More Elf on the Shelf Featuring Clyde

Clyde's been a busy little elf around here--keeping Samuel and the rest of us entertained. Clyde seems to be a very energetic little guy. If only he'd channel some of that energy into helping out with some household chores. And cooking a meal or two now and then. Wait. Forget that last sentence. I just remembered that the 4 basic food groups of an elf is: Candy, Candy Corn, Candy Canes and Syrup. Wayne would most likely LOVE anything created from these food groups. As for the rest of us--not so much!

Here's what Clyde's been up to the past few days:

Clyde hanging out with one of our snowmen. 

Uh oh! Looks like Clyde ticked off some very important Lego guys...

Here are Sam's and Millie's responses to this:

At first, Sam smiled and was amused...

Sam wondered how these tiny little Lego men managed to get Clyde tied up to the table leg. Then he surmised that the guns and swords aimed at Clyde must have rendered him totally helpless...

The longer Sam stared at Clyde--the more concerned he became over Clyde's well being. Throughout the day, Sam would squat down in front of Clyde and ask, "Are you okay Clyde? Are you getting tired and sore?" Then Sam would turn to me and say, "I don't know about this. I'm afraid Clyde might be too uncomfortable." I was surprised by how concerned Samuel was for Clyde. Sam told me that he often wonders what toys and stuffed animals do when we're not watching. I think all the "Toy Story" movies have influenced his thinking.... :-)

Millie, who seems to be enjoying Clyde's presence in our home had this reaction:

It would appear that she's just as shocked and concerned over Clyde's well being as Samuel...

Throughout the day, Sam and Millie often stood vigil over Clyde--checking his pulse, seeing if he needed anything and making sure that the fierce Lego men did not use their weapons on Clyde. Sam later told me that Clyde must have upset the Lego warriors by snooping around their camps and possibly discovering the hidden Lego treasure that is hidden in a secret place in the bonus room a.k.a. "Legoland."

The next morning, it appeared that Clyde and the Lego warriors had come to some kind of an agreement and ended up being good friends. Here, they are protecting Clyde as he receives some much needed nourishment after his long day of being tied to a table leg.

Sam was both relieved and happy to see that Clyde and the Lego warriors had become friends and that Clyde was receiving some nourishment after his trauma the previous day. :-)

This is the cozy scene we discovered this morning.....Clyde reading to a few Christmas friends. The kissing bears were so enthralled with the story that they ceased kissing. Two snowmen left their snow scene in the dining room to join this cozy little circle. Santa appears to be enjoying a story centered around him "Twas' the Night Before Christmas..."

The kissing bears absolutely loved the pictures in the book. 

Sam's beloved dog, Snoopy, decided to join the story time circle this morning. Sam was pretty happy about discovering this scene this morning. Although, he did say, "You know something mom? I've noticed that Clyde seems to hang out mostly in the kitchen and family room. I wonder why?" Hmmm....Looks like Clyde needs to change it up a bit. I have a feeling he won't be discovered in the kitchen or family room tomorrow morning....

Fun With Clyde--Our Elf on the Shelf

Last year, I kept hearing about something called "Elf on the Shelf." I didn't pay much attention to it--as is my usual response to new fads. And then I joined Pinterest. You cannot look at any of the holiday Pinterest boards without coming across Elf on the Shelf and all the crazy & fun ideas that come along with owning  adopting one of these little guys.

I would come across pictures like these:

and they'd make me think "That is too much fun!" so I decided that this was a new tradition that could be a lot of fun for our family--especially Sam. :-) So, I drove to Target and purchased one did what any smart shopper does when wanting to avoid crowded stores...I ordered it from Amazon and our Elf arrived 2 days later. Sam was definitely excited about this new tradition and wasted no time in choosing a name for our elf. I'm not sure where he's heard the name Clyde--but he chose this name without having to give it too much thought and didn't waiver in his decision when I asked, "Are you sure? Clyde? This is the name you want to give him?" Sam replied with a resounding "Yep!" Okay then...Clyde it is.....Clyde!

Here's where you can read all about the Elf on the Shelf tradition:

http://www.elfontheshelf.com/AboutUs/TheTradition.aspx

We are definitely having fun with Clyde and I've decided to document his antics. Here's where we found Clyde the first morning:

Hitching a ride with Santa on the rocking horse in the family room.

Our second morning found Clyde hitching a ride with the snowmen on a toboggan...

I think he had fun.... :-)

On the third morning, we found him quietly observing the Nativity display...

On morning number 4, we found Clyde passed out on the fake snow in our Christmas village display...

It does look rather comfy and cozy...Good choice Clyde!

Morning #5 had him enjoying pictures of Alissa & Curt with Santa when they were 2 1/2 & 1 1/2 respectively...

These pics are some of my very favorite of Alissa & Curt... :-)

Morning #6  had Clyde soaking in a mini marshmallow bath...

And here is Sam's response:

"Aahahaaahahahaha.....*gasp*....."

"I can't believe my eyes! This is too silly!"

"Whoever heard of taking a bath in marshmallows!.....heeeheeeheee...haaahahaha....hooohohoo..."

"I just can't stop laughing mom! This is just so crazy!"

Morning #7 found Clyde diving into a bag of M&M's....

 

Sam was trying to see if Clyde was sleeping in there...

 Morning #8 had Clyde making rice angels...

Millie was a bit disturbed by this scene...She kept staring suspiciously at Clyde. Eventually, she decided he was harmless and then tried to eat the minute rice...

This morning, Sam found Clyde in his old Duplo fire truck backed up to the Christmas tree in our living room. Clyde had loaded the back of the fire truck with candy, candy canes, candy corn and syrup. He found a Santa ornament to hug...or, maybe he was trying to take it off of the tree and ran out of time before being discovered...

Where will Clyde show up tomorrow? I guess we'll have to just wait and see. :-)

While Sam was away, I found Clyde snuggled up close to Millie. Perhaps they are working together--plotting and planning ways to be mischievous... Hmmm...

                                                      Clyde whispering in Millie's ear....

Oh yeah....these two are totally in cahoots! Notice how she's sticking out her tongue at me?!!! AND, Millie's been a brat cat the past 3 nights! She runs away and hides when it's bed time....When it's time for her to go to her room for the night!. This has to be it! Clyde's stirring up Millie mishief!

Okay, I need to go check to make sure these two aren't hanging out together...

Inspirational Quote...

We've spent the last couple of days slowly transforming the house from it's everyday look to that of the Christmas season. I like this slower pace of decorating. No one feels too overwhelmed or exhausted. :-) Although, if I'm being completely honest, the jumble of boxes and bins scattered throughout the house does cause me to cringe and feel a bit of.....anxiety....stress....angst...well, let's just say the clutter makes it hard for me to relax. I don't do well in a cluttered environment. It's just not how I'm wired. I can handle it for just so long before I have to tackle it and make it all go away. I figure I have another day--possibly two--before I'll do just that....tackle it. :-)

I came across this quote today and thought it to be truly inspiring:

“From my mother, I learned the value of prayer.  How to have dreams and believe I could make them come true.  I was raised to believe that God has a plan for everyone, and that seemingly random twists of fate are all a part of His plan.  My mother told me that everything in life happened for a purpose.  She said all things were part of God’s plan...even the most disheartening setbacks, and in the end, everything worked out for the best.  If something went wrong, she said, you didn't let it get you down: you stepped away from it, stepped over it, and moved on."

                                               -Ronald Reagan

I hope it speaks to your heart as much as it did mine. 

Be Blessed....

~Lisa

Counting My Blessings...

Yesterday was one of my favorite holidays--Thanksgiving. :-) I love the meaning of this lovely day--Giving thanks to our wonderful & generous God who has abundantly blessed us throughout the year. Sometimes, however,  I feel that this special day is slowly being squeezed out and becoming a bit lost in this somewhat crazy culture we live in.

When I was a little girl, holidays came one at a time. If one wanted to buy 4th of July decorations on July 3rd--they could! These decorations weren't shoved to a tiny area designated for post season clearance items and they certainly weren't in competition with Halloween AND Christmas decorations. I will never get used to seeing decorations for Fall, Halloween & Christmas at the start of Summer. Nor will I get used to seeing Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day & Easter decor pretty much the day after Christmas.  It's too much too soon and truly not the right timing. It's like having holiday ADD--you can't focus for long on any one holiday--much less its meaning--because there's always another one being shoved in your face to distract you away from the one you're trying to enjoy.

In my opinion, Thanksgiving has now become overshadowed by Black Friday and the Christmas season. Christmas is one of my most favorite celebrations/seasons of the year. However, I don't wish to focus on this beautiful season until after Thanksgiving--the way it used to be. The past few years, I've seen a huge increase in the number of news stories, commercials and advertisements for Black Friday. This has become the focus rather than the day of giving thanks. If there's one thing we need to be more focused on--it's time. Time spent relaxing and enjoying the presence of our loved ones and not on things or on the addition of more things to clutter our homes and minds.

 More and more stores are opting to stock their shelves with decorations for holidays that are 6 months away. I'd like to know how many people are actually buying this stuff so far in advance. I honestly don't know of anyone who does--unless they're simply not fessing up for fear of being ridiculed.

Now, with the over hype of Black Friday deals--and even Thanksgiving Day shopping deals--people barely have time to digest their Thanksgiving meal much less finish giving thanks for it before heading out into the crowds to stand in long lines in hopes of scoring that "awesome deal." This holds absolutely no appeal to me. None. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Too much hurrying and scurrying and not enough pausing, savoring, reflecting, remembering and simply enjoying.

Family and friends are two of the greatest blessings God gives us. Yes, there are families who, for whatever reason, just can't seem to get along and have more peace when apart from one another. However, I think for the  majority of us, gathering with family and/or friends is truly a time of enjoyment and of great memories in the making. With each year that passes, I appreciate all the more the time spent with my loved ones. It's appreciated more than any other gift that they could give me. I would much rather have the gift of their time than any "awesome deal" they could score by cutting out early on Thanksgiving. Things can't and won't replace people. Loved ones. Family. Friends. A loving God...

So, as we enjoyed our day of thanks yesterday, I quietly gave thanks for all who were gathered together with me yesterday. I am thankful for my 97 year old grandmother who is still alive and a part of my life here on earth. She has blessed me in ways too numerous to count--both tangible and intangible. I pray that God would bless her with strength and comfort for each day she still has on this earth. She suffers with so much pain and it is difficult to see her body riddled it. Until God calls her home, I will continue to be thankful for the fact that I can still go see her--hug her, kiss her, hold her hand and visit with her. This is a priceless gift!

I'm thankful for my mom and brothers and for the numerous ways they've blessed and encouraged me with their words and actions. They've been there for me during times of need and during times of celebration. They are the common link to my childhood memories and all that this entails. We've watched each other through good times and bad and have maintained the ties that bind us together.

I am thankful for my aunt and uncle who have, in their own way, helped shaped the person I am today. My uncle who was so intimidating to me as a young girl but protective of me in ways I didn't realize until much later. My aunt whom I admired throughout my childhood. I thought her to be beautiful and kind. She is one of the hardest working people I know--and she still is despite the medical challenges she faces.

I am thankful for my wonderful husband who blesses me with his love and faithfulness each and every day. He works diligently & tirelessly to provide for our family--all with little to no complaint. He is fun to hang out with and finds humor in just about anything. He has a servant's heart and is almost always the first to offer a helping hand to someone in need. He is generous and kind. He's a great dad and loves each of his children deeply. He's a great friend and neighbor. His smiles are abundant as are his hugs. He is empathetic and is the best nurse when you are ill or injured. He believes the best about people and is slow to judge. He often rubs my tired feet at the end of a busy day. He is devoted to God, to family and to friends. He is a blessing!

I am thankful for each of my children--my lovely daughter-in-law included!

Each is a treasured gift from God and each has blessed my heart and life beyond what words could express.

I am thankful for Alissa--my first born and the one who gave me the privilege and honor of being called "Mom." She has such a sweet and generous spirit. Like her dad, she is often the first to lend a helping hand and is generous with her time and resources. She has a sweet & gentle nature and she loves to laugh. She is a loyal friend and goes the extra mile to bless others. Alissa has a strong work ethic and works to the best of her abilities. She has a true servant's heart and wants to make a difference here on earth to make it a better place. She truly loves and lives for the Lord and is anchored in Him. This inspires me!

I am thankful for Curt--my first born son, and his lovely bride, Jen. :-) Curt is very kind and tenderhearted. He is very thoughtful and demonstrates this in quiet ways. He also LOVES to tease--but in a fun way! When he laughs you can't help but to laugh with him because his laughter is so infectious! :-) He is goal oriented, independent and hard working. He has an adventurous side--and a love for the outdoors. And computers. ;-) Curt treats others with great respect and he is also very loyal to family and friends. He is protective of those he loves and very devoted to family. :-)

Curt met his beautiful wife at the Starbuck's drive-thru window. He was smitten the first time she took his order. He made it a point to return there every week day morning and finally worked up the courage to ask her out. I'm glad he did because she's truly a lovely person! They make a great team and it is truly a joy to watch them together. :-)

Jen is very thoughtful, creative and kind. She possesses great inner strength and determination and isn't afraid to get things done. She is an excellent teacher and is a great team player AND leader. Jen consistently demonstrates her love and devotion to Curt and, as his mom, this blesses my heart abundantly.We welcomed her into our family with much joy and are proud to call her our daughter-in-law! Curt & Jen are a fun couple to be around and I know that when they are blessed with children to love and raise--they will be most excellent in this role.

I am thankful for my youngest daughter, Kayla who has always had a zest for life and love of learning. Her faith and convictions run deep and when push comes to shove--her determination propels her forward even when she wants to give up. She enjoys helping others and has deep compassion for those in need. She has a bit of an adventurous spirit as well and would love to explore the nooks and crannies of this big earth if given the opportunity. Kayla is also loyal to family and friends and is there when you need her. She is very generous with her resources and readily shares. She is very discerning and this finds her being a person others go to for a listening ear and words of wisdom. She is a very grounded young woman who lives out her faith in God with actions first and words second. Her faith motivates me to keep growing and learning each and every day.

 I am thankful for Samuel--born of my heart. I've known since I was a teenager that I wanted to adopt a baby--most likely from another country. God brought this desire to fruition 9 years ago when Samuel arrived from Seoul, South Korea into our hearts and arms. It was a long journey but he was worth every minute we waited for him to join our family. Samuel's enthusiasm for life is absolutely contagious. It is hard not to smile or laugh when you are around him. His brain is in constant overdrive as he watches, listens and seemingly absorbs everything going on around him. He is a smart little guy and the things he says often catch us off guard. He has high functioning autism which has definitely caused us all some challenges--but a happier little boy you'll not meet! He is very social--fearlessly so. I admire his tenacity in dealing with his daily challenges and he has caused me to grow and stretch in areas that I didn't know I needed to. It has both humbled and strengthened me.

I am also thankful for the blessing of friends--especially those who've touched my heart in the most unexpected ways. I love my friends--many of whom we consider to be an extension of our family and without whom we'd not feel life's joys quite as deeply as we do.

I could continue on and on but I think I'll leave it at this. Family and friends. Our treasures on earth. Blessings from our God in heaven who loves us more than we could possibly comprehend...To Him I give my praise and thanks. :-)

Things that make you go "Grrrrr!"

A vitamin bottle should not take 5 minutes plus a cut finger to open. I poked my poor innocent  finger in there with the hope of pulling the cotton "plug" out in one swift move. Not so much. Apparently, the person who packed this bottle with the cotton plug thought it would be funny to put an extra large piece of cotton in there that pulled apart like cotton candy. My sliced finger was not amused--nor was the rest of me. All I wanted was a zinc capsule--one that could be gotten with ease. Was that expecting too much??? Apparently so... :-(

Thought For The Day

 

No light bulb can exert more energy than they were intended for without burning out before their lifespan.  And what good is a dead light bulb?  

Be careful how you split your time.  Your light shines much brighter when it’s focused where God wants it.  If you don’t know where God wants it, wait.  Don’t burn all of your energy trying to light up a place that’s meant for someone else.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Wishing everyone a very blessed & love filled day! Hugs & Kisses! oxoxoxoxoxoxo  :-)