A happy lunar new year 2025! Wishing you happiness, prosperity, and good fortune in the new year. These cute little red envelopes from https://kccnj.com/chinese-new-year-envelopes/ were so much fun to make.
Monthly Archives: January 2025
Siblings
I know no matter what, these four love eachother more than anything in this world. What a blessing to have one another. Bels off to Disney and she’s already so missed. We are a full house and when one is missing we all feel it.
“Then, I’ll read to you.”
The other night while snuggling in bed and reading to Liam I said “Liam, this is my favorite part of the day, when we snuggle and ibread to you, what am I going to do when you start reading and don’t need me to read you books anymore?” And he responded “mom, then I’ll read to you!”
And so he did the next day while eating olives and using a toothpick as a pointer. Whatever works!!
My favorite part of raising these kids has been reading over thousands and thousands of childrens stories together. We’ve gone on so many adventures and learned so many things together.
Today’s Reminder
There’s a time for winter, a time for spring. A time for summer and a time for fall. A time for stillness and a time for restlessness. A time to laugh and a time to cry. A time for fun and a time to be bored. A time to be awake and a time for rest. A time to fail and a time to rise. A time for friends, a time for family. A time for gatherings and a time to be alone. A time for celebrating and a time to mourn. A time to be young and a time to grow old. A time for uncertainty and a time for assurance. A time to have and a time for loss. But whatever your time, know that it will pass, good or bad.
Today’s Reminder
We don’t realize how much we need this dose of winter. Some of us ddon’t eel like we need it. The thought of being still and quiet with ourselves, and having less to do makes us so uncomfortable. But Winter is a time for rest, rejuvenation, and a time to improve health and mind. Time to restore and manage our energy reserves to prepare for the coming of spring.
Today’s Reminder
James 1:19
Constantly working on this one. I rise in the early quiet morning with this intention and by later afternoon it can be quickly forgotten.
Today’s Reminder
Do It Anyway
People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.
by Mother Teresa (my biggest influencer)
Chicken soup with rice
One of my favorite books as a young child was a book titled Chicken Soup with Rice, by Maurice Sendak. My kindergarten or 1st grade teacher would read it to us and I absolutely loved it. There was a poem for each of the month. And whether it was January, February, June or July, every month was perfect for Chicken Soup with Rice! My favorite as a child was probably the months of June or July because that meant summer time and no school. But now that I’m older, I always enjoy it when I get to read the months of January and February. These months are after the holiday hussle and bustle and they are quieter and less rushed. The days are short and the nights are long. Funny how things change.
Words from the wise
Liam had just gotten over having a fever. He had asked me if he could play fight with dad again and I said ” you’re going to have to take it easy” and he responded ” but mom, taking it easy is sometimes hard, dad’s going to beat me”. Meaning if he takes it easy, his dad’s going to win. Lots of truth to that, it is sometimes difficult to take things easy, to be patient enough to wait until you’re fully better, fully healed. Being told to take it easy is such a hard thing to be told to do. So wise of him to understand that at such a young age.
Winter
I love winter! I love the month of January. It’s a newfound love, maybe the past several years as I’ve learned to understand what winter really means. I’m beyond hoping the days will pass so that the Spring or summer would arrive. I’m past trying to fill and plan the days so that they are full and time passes. Now I want to be inside of winter, just like a child. To fully be present and appreciate all that winter brings.
