically, Dirty Santa starts off the same way. Four or five grown, educated adults will count all the Dirty Santa participants and then set those numbers into a slightly complicated algorithm which will determine exactly how many people are playing Dirty Santa that year--give or take one or three. Then each adult who is playing Dirty Santa will draw a number. This will determine the order in which we select our presents. Finally, before we actually begin the game, we'll clarify the rules about stealing presents. Basically, anything goes from year to year, but it's always good for an argument or two to clarify the rules.

Momma's Christmas List

My Christmas list is not long. Not long at all.

All I want is a lock box.

The Season of Giving AWAY: Nutty Family

Christmas Day was always one of my most favorite days of the whole year long. My sister and I would wake up early and see what Santa had left us. Then we'd all load up into the car and drive down to my Aunt Liz and Uncle John's home in Mounds, OK, where my mom's sister and her other brother and their families would also gather for food and presents and more food. When we were all together, there were 16 of us. It was always a great day.