Sunday Dinner - X 20!

We decided with the new year, Steve's family would get together the third Sunday of every month for dinner. Still, with three of the six kids living in the Boise area, when it's your turn to host, it makes for a group of 20!

I guess you could stay Steve and I kinda headed this one up so we offered to have January's dinner at our house. The idea is that the family that is hosting the dinner will provide the main dish and then everyone else brings a side or dessert to go along with what is being served. Still, cooking chicken divan for 20 people instead of my usual four was quite the experience. ( I've never used a whole bag of chicken on one meal!) Needless to say, It's a favorite so everyone was happy there was plenty to go around.

The teenage girls always seem to find a spot at any family gathering to chat and catch up. Five girls and four different schools makes for never a dull moment!

These boys love to be together and this girl is quite the Daddy's girl. Loves to hang with her Dad any chance she gets. (I love it!)

I happened to have my camera in my pocket and heard my little niece mimicking the prayer that was being said prior to dinner. I couldn't help but take a picture as it was such a precious site.

At the close of the evening, a short message was shared. Steve talked about taking the time to really get to know God. To find ways to magnify who He wants us to become and then become it! It was very inspiring and I know others including myself were uplifted and left with sense of taking on his challenge.

It's already been a day and we're looking forward to the time we can gather again next month and do it all over again. (I'm especially grateful It won't be my turn to cook chicken for an army for a few months.) We are truly blessed to have as much family as we do that live close enough that we can share a special Sunday evening like this once a month. It'll be a nice addition to 2011!

Joy in the Journey

I can't say I believe in the saying; " New Years resolutions". Maybe it's a personal thing I have with that phrase and the idea of people making lengthy lists of the things they are going to change or attempt to change in the coming year. I admit, I've made lists like these myself in the past only to find myself unmotivated or in the end, the task was never completed.

Over the past several years, I've taken a little different approach at things when I see January coming near. I tend to do a lot more reflecting on myself as a person, my relationship with God, the role I play in my family, and who God wants me to be. I then usually come up with some specific things to focus on and make more a priority per say. But for some reason, it's now a week into January and I still can't seem to pinpoint any specifics for myself that are maybe different than years past that I want to seek and do. My thoughts have been almost on overload with ideas and things I want to study. So much that It seems overwhelming.

Sometime before Christmas and New Years, Blake had mentioned to me a few of the things he was wanting to accomplish in the coming year. I thought his ideas were great and I appreciated him sharing them with me. It wasn't until I went to put some clothes away in his room yesterday, that I found the following taped to his wall just above his bed.

I could tell that he had truly given his list some thought. I loved how his number one thing was to grow closer to his Heavenly Father. Shouldn't that be our number one priority as well? I also loved that his list was so attainable yet very simple. His whole list was centered around things of God. ( even down to the saving $ 200.00 buckaroos!) I love it! I realized in that moment, that it's by doing the "basics" the Lord has asked us to do, is when we truly find joy in the journey. The ancient Roman philosopher Horace admonished, “Whatever hour God has blessed you with, take it with grateful hand, nor postpone your joys from year to year, so that in whatever place you have been, you may say that you have lived happily.”

Let us relish life as we live it, and each find joy in our journey. I'm so grateful for the simple innocent heart of a child that is there to remind me to keep things in perspective. Thanks for sharing your list Blake!

New Year - Fresh blogging start?

It's really sad when your children remind you often about the fact that you have a blog and they've missed logging on a reading anything posted by their Mother for quite some time. I'm embarrassed to say I only posted once in 2010. In January, no less. I can't say I'm here fix that completely or that I will be as diligent as I was when I first began blogging a few years ago, but I am here to say...I'm going to TRY and be better about getting my thoughts as well as family happenings down on paper so we'll hopefully have something to print off and put into a book the end of 2011.