Strive...to be like Linus

I don't know when, why or how I first fell in love with the Peanut's gang, but they are my favorite! I have ornaments, a cut out of Charlie Brown that is Ethan sized (he carries it around sometimes talking to it...very funny), books, movies, their puny Christmas tree and more! Every year I get all my Peanut's Christmas decorations out and watch the movie! I think I could honestly watch it hundreds of times a day!


But, this year was the first year I got to share my Peanut's love! Ethan and Haley were in Salem this weekend, so Alex and I went up to hang out. The two of them are finally old enough to sit still, read a book and watch a movie. So, Alex read them my Charlie Brown Christmas book with the little sound buttons (Ethan really liked the, "Good Grief!" button...he pushed it a lot)! And after they read it we watched the movie! They were too precious watching, it melted my heart a little!

Fast forward to the next day....I asked Haley and Ethan what Christmas was all about hoping they would bring up Charlie Brown. But, Haley said, "Jesus" (like a good preacher's kid) and Ethan agreed.

I don't think I was disappointed they didn't tell me about Lucy and Schroeder or Linus and his blanket, but it would have been great if they did! But, at 3 1/2 and 2 1/2 years old, they know the true meaning of Christmas.

I don't want this post to be one of the "Jesus is the Reason for the season" posts. But, I do want to think about why we celebrate this holiday and if two toddlers can know and reciprocate the reason. Why do so many grown adults forget that this season is not about the best dinner parties, the most wanted gifts or the best holiday trends?! This season is about celebrating the birth of our Christ who lived a very hard and persecuted life, so that he could die for the forgiveness of our sins. Yes, gifts are great and I will rarely turn one away, but the best gift was the gift our Father has given us. Strive to seek the true meaning of this season and to be like Linus!

"....And that's what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown."

Listening Intently

How cute are they?! 

Strive...to vent

I absolutely, positively, no doubt about it, HATED 7th grade. It was the worst year of my life....ever! I was going through that awkward phase of life that everyone goes through...hopefully I'm not the only one who experienced the awkward weird phase. It was bad, I promise. If you had to endure it with me, I'm very sorry. Becky likes to remind me that I wore a button necklace and men's neck ties. Conveniently I can't find any pictures as evidence.

To supplement my awkwardness my mom was convinced I should still be playing the piano and going to lessons even though I never wanted to play, let alone practice. But, every Wednesday my mom dropped me off at the church for my five o'clock piano lesson.

I now think that, had I put more effort into the piano I could now be at Julliard. But, I didn't and I don't think that my 5 minute cram session of practice before my lesson convinced my teacher either.  What I did take out of my piano lessons were priceless.Yes, I learned that Good Boys Do Fine Always (Get it?! :)) but, I also learned the importance of having someone to talk to.

My piano teacher was also a counselor. Even though I thought I could trick her into believing that I practiced 30 minutes a day every day, I'm pretty sure she knew better. But after I horribly pounded  wonderfully performed my lesson, she let me talk and talk and talk. She let me tell her everything that was going on in my life, what was bothering me and all my 12 year old problems. She listened and did not judge me or tell me what to do or that what I was experiencing was normal and to get over it. She just listened.

She taught me not only how to read music, but the importance of someone to vent to. Which leads me to the Strive moment of the week. Do you have someone to vent to? Someone you know, love and trust? Someone who won't take what you're saying personally or be offended? Someone to vent to can make your life so much better. You don't have to walk around carrying all the stresses of life by yourself. A five minute phone call to your venter can really make a difference.

Happy Venting!

Ecclesiasties 4:9-12 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor; If they fall down, they can help each other up. But pity those who fall and have no one to help them up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.  

P.S. Make sure to thank your venter for letting you vent to them...and make sure to return the favor....it feels good to listen some times too!

Strive to...Brighten

I am almost a real hygienist! In May I will graduate with my bachelor's degree and will be official. I like being a hygienist, I like helping people find their prettier, healthier smile. It's fun for me to work so closely with people. But along with the good, there is bad. As soon as someone  sits in my chair, it's like I have a flashing sign on my head that lights up, "Tell me your life story!" My mom has the same sign that flashes when she stands in line at Wal-Mart...I don't really know which is more inconvenient...she want to peacefully buy her banana's and I want to finish my job in an hour....     

SIU is the only four year dental hygiene program in the state, so it is really competitive to get in, but more than that it has to compete and set itself above and beyond the 13 other dental hygiene programs in the sate. Senior year we take a course called Multicultural Dental Hygiene and no other hygiene program offers an equivalent.

We go out into the community and work in different traditional offices, nursing homes, schools and we work with public health. The public health aspect is the sad part. We work hand-in-hand with Head Start and Early Head Start. These programs work with the poorest of the poor in the community. We get to go on home visits to work with parents and their little one's. It is eye opening and heart breaking to see what goes on beyond closed doors. The stories we are told are heart wrenching. Think of every bad things a mother and her children can endure and these families have...times ten!

This time of year is a hard time for a lot of people. The holidays have a tendency to bring family together to celebrate, eat and spend a lot of fun, quality time together, which is wonderful. However, for some families there are few fond memories of the Holiday season and there is one story that is weighing on my heart.

I don't want to burden you with the long, sad and unfortunate lifestyle that this family leads, but Alex and I have made the decision to try to brighten their holiday season. They cannot afford a turkey for Thanksgiving and on top of that, the food pantry, meals on wheels and a lot of the churches in their community are not serving Thanksgiving dinner due to the lack of funding. After realizing that we will be going to three different Thanksgiving dinners where there will be food to spare, Alex and I will be taking this family a little basket of goodies and a gift card to go buy themselves a Thanksgiving dinner. 

We're not going to be breaking the bank or going all out to provide them a White House worthy Thanksgiving, but we are going to try to brighten their spirits at this very hard time of year. This leads me to the Strive moment of the week. Strive to brighten someone else's holiday season. You don't have to do a lot or even buy a turkey. But, you can make a donation to your local food pantry or bake a pie and take it to the homeless shelter. The options are endless!

 Happy Brightening!

Psalm 146:7- He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free. 

Busy Beavers and Crazy Cats

Contrary to my lack of posting, we are indeed alive and kicking! It has been a crazy week or two around here. My sister, Becky, had her little girl Nora and I am absolutely smitten! She is the cutest little bundle of joy and I love her more than one would think....don't worry Ethan, I still love you too (and Tyler, Paige, Josiah, Addie, Eli, Lily,Will, etc...etc...I have a lot of little people to love)! 

Other than Nora's arrival, Alex has been doing awesome at work, I am still in school and we went to a bonfire and hay ride with our Sunday school class! We didn't know anyone in Pinckneyville when we moved here and the church we have been going to has really opened their arms and hearts and welcomed us! Not that I want to stay here past May, but they have really made our time here more enjoyable! 

FINALLY! The strike at SIU is over! It was the most stressful week of my life. All but one of my teachers were on strike, so I didn't have any classes. I felt very out of sorts and like my routine was ripped to pieces. I got to picket with my teachers and help support them and I was on t.v! I'm famous now, if you didn't know... But, the board of trustee's, chancellor and teacher's union have all come to an agreement and classes may now resume. Not all of SIU's students were impacted, but since my program (dental hygiene) is so specific and there were virtually no teachers, we were greatly affected. You can see the news segment I was featured in...or seen in the background  here. 

I will post a new Strive post soon....it gets pretty hectic striving for so much though! 

Nora! She has grown more than a pound since I took this just 2 weeks ago!! For more pictures you can check Becky's blog here or in my sidebar.