moments to remember

I may be a little late with the timing… but I’m okay with that. Even though Christmas has come and gone, I still wanted to share some of our holiday highlights from this year! So, a little personal photo dump of precious moments to remember...

Levi’s first snow:

Having a fresh tree:

Untangling Christmas lights:

Levi helping to decorate his first tree:

Shiny, pretty things:

Celebrating Norwegian-style with my grandparents:

The novelty of being all bundled up in winter clothes:

Christmassy flannel footy jammies:

Meeting the big guy for the first time:

Special times with my parents, including dedicating Levi at our American church:

Days spent not changing out of our pj's:

Hot tubbing in the snow:

Quality and quantity time with my awesome husband:

Morning sleep-ins and family cuddle time in bed:

Dressing up for Christmas Eve church:

Levi's first gift on Christmas Eve:

Opening our stockings in bed on Christmas morning:

Taking our time enjoying the small things:

Precious moments with precious people, including all four of Levi's grandparents and four of his six living great-grandparents:

Christmas round two during a long layover in Sydney on our way home:

And a smooth, easy, fun trip home:

Dear friends, it’s hard to imagine life without digital photos… or even just any kind of photos. Aren’t we blessed to be able to capture memories visually like this? I hope you were able to get some great Christmas photos this year too.

glad for the memories caught on "film",

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2010 
do not reproduce without written permission

may your whole world be filled

"Jesus said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" (John 8:12)

Dear friends, may your Christmas be filled with light, life, and love... and all things good as you celebrate friends and family, the birth of Jesus, and the hope of a new year. May your holiday be filled with joy, generosity, feasting, kindness, peace, and so much more.

with love,

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2010 
do not reproduce without written permission

meeting the big guy

I wanted to let Levi meet Santa... and yet standing in line for whoknowshowlong to let my little child sit on a big stranger's lap for a few seconds wasn't high on my priority list. It's just not the way I wanted to spend one of our precious holiday mornings.

But when the opportunity presented itself at the end of our Norwegian Christmas party dinner... with no line and with both grandma and great-grandma looking on with hopeful eyes...

Well, that I couldn't refuse.

And I'm so glad we didn't miss the opportunity...

Because it really was a moment in time that just drips with the magic and wonder of Christmas.

And how glad am I to have captured it?

Dear friends, I consider myself extremely lucky - for no line... and for a sweet moment with the big guy void of a terrified baby melt-down. What was your Santa experience like this year?

loving my little guy with this big guy,

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2010 
do not reproduce without written permission

my little dream come true

You know how I’ve been dreaming of a white Christmas holiday for my little Aussie family?

Well, God has delivered.

This morning we woke up to snow. Glorious snow.

And in honor of this precious and beautiful snow dump, I’m going to do a precious and beautiful photo dump… mostly of my sweet son enjoying it for the first time, and my Aussie husband in his fleece superman pj’s. (He was too excited to change into something more “reasonable” - just one of the many things I love about him.)

This is the first white Christmas for the Booker boys. And boy oh boy, does their delight bring joy to this little heart-o-mine.

"i don't know what this is but i like it!"

"so many layers, i can hardly move!"

my gorgeous boys... including ryan still in his pj's. :)

"what is this stuff?!"

still snowing... still happy.

perhaps the cutest snowman to-date. :)

superdad and my flying boy.

"ta-da!"

Dear friends, seeing my family experience snow at Christmastime is so special to me. It’s an important part of them being able to relate to my culture, background, and upbringing. How do you bring elements of your childhood into your present-day family life?

snowed in and happy about it,

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2010 
do not reproduce without written permission

wonder

I was looking through my photos from our Christmas holiday in Oregon so far, and as I paused at this one I immediately thought of the word WONDER.

What must have been going through little Levi’s mind as he held glowing bits of light between his fingertips? WONDER.

And when is the last time that I let myself be childlike in my own thinking?

I’m not talking about being childish here—as in immature—I’m talking about being childlike...

Able to suspend my to-do’s and agendas long enough to just be in the moment, caught up in whatever beauty is before me.

Able to discover and question and find joy in simple things.

Able to love unabashedly. Laugh without restraint. Be free of self-consciousness, self-doubt, or self-criticism.

Able to believe whole-heartedly, cry unashamedly, and trust completely.

I have moments of being able to live with a child-like simplicity. But they are only moments.

Far too often my rationale gets in the way. My sense of responsibility. My need to be “right” or do things “just right”. My consideration of others perceptions of me. My desire to have order. My tendency to plan and predict and predetermine.

And although none of those things are wrong… they can get in the way of living if I’m not careful.

I’ve had many of these “wonder” moments lately—being on holiday helps—but I’m not satisfied. I want more.

Thank you, little Levi, for helping mama to remember that it’s important to wonder.

Dear friends, how are you keeping the WONDER in life this Christmas season?

stopping to wonder,

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2010 
do not reproduce without written permission

10 traditions designed to connect your family this christmas

By Lindsey Whitney of Growing Kids Ministry

The holidays are always crazy busy.  You don’t need me to tell you that.  However, in the midst of all the shopping, driving, celebrating, and running around, we often neglect to connect with our families in a meaningful way.  Here are ten ideas to help you slow down, even for a few moments, and cherish those things that mean the most to you.

1.   Hot Chocolate in Front of the Fire

Nothing causes you to slow down and reflect like a hot beverage in your hand. This winter, grab some of those specialty hot chocolates and make each member of your family a special cup of chocolaty goodness.   Gather together in front of the fire and just sip together.  You can chat if the mood strikes, but don’t feel like you have to. Comment on how tasty your drink is, and make sure you tell your family how much you love them.  Then just stare at the flames together.  No fireplace?  You can have your kids draw an imaginary one on poster board, or you can get one of those crazy DVD’s that put a crackling fireplace on your TV! 

2.   Storytime

Start the bedtime routine a half hour earlier and spend that extra time reading lots of Christmas books.  Little Star is a good one that’s out this year.  One family I know gets a different version of The Night Before Christmas  every year as part of their family tradition.

3.   Get Wrapping

Try to wrap presents ahead of time.  I know, you’re busy and this is one task that tends to settle to the bottom of the to-do list.  But seriously, it looks so nice to have those lovely gifts under the tree for a few weeks.  Plus, you don’t have to spend the entire month of December dreading the wrapping process.  Hire some youth group kids or nieces and nephews to do if you want.  I’m sure they would be happy for the extra Christmas cash.

4.   Appreciate What You Have

Spend a night together watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” (Do movies get any better than this one?)  Veggie Tales just came out with their own version, called “It’s a Meaningful Life” that you might opt for if you’ve got a house full of little ones.  After you watch, have everyone share something that they appreciate about their life and family. 

5.   Read the Christmas Story Before Christmas

Christmas is a great time to read about the birth of Christ, but Christmas morning might not be ideal.  Usually kids are anxious to dive into their presents, mom is busy cooking up a grand breakfast and dad is.. well, who knows?  Maybe getting the video camera ready or installing batteries.  At any rate, if you wait till the midst of all this to read through the Bible, it might get rushed or even pushed aside.  Take time Christmas Eve or earlier in the week to read through the passage and talk about it with your family.  

6.   Kid Friendly Nativity

Nativities are great, but don’t cause yourself undue stress by putting out Great Aunt Wanda’s heirloom set and then yelling at the kids whenever they come within three feet of it.  Instead, go for a kid-friendly version this year and let your kids actually touch it.   Here’s some great ones to take a look at: Little People Nativity, Learning Journey Nativity,  or Kurt Adler Nativity.

7.   Cookies! 

This is one of our family traditions.  Usually we do them all on one day (what a long day that is!), but you may want to break it up and do a different type of cookie every week.  Each year, when December comes, your family will know that Friday is cookie day!  Take those extra cookies to the neighbors to spread some holiday love.

8.   A Grand Entrance

I recently read this idea in Thriving Family magazine.  One family wanted to capture the “coming down the stairs on Christmas morning” moment, so they had their kids stay in their rooms until they heard Christmas music loudly playing in the house.  Every year, the parents picked a different tune and as the kids excitedly bounded out of their rooms, they were all able to share the first moments of Christmas together.  

9.   Remember Others

Samaritan’s Purse puts out a gift catalog every Christmas filled with gifts that you can give to others in needs.  For $4, you can give milk to a child for a week. For $20 you can give a family chickens to raise for a living.  There is a wide range of prices and gifts, and it’s a great way for kids to remember the less fortunate during the holidays. 

10.  Puzzle Time

Puzzles are another one of those activities that force you to sit down and breathe for a moment.  Find some Christmas or winter-themed puzzles and work together on them as a family.  You can do it all in one night, or spend a few weeks on an especially hard one.  Afterwards, you can glue it together and display it as a Christmas memory. 

Wondering how you’re going to remember to fit these things in?  Print off a calendar for December, and let your kids pick the days to do each of the above activities.  Post it on the fridge or some other prominent place so both you and your kids will be reminded to take time for family this Christmas.

Bio: Lindsey Whitney is a new mom of one adorable little girl.  She runs a Family Home Day Care and is the Children's Ministry director at her church.  Her blog is Growing Kids Ministry.




Dear friends, I LOVE these ideas and I'm a big believer in creating family traditions! We have a few Christmas traditions of our own, but now that we're parents we are open to adopting a few more that will be extra special for the kids. I love the child-friendly nativity idea as well as the cookie day! (And the grand entrance when the kids are older.) How do you and your family connect during the Christmas season? Will you try anything new this year?


enjoying my family this christmas,

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2010 
do not reproduce without written permission

taking guest post submissions

I'm gearing up for a week-long work conference in Hawaii (I know, tough gig isn't it?) as well as a family trip to Oregon for a white Christmas (tra-la-la-la-la!) and I'm thinking about what to do with my blog amidst all the movement and time commitments and {gasp} sporadic internet access...


One of the things I'd like to do is have a week of Christmas-themed posts to kick off the first week of December (while I'm hard at work in Hawaii - grin). Specifically, I'd like to feature posts about creating family holiday traditions and teaching values through Christmas. So, things like: What are your special Christmas traditions? How are you intentional about celebrating? What are your favorite memories of Christmas growing up or with your own children? What are the values you hope to teach your children through the holidays and how will you do it? How do you keep your sanity during the holidays? What is your view on gift-giving? 


You see where I'm going with this, right? I hope to end up with a mix of posts (some light/fun, insightful, tips/how-to's, funny, etc.).


So, if you'd like to submit a post for publication during this feature week, please email me with an outline of your post idea (or an actual draft post if that's easier for you). I will pick the ones that I feel best fit with the intent and the feel of the Memos. All I ask of you is to let your blog readers know to come and visit the Memos on your day of publication!


Dear friends, please submit your interest by Friday the 19th of November. If chosen, I will need your finalized post with a photo and a short bio by Wednesday the 24th of November.

still dreaming of a white christmas,


P.S. To those of you who are regular readers (you know who you are!) I'd especially love to feature you and promote your blog. {smile} Please let me know if you're interested. x

I decided to jump back on the bandwagon. 
Would you care to vote for the Memos?




 Have you registered your blog here yet?

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2010 
do not reproduce without written permission

dreaming of a white christmas

{the christmas i'm not dreaming of this year}

I know, I know... first comes Halloween, then comes Thanksgiving, and then I can think about Christmas, right? Wrong.


I cannot get Christmas off of my mind.


Could it be because this will be my first Christmas at home in America in five years?


Could it be that we haven't had a family vacation in almost two years?


Could it be that it will be my husband's first opportunity to have a white Christmas somewhere in Oregon at the foot of the mountains?


Could it be that I can't wait to introduce Levi to snow angels and snowmen and the thrill of sledding down a little kiddy slope?


Could it be that it's early springtime and already 85 degrees here and I just can't wait to wear my knee high boots and jeans, a sweater and a beanie?


Could it be that I just want to see my baby tear into his first gift-wrapped presents (and then no doubt get consumed with the boxes, not the new toys)?


Could it be that I cannot wait to see my brother and my parents and my grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins and... everyone playing with our growing boy?


Could it be that I'm dying for a Starbucks caramel macchiato?


Could it be that I long to hear the silence of softly falling snow?


Could it be that it's been five years since I've hit up American after-Christmas sales?


Could it be that I miss Oregon chai?


Could it be that I am dying for a little genuine Mexican food?


Could it be that I'm craving the warmth that comes from a crackling fire, rather than the warmth that comes from 80% humidity and 97 degree days?


Could it be that I just love warm cinnamon rolls and coffee on a cold wintry Christmas morning?


Could it be that I can almost feel the excitement of waking up to the stillness that comes with a fresh blanket of an over-night snowfall?


Could it be that I'm looking forward to hearing songs like "Let it Snow" and "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" without sweat dripping down my face and back and everywhere else?

{christmas baking last year at 35 weeks pregnant -
wearing compression socks for my elephant feet/ankles
and as little else as possible. i thought i was gonna die.} 

Could it be that I'm just long over-due for a Christmas at "home"?


Yes, yes, yes, yes, and a hundred more yes's. 


Dear mommy-friends, how about you? Are you already dreaming about Christmas?


literally dreaming of a white christmas,

Have you registered your blog here yet?

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2010 
do not reproduce without written permission