It Is More Blessed To Give Than To Receive

I think helping 4 year olds understand the lesson of "it is more blessed to give than to receive" is a pretty challenging concept at this stage in life, but still well worth the effort. It's the day before Thanksgiving and the twins and I spent part of our day today en route to and from various organizations in the community making donations for "wish list" items for Thanksgiving Dinners for the hungry and homeless in our city.

Here is a little sampling of how some of our conversations went today as we drove in our car from one destination to another:

Me: "Some families and kids aren't as lucky as you girls this year and some people need extra help and it sure would be nice of us to share some of our warm food with these people today..." and "Some people are very poor and don't have enough money to buy food and snacks to eat..." etc. etc.

Paige: "No way. That's our food. The poor people have to go shopping for their own food."

Taylor: "But, we want to eat that food. No, mommy, no..."

And, that's about how it went today as we chatted about how we can help others and about how Jesus wants us to help people when they don't have as many nice things or as much food as we do. While I fully know that the twins didn't appreciate our giving today to the community, someday as I tell them about this experience in the years to come (when they're older and able to understand the significance of giving vs receiving), I think they'll be glad they helped mommy give to the needy today.

I come from the school of thought where it's never too early to start planting the seeds for tomorrow. I don't know what life will exactly hold for Paige and Taylor, and I also don't know what personal financial blessings that they will gain for themselves through their hard work and efforts, but what I do know is that I want them to learn that whatever they may be blessed with, whatever monetary means they may have, they have a responsibility to give a portion back to those less fortunate. Today, was our first step in sowing those seeds in Paige and Taylor. As the years go by, we can continue to cultivate those seeds and I look forward to watching these early seeds in life bloom and grow...

As I reflect on our day and our efforts to give to those less fortunate than us, I know that I enjoyed this experience waaaaaaaaaay more than the twins did. I enjoyed explaining to the girls what we were doing and why we were doing it. Hopefully, however, as they grow older and in the years ahead, Paige and Taylor will come to appreciate this more and will discover for themselves how it truly is more blessed to give than to receive.

Thanksgiving - Part 1

The holiday season is upon us - Thanksgiving is now just a couple of days away. As I look around me and the world we live in these days, it seems that everyone is focused on the economy and what difficult times we are in. And, it's true, these are hard times for many people; in fact, we've had some tough times ourselves this year but even in the midst of these tough times, in the midst of the days where I find myself focusing on our own challenges, I'm also trying to have an "attitude of gratitude". It's not always easy but when I set my mind upon all the good in my life, whatever despair or stress I might be feeling soon gives way to peace of mind and happiness!

God knows everything we've been going through this year and that alone is something that I am grateful for. I know that God never leaves us or forsakes us and even when the times get tough I know I can trust His plan for our lives. He's come through for us time and time again in our lives in recent years as a family, and I'm grateful for that.

It sounds strange but just thinking about BEING THANKFUL makes me even more thankful for all the blessings I have in my life this year. It's about what I DO HAVE in life and not about what I DON'T HAVE at THIS moment in my life. I am healthy, my husband is healthy, our daughters are healthy. I have a great husband and two really awesome little girls - they are the loves of my life and the bright spots in life. No matter what kind of day or year or circumstances I face, my family is always a source of joy and love. George Bernard Shaw once wrote "a happy family is but an earlier Heaven" and how true that is. Give me a family that pulls together in tough times, that still finds happiness and joy even when circumstances are stressful and challenging anyday. My family really is like a little taste of Heaven and God's goodness to us right here on earth, and I'm thankful for it!

So, Happy Thanksgiving to all of us, wherever you are and whatever circumstances you may find yourself in. God never promised us that life would be easy, that life would be without stress but with the love of my family, I find that it does make the journey a little easier and the burdens of this life a little lighter to bear. So, this Thanksgiving, I'm counting all my blessings, naming them 1 by 1 because I really do have so much to be thankful for....

Making Our 1st Gingerbread Candy House

I bought a gingerbread house kit this weekend which included pieces of pre-made gingerbread, pre-packaged icing, candies, and other tasty treats. All we had to do was start icing the gingerbread pieces together, then decorate. It was also a great way to get our girls involved in the start of the holiday festivities of the season! Mike actually put the basic structure together with the various gingerbread pieces and the icing. After the house was "built", the twins jumped right in and had a ball decorating with all the candies. Now, the real question is - do we keep it in the refrigerator and bring it out as part of our decorating display in the house this holiday season OR do we just start nibbling on it and enjoy all of its yumminess? Decorations schmecorations...I have a feeling we'll be nibbling!

Thanksgiving - Part 2

Okay, slight change in plans to our Thanksgiving travel schedule which I've previously written about on this blog - we are now NOT going to Arizona and Nevada but are STILL going to San Diego for a week. After doing a cost analysis and budgeting for our upcoming trip, we decided to nix the Arizona and Nevada legs of our road trip this year to save ourselves some money. So, San Diego, here we come!

Making that slight change in travel plans also leaves us in town for Thanksgiving but since we just decided to cancel our plans for traveling that day, we are now left with some options. In the past, we've either traveled to the East Coast to New York or to Virginia to spend time with grandparents and other extended family. During the years that we have not traveled back to the East Coast, we have either gone to friends' homes here in California or have had friends over to our house for Thanksgiving. This year, we're not doing any of those things since we are just changing our plans at the last minute ourselves for Thanksgiving.

While Thanksgiving this year will still be a time of connecting and remembering our many blessings, we're switching things up just a bit. Mike is planning on spending part of his Thanksgiving on the golf course. Yes, golf courses are open on Thanksgiving, and the rates are even discounted at the course for Thanksgiving and yes, I'm even 100% okay with him playing that day. While Mike is golfing that day, the twins and I are going to be getting in the giving spirit and will be visiting some regional homeless shelters Thanksgiving Day donating traditional Thanksgiving dinner items (pies, bread, stuffing, turkey, etc.) This year, our church pastor has inspired and encouraged those of us who can give of our resources and our time this Thanksgiving to those who have far less, hence the plans for the girls and I to get out of our comfort zone, so to speak, and visit some local homeless shelters to help those needy and hungry individuals, families and children in our community who might not otherwise have a holiday meal to enjoy.

Sure, it's not how we've traditionally spent our Thanksgivings in the past, but on the other hand, I'm actually more excited about this Thanksgiving because as our pastor has encouraged us - we're putting our faith into action doing something for the hungry and homeless in our neighborhoods. It's also going to serve as a nice reminder of what this season is truly all about - giving to others less fortunate.

Thanksgiving - Part 3

I Am Thankful For....

A husband who takes terrific care of me and our daughters and who provides us with a wonderful life.

A great playschool in the neighborhood who offers me the occassional break from the twins in order to grocery shop, run errands, etc.

A church that helps Mike and me in our relationship with each other and with God and that provides a Sunday School for our children where they are happy, learn songs and stories about Jesus each week.

Daughters who allow me to see the world with continued wonder and newness and who always keep me on my toes and exhausted (but exhausted in a good way).

A "job" as a stay-at-home mom that provides our children with full-time care from me every day of their young lives. In the words of Dr. Laura Schlessinger, "I Truly Am My Kids' Mom" and I love that part of my life.

A car that runs, okay, 2 cars that run.

A house that is warm.

A refrigerator and cupboards with food for our table.

Clothing that fits.

Friends, old and new, who share in life with me.

A generous and loving God who has blessed me with all of these.

Making Vacation Plans - Thanksgiving

I know what you're thinking, we haven't even had Halloween yet and you're already making plans for vacationing in November? Well, YES, we are...and, let me tell you, it's going to be the road trip of a lifetime!

Over the Thanksgiving holidays as well as for the first week of December, our family will be taking a road trip from California to Nevada to Arizona then back again to California! We'll be covering several hundred miles of roadway, and we're in full planning mode already - reserving hotels, mapping out our routes, highlighting our points of interest along the way. It's really getting exciting now...

Our road trip agenda includes a visit to Hoover Dam and Las Vegas, a stay in Sedona, a trip to the Grand Canyon, then finally a roughly 9-hour drive down to Southern California where the twins and I will spend the first week of December sightseeing and playing poolside while Mike attends a work conference. At the conclusion of Mike's work conference, we'll take yet another road trip back to Northern California to our home! Of course, it's a lot of ground to cover, but it's going to be a blast! This will be our 2nd family road trip and we simply can't wait. Our 1st road trip as a family was last year when we traveled to Southern California for the twins' birthday - destination Disneyland.

For us, our road trip can and will be done for a bargain. One of the perks of Mike's many travels with his work is that he is constantly accumulating reward points at hotels which we'll cash in for this vacation allowing us to stay at some pretty awesome hotels for absolutely nothing! Lodging is always one of the more expensive items associated with any vacation; so that we can take this vacation and not have to spend the typical $150 - $300 per night for hotel rooms makes this road trip totally do-able for our family. Aside from the cost of gas, food and whatever little attractions along the way we might take part of, we will enjoy an awesome vacation for next to nothing, and THAT truly is the best part! Oh, and the experience and the memories, of course, rank up there pretty high on the list as well.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving. This is to be my last post for several days since tomorrow our family departs for Southern California for the twins’ first visit to that most magical place on earth known as Disneyland. Over the next few days, since there won’t be any new postings, if you haven’t been stopping by Twinsanity on a regular basis lately, why not use the time that I’m away to get yourself caught up on the latest happenings in our lives as well as to get a glimpse at all of my latest musings and photos.

I will be back online again next week. And, let me tell you, you will have a lot to look forward to: lots of pictures and videos of Paige and Taylor capturing all of their zany adventures at Disneyland – some of the pictures and videos will likely include the twins stalking all their favorite characters from one Disney attraction to the next. Call it a mommy’s intuition, but I just have a hunch on this one. And, of course, there will be our trips to the beaches, to the zoo and whatever else we can squeeze into our 3 – 4 days of vacation in Orange County. And did I mention that the weather forecast in Orange County is sunny and mid-70s? Not too shabby indeed!

Now, as I write this posting, we’ve just finished up our Thanksgiving dinner. But before we officially began our Thanksgiving festivities, Mike took advantage of a fairly light showing of golfers at the driving range this morning and hit a bucket of balls. (I’ve learned through the years that you just can’t tell an avid golfer he can’t go to the driving range, even if it is a holiday). To me, it’s just one of the secrets (and sacrifices one must make) to have a happy marriage…you just have to make some concessions like that from time to time for the other half. And, besides it meant that I had the kitchen all to myself for a couple hours in order to prepare the whipped potato casserole, salad and other dinner fare. Our Thanksgiving was great! It included a nice evening spent with one of my good friends and her little girl who is a few years older than Paige and Taylor. This is now the 3rd year that my friend and her daughter have joined our family for Thanksgiving – perhaps we are beginning a tradition since it’s happened 3 years now….

….She is a good friend but is without any nearby family of her own to spend the holidays with. She is also not close to her own family, and since she is a single mom, the holidays can be a little lonely for her. Thanksgiving to me is all about giving thanks for all the blessings in my life and also helping those who might not be as lucky, even if it means just helping one person at a time. In a sense, my friend and her daughter are like adopted family members, particularly around the holidays, since she is someone who I know would otherwise be alone this Thanksgiving. It was fun having her with us at our table (again) this Thanksgiving, fun having her be apart of our little family for a day and especially good to let her take all the leftovers that she wanted back to her home!

From left to right: Taylor, Paige, Jamae

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I also hope you experienced all the warmth and blessings in your own lives with family and friends during this special day. God bless.

Ashley, Paige (L), Taylor (R)

Paige (L), Taylor (R)

Thankful Things - Top 10

Research has demonstrated that writing down the things you are grateful for on a regular basis can actually make your life happier. So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I thought I’d dedicate this post to the top 10 things I’m especially thankful for this year. And, while I could actually list far more things I’m thankful for, for the purposes of this blog, I’m going to limit it to just 10. And, what a great exercise this is in “glass mostly full”.

10. My children. Although they are rambunctious, prone to toddler tantrums, fits and spells with each other that include biting, pushing, pulling hair, scratching and all other manners of behavior resembling cat-fights to leave me utterly exhausted at the end of almost every day, they are the most wonderful blessings! I feel so honored and privileged to call them mine and feel so lucky God entrusted them to me. They truly do make me soooooo proud as a mom and are the apple of my eye.

9. My daughter Taylor’s success in overcoming so many of her challenges associated with her cerebral palsy. It seemed like such a big unknown for a while but just this year she has made such tremendous progress. She is walking, granted she trips and tumbles from time to time still, but what kid doesn’t?! I am thankful for God’s touch upon her life and for all the wonderful physical therapists who have come into our lives this year and who have made it possible for Taylor to not only walk today, but to also run sometime in our tomorrows.

8. My daughter Paige who is a playmate and best friend to her sister Taylor. Paige has such a sweet disposition and tender heart…she makes me smile so much and has so much energy that I can easily live vicariously through her! She also has come a really long way since her NICU days and her first year as a newborn when every feeding was touch ‘n go with her and when her little system was so delicate she had to be fed around the clock by the teaspoonful every 1-1/2 to 2 hours. She will always be a bright spot for me and has helped me to realize that I truly could survive twin babies and the seemingly endless days of no sleep whatsoever, and tedious feedings.

7. My darling husband, for "taking care of things" and for “taking care of us girls” so that I can be a stay-at-home mom to Paige and Taylor and so that we have a truly wonderful life. (Thank you, honey!)

6. My daily grande non-fat peppermint mochas with light whip cream from Starbucks – it powers me to start my day and has also served as “comfort” to me on more than one bad day with the twins when in the midst of the twinsanity of my life, the girls and I will just hop into the car and drive to our Starbucks and as the twins say, “get mom’s coffee”. Hey, better this vice than another, right?!

5. The mother and father that I had growing up and for the wonderful personal life examples and heritage of faith and character that they passed onto me.

4. The many blessings of living in such an awesome country as America! A country where everyone, regardless of faith, background and walk of life, has the opportunity to fulfill their every dream.

3. Family & Friends. Both on the East Coast and West Coast (and everywhere in between). And, while I don’t get to spend nearly as much time on the phone with you or see you face-to-face as I used to before the twins came along, you all have a very special place in my heart.

2. My health. God has blessed me with good health – both of mind and body – and, I hope that I will have continued health for the years to come so that I might watch my children grow and become all that God plans for them to be.

And the number one thing that I'm thankful for this year...

...I am able to spend this Thanksgiving season with my three favorite people in the whole wide world – Mike, Taylor and Paige. I’m also thankful for the special pair of braces that I get to put on Taylor’s little legs and feet every day. They’re a reminder to me of how far Taylor’s come and how far these little braces will still take her in life! I’m thankful for the time I get to spend practicing our “S”, “F”, and “P” sounds with Paige and watching her show-off to me her reciting of the alphabet, her counting to 20, her shape sorting and on and on and on. And, finally, I’m simply thankful for remembering to pause long enough to be mindful and realize that life is really but a vapor and how quickly time passes from us and that we must make the most of it with the ones we love and with what God has given to us.

All Things in Moderation & That Includes the Pumpkin Pie.

Watching your weight this holiday season?

Click the "Think Thin Thursday" banner on your right and join some of us on our quest to not eat everything in sight this year! With Thanksgiving coming in just 4 more days, what better timing than this simple little reminder to think positive and think yourself thin on Thursday. I don't know about you, but I know I'm going to be wanting to fit into the same pair of cute skinny jeans on Friday that I'll be wearing on Thursday at the Thanksgiving dinner table....

Think Thin Thursday. Yep, I could use this little reminder. I often find myself "dieting" before the holidays so that I can then totally indulge myself for a couple weeks (within reason), beginning with Thanksgiving, continuing through holiday parties and finally ending with Christmas. Then, as in past years, I would just hit the gym for a couple weeks really hard right after the holiday season is over and wham bam, I'm good. Well, this year, I've decided that I'm going to take the "all things in moderation" approach through the holiday season and not just so I don't feel guilty for indulging in all the excesses of the holiday season but so that I remain healthy and energized. And, isn't that really the best way to spend the holidays anyways?! Healthy and full of energy.

Untraditional. That Is This Year's Menu.

Thanksgiving is a time to get together with loved ones, to reflect on life's blessings, and to eat from the bounty we’ve been given. Nobody says that bounty has to be turkey and dressing, right?!

This year, Mike and I are considering breaking from tradition and breaking the mold on the usual line-up of Thanksgiving fare to go instead for a family dinner with a less conventional Thanksgiving meal theme. We’re leaning towards a Surf & Turf theme that would include a Mesclun Salad with cherry tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette and toasted French bread to get started. Then, for dinner, we’d proceed to Prime Aged NY Strip steak on the grill as well as Salmon Steak seasoned with lemon thyme butter. Sides are likely to be whipped potatoes, jasmine rice and steamed vegetables. Lastly, desserts – our favorite part of absolutely any dinner – will be the best part featuring homemade shortcake plus the more traditional Thanksgiving holiday desserts with pumpkin pie and apple caramel crunch pie.

So, why am I talking about the Thanksgiving meal already?! Well, it's next week so that got me thinking, but the more likely explanation is that it's because I'm a forward planner and that's what we forward planner personalities do....

Are you breaking from the traditional turkey, pumpkin pie and dressing this year for your Thanksgiving dinner? Are you also going for the untraditional? If so, I'd love to hear how you too might be thumbing your nose at establishment and breaking with tradition at your table this year to eat whatever you like!

Wordless Wednesday

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving will soon be upon us!

It seems that in our culture and society, the focus of Thanksgiving is usually all about the food and the big bird that is in the oven. Don’t get me wrong, I love, love, love Thanksgiving – the turkey and stuffing, the mashed potatoes, the sweet potato casserole, the green bean casserole, the fresh, warm rolls and of course all the pumpkin pie and apple caramel crunch pie I can get my hands on. But, now that I have children, my perspective on Thanksgiving is much different than when it was just my husband and me. I now find myself wanting to move “beyond the turkey” to help teach Paige and Taylor what it means to be thankful from a very young age and to helping them recognize how God has blessed them.

In my desire to help develop a spirit of real gratitude and thanks in my children, which is no small task, I first and foremost must make sure that my own heart and mind are grateful. As a parent, I understand that that which I would hope to pass onto my children must first start with me after all and unless I model an attitude of gratitude to them, how will they really learn to be thankful? So, with that aim in mind, I’ve found myself reflecting on what’s been going on in my life this year, particularly as a wife and mother. Those of you who are regular readers of Twinsanity know much of what has been happening in my life and in our family’s life already so I won’t spend a lot of time on the specifics in this posting….

Here's what I will say though...as I’ve been reflecting on my life, I admit that it’s really easy to get sidetracked with stuff and daily life. It’s easy for me to forget what’s truly important and to lose proper perspective. As Thanksgiving is drawing closer, I find myself renewing my focus on all the wonderful blessings that I have in my life and what God has done for me and my family this year. (Of course, it shouldn't take a traditional annual holiday to make me pause and reflect but alas that's what I find myself doing).

I am truly blessed; and I’ve been reminded of a very simple, yet profound Bible verse:

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” (Philippians 4:12).

When I stop to think about this verse, I begin to find real contentment because I’m reminded that I’m exactly where God wants me to be at this point in my life and that contentment really has nothing at all to do with what’s going on in my life but everything to do with what’s going on in my mind. That’s an important distinction.

So, while I am practicing my own attitude of gratitude this year for Thanksgiving, I’ll also be trying to give Paige and Taylor some special opportunities to begin to learn how to have thankful hearts. We say prayers as a family with Paige and Taylor at every meal, and since they’re young, it’s a short and sweet prayer that we say with them and it goes simply:

God is great
God is good
And we thank Him for our food
AMEN

The girls know this prayer well and enjoy folding their little hands and praying. They love praying so much that usually after the “AMEN”, both girls will clap their hands and smile and say “YEAH”. It’s very sweet!

Well, I am beginning to build on this prayer to now include a few more simple verses and am trying to expand the girls’ prayer ever so slightly as we look ahead to Thanksgiving next week to:

God is great
God is good
And we thank him for our food
By his hands we all are fed
Give us this day our daily bread
Thank you for the birds that sing
Thank you, God, for everything
AMEN

It’s a prayer that I remember from my own childhood. It’s short and easy to recite and memorize, perfect for little tots like Paige and Taylor.

So, we’ve been practicing our new prayer together a lot lately. It’s so precious to watch how Paige and Taylor take to heart their little prayer and how they try so hard to do their part of folding their hands and bowing their heads. I snapped a few quick photos during prayer today…I just couldn’t resist! Today, Taylor was being a little shy with saying her prayer so Paige did the honors of saying the prayer. While it’s such a small thing, to me, it’s a small sacred moment to watch my little ones praying.

Taylor (L) and Paige (R) Praying Together