Fun Family Traditions: The 12 Days of Christmas

When Christmas rolled around last year, we had only been in Florida for five months. We were struggling. It takes time to become rooted in an area and some of our boys chose to distance themselves from the family as well. My subconscious solution was to work more. However, between working through a special goal planner and the encouragement of friends, I realized my error.

Time is short when they are home with us, right? I stopped and began praying about how I could make this Christmas stand out or feel exciting. That's when the idea for the Twelve Days Of Christmas came to me. From there I went to Pinterest and now I'm sharing it with you!

I'm sharing it with you because though it was a LOT of work and not every moment was met with appreciation, it produced the result I hoped for! It was worth the effort and helped our family make memories we wouldn't have had otherwise.  And you know what? I had fun!

Perhaps you need inspiration to make sweet memories! Hopefully this post will do just that. Warning! These pictures are not blog perfect and my poems are lame. The idea is to inspire you with what works for your family!

The Striped Tunic, My Usual Felt Hat & New Tradition

That's me thinking. I'm doing a lot of thinking lately. The goal planner that I've mentioned repeatedly since November, has prompted introspection and life evaluation. In turn, I'm seeing several areas that, like a neglected flower bed, needs major tending. But rather than feel doses of self-incrimination and shame, I feel excited to try things differently; maybe even feel a modicum of freedom to dance in who I am. Have you taken some time out to assess how those major life areas such as: health, family, work, rest, finances, etc?  If you haven't, it's worth the time investment because it can help you regroup and maybe even take steps towards a new plan!