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| Christmas 2020 with my high school sweetheart |
I know. It's early. You probably have a hundred things going through your mind right now. Will the children continue to go to school? Thoughts of your or your spouse's job security, to mask or not to mask, will we have shortages again, how to keep your family safe, and don't forget the never ending thoughts of what's for dinner?! BUT. Christmas is coming.
For most families in America, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe, Christmas is a big celebration. For some, like me and many of you, it is a celebration of Jesus' birth and our love for others. For others, the meaning may be different. Still, it's a day and season that we have, historically, celebrated in peace time and in war time, in years of plenty and in years of want. This year may be different than others, but we've had different years before. Our privilege, as wives and mothers, is to make Christmas a special, loving, Jesus focused time for our families.
I remember a number of years ago that we sold our house at the beginning of November. We had to be out by the middle of November and couldn't get into our new house for two weeks. So, nearly everything that we owned went into storage. Did I mention that we had four children? Ten, six, four, and newborn. We were supposed to stay in a hotel for two weeks. But after the two weeks, the previous owners of our new house refused to move out for thirty more days! We moved to a motel, and spent Thanksgiving and Christmas season in the motel room... watching as HGTV decorated and and Food Network baked up a feast for our eyes. So... rather than mope... Momma made Christmas. That's what you need to do whether you're mom, wife, or single. Make Christmas.
Before you begin, determine what is your focus for your family's Christmas? If you're married, you will want to discuss this with your husband. But single or married, it usually comes down to the lady of the house to actually make the plans and implement them.
For most families in America, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe, Christmas is a big celebration. For some, like me and many of you, it is a celebration of Jesus' birth and our love for others. For others, the meaning may be different. Still, it's a day and season that we have, historically, celebrated in peace time and in war time, in years of plenty and in years of want. This year may be different than others, but we've had different years before. Our privilege, as wives and mothers, is to make Christmas a special, loving, Jesus focused time for our families.
I remember a number of years ago that we sold our house at the beginning of November. We had to be out by the middle of November and couldn't get into our new house for two weeks. So, nearly everything that we owned went into storage. Did I mention that we had four children? Ten, six, four, and newborn. We were supposed to stay in a hotel for two weeks. But after the two weeks, the previous owners of our new house refused to move out for thirty more days! We moved to a motel, and spent Thanksgiving and Christmas season in the motel room... watching as HGTV decorated and and Food Network baked up a feast for our eyes. So... rather than mope... Momma made Christmas. That's what you need to do whether you're mom, wife, or single. Make Christmas.
Before you begin, determine what is your focus for your family's Christmas? If you're married, you will want to discuss this with your husband. But single or married, it usually comes down to the lady of the house to actually make the plans and implement them.
10 Things you can do right now to prepare for a calm and peaceful Christmas.
Save your change
For gifts - It adds up!
For significant years - Save coins minted in special years.
Birth
Anniversary
Graduation
Set a Budget
Save your change
For gifts - It adds up!
For significant years - Save coins minted in special years.
Birth
Anniversary
Graduation
Set a Budget
What can you reasonably spend without debt?
Consider food, decorations, gifts, and anything else your family needs.
Plan your Menus
Tree Trimming
Holiday Parties
Caroling
Tree Trimming
Holiday Parties
Caroling
Christmas Eve
Christmas Day
Plan Gifts ~ If you're a maker, you'll want to begin early!
Plan Gifts ~ If you're a maker, you'll want to begin early!
Family
Extended Family
Friends
Gift exchanges
Thank you gifts to community workers
Extended Family
Friends
Gift exchanges
Thank you gifts to community workers
Police
Mail carrier
Firemen
Ambulance drivers
Sheriff's deputies
Bus drivers
Teachers
You get the idea
Choose activities
Church
Home
Friends
Community
Choose activities
Church
Home
Friends
Community
Don't put planning off just because it's early. We cannot know what's going to happen in the future, but we can do our best to be prepared for it. Now and then, I'll be checking back with you to see how you're doing.
What we do early can make later much more relaxing, enjoyable, calm and peaceful.
God bless!
Laura
Thankful for my Jesus
Only 215 more days :-) I like to have things like gifts done ahead of time so those things that can't be done early like a roasting a turkey or trimming a tree can be enjoyed in their time~
ReplyDeleteI'm improving on that every year Lady. I remember FlyLady talking about being done by the end of November. I never have made it yet! It's a nice goal though. ~smile~
DeleteIt helps so much to be prepared ahead of time for any holiday!
DeleteHow sweet you are. We moved twice in the month of December. Both times surrounded by moving boxes we and the kids set up the Tree and decorated it with all the moving mess around us. We set out the nativity. Good memories.
ReplyDeleteWe once showed our house on Christmas Day (late in the day to an acquaintance), and we once put a bid on a house on New Year's Day! We bought the house we have now while my husband was in the hospital recovering from knee replacement surgery. Timing is not our forte!
DeleteOur closest friends spent Christmas in hotel 5 years ago. They had the Charlie Brown tree in their room and made the best of it. Our oldest daughter had been praying for close friends for us and God led them to our church and we met them the first time they visited. The rest is history. Now they would be at our house rather than a hotel!
ReplyDeleteWe put money into a budget every month year round. This allows me to have funds to buy when I see a deal on something to tuck away. Every little bit helps! We have the same menu every year so when I start seeing the favorite foods I start to buy them and put them away in November. The thing that is still a good bit of work is stocking stuffers but we cannot do those in advance because we never know which kids family's will travel here for Christmas. This Mom's policy is that you have to be here on Christmas morning to get a stocking.
You have a good system going Lana. I think that stockings are a big challenge now that my kids are adults. Filling stockings is now a shared responsibility. Everyone buys a little something to put in each of our six stockings (4 kids). The first year we did this, they all forgot my stocking. I had put a little something in it. I didn't say a word, but believe me, they never forgot again! We have stockings that expand because I knit them all one year. ~smile~
DeleteI love the way your family does stockings! Four out of five of our kids are married and we have seven grandchildren. Our kids are spread all over so we never know who can make it home now.
DeleteI think about Christmas year round. I always have. Though, it does come around much faster these days. The story about the people not moving out of your new house.... 😳... i would have been livid!!!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I wasn't expecting that. It sure was hard with three kids under 5! God did show me different ways to celebrate. Christmas became ours that year. We started our own traditions. God is good.
Delete