For those of you that have forgotten...

I just read my friend Laura's blog about 2010.  I wish I could link you up to her but I've not yet learned how to do that, so I'll steal all her ideas and no one will know the difference:-)  Seriously, she gave a quick run down of her family's highlights of 2010, month-by-month.  I haven't know her that long- we met in September- but hearing about her year makes me appreciate her all the more.  Truth is, she didn't become the fabulous person I'm enjoying until we met- what a coincidence:-)
So, for those of you who will like hearing my take on things after the dust has settled, here goes...

January:

• The highlight of the first half of the year was finding out we were expecting!!!  The boys, Aaron, and I were all thrilled at the idea of adding to our family!  The day I saw the doctor, a church friend with FOUR kids as well, he asked me if we were done having babies.  "Four fills up a car," he reasoned...
• I spent an awesome weekend in Charleston with some fabulous ladies! Our childhood friend, Kyle, was directing "Steel Magnolias" and as good Southern women, we were obligated to go, quote, and cry.

February:

• Spent an afternoon in Raleigh with the kids and my brother-in-law, Martin- went to the two (FREE!!) museums downtown.
• Watched our church pull together to minister to a family that had lost their son.  Although it was a time of unspeakable grief, to see the outpouring of love for these people just furthered the notion that we are worshipping in the right place.

March:

• Aaron left us for four days to go to Haiti with two other men from our church.  Even in his short time there, he came back with a real heart for that country and the people there.  Something tells me that the Bosts' dealing with that country isn't over...
• We celebrated Gavin's 2nd birthday with a trip to "cook on the table"- our local Hibachi restaurant.  Of course, he was terrified by the fire:-(

April:

• Hub had his two besties and Jackson for an 8th birthday sleepover.  With record low temperatures, we pitched a tent in the den and camped out, watching movies and telling ghost stories.  I've never see little boys eat so many pancakes!!
• We spent an awesome Spring Break with Mimi at the beach!  Suzy came for a few days and Hub joined the ranks of children that have been spanked on the Yorktown aircraft carrier!

May:

• In May we had the opportunity to keep a neighbor's newborn a few hours a week for her to return to work.  It was helpful for me to see how life with a baby and a toddler would be, as well as an excellent learning experience for Gavin- "Grayson go home now??"
• We saw some sweet friends move away and hosted a going-away dinner for them.  While I was unclogging our downstairs toilet and Aaron was performing some other random hosting duty, Gavin managed to fall off our playset.  Three doctors appointments later, he was sporting a snazzy read cast:-(

June:

• Hub and I finished up 2nd grade without killing each other.  All you homeschoolers out there understand what a feat this is!
• Hub returned to Atlanta for his 4th year as a camper at Aunt Laura's church camp.  Mimi kept Gavin for a few days and Aaron and I spent three days in Clayton, GA, and Asheville, NC.  Unfortunately, three years ago when I was planning our wedding, I didn't foresee our three year anniversary trip coinciding with the US playing in the World Cup OR the Gamecocks playing in the College World Series.  We watched a lot of TV on this trip.  And prayed a lot.

July:

• Gavin got his cast off just in time for our annual trek down to Seabrook for the Fourth of July.  Good thing, as I had threatened to remove it myself.  I'm sure there's a Youtube video and I own a nice set of knives...
• We spent an additional week at Seabrook, hosting some old friends and their 2 year old daughter.  Two vacations in one month?? I know- Aaron said he was starting to feel like me, as my whole life is a vacation.

August:

• I turned 29. Again.  Enough said.
• I took Hub and Gavin to Spartanburg for a few days of visiting friends and landed in SRMC having contractions- not optimal at 33 weeks pregnant.  Some modified bed rest and lots of water and I was assured that I should carry "it" a few more weeks:-)
• We learned that our baby was breech and would probably necessitate a C-Section- something pretty scary and disappointing.  I spent a few weeks standing on my head, but no such luck...

September:

• The kids and I started attending Community Bible Study.  We meet once a week and everyone has their own curriculum- the homeschool class is full of 8, 9, and 10 year old boys- God bless those leaders!!
• Caroline Cannon arrived!!I went into labor at 37 weeks and a 1am C-Section gave us the most beautiful little girl God ever made- yeah, we're a little biased.  We had lots of visitors and friends blessing us with meals, clothes, and prayers.

October:

• This month started with Laura and Martin coming to visit!  We only see each other a few times a year, so every opportunity is cherished.  I love watching my kids grow up loving their aunt and uncle.
• Because we wanted to wait to find out what we were having, I had declined the offers of anyone hosting a baby shower for me. I was SURE I was having another boy and didn't need anything else that was blue or sported frogs, trucks, or dinosaurs.  My wonderful neighborhood, as well as some sweet friends at church each threw me a shower, resplendent with ruffles, bows, and PINK!

November:

• What a busy month!! My parents made the LONG drive to meet us for a week in the Outer Banks.  None of us had ever been there and it was a wonderful opportunity to cook and change diapers in a different zip code:-)  Seriously, the Wright Brothers' museum, the tallest sand dunes on the East Coast, and Gavin being spanked in a lighthouse- large times!
• We had all our kids, as well as our parents here for Caroline's baptism.  It happened to be the same Sunday when Aaron took his vows to become a deacon.  What a humbling service- both of these acts reminded us of how it is only by grace that we have been made parents, made church officers, and been saved!

December:

• We spent the month decorating, attending parties and programs, and enjoying the overall festive holiday spirit.  We counted down the Advent days by building a Jesse Tree and reading a lot about what Christ's birth meant.
• Aaron was on call, meaning that we would spend Christmas here.  A touching Christmas Eve service, followed by an evening with good friends, reminded us of how these crazy people in Pitt County have loved and accepted us as their family! 

Looking over the past year, I can see how God has worked in the Bost family.  Someone once told me, "God will always give you what need- and He loves you so much, He usually gives you what you want, too."  This year, God has provided for us beyond my wildest expectations- especially through relationships.  I know that 2011 will be a rollercoaster, but we are strapped in and ready!

My Early New Year's Ramblings...

Here we are, the week after Christmas, and I'm still without my home computer.  I had every intention of writing a dozen original posts in the "12 Days" before Christmas, but a trip to my parents, computer issues, and getting ready for Christmas got in the way.  So goes my life...   Maybe next year...

I read today that 68% of all Americans will make some sort of New Year's resolutions in the next few days.  Most will involve a gym membership.  I've been thinking a lot about self-improvement over the last few days.  (I tend to get introspective when my house is out-of-control messy, which has been the majority of the last 12 months.)  I came to a realization that rather than latching onto an idea or concept, I am more likely to jump on a person's bandwagon, deciding I need to be more like them to make myself a better person.  At least since I was a little girl, I have been able to identify qualities in people, women especially, I thought I needed to emulate.  Here is my Top Ten list- in no particular order- of Catherine's Role Models over the past 30-something years...

• Martha Stewart (what aspiring homemaker hasn't?) 
• Flylady (my sink never looked better those few months!)
• Barbara Dooley (especially after reading her book!)
• Sarah Palin (more-so after watching her TLC show- LOVE THIS GIRL!!)
• Scarlett O'Hara (this may have something to do with her 18 inch waist...)
• Ree Drummond (my current obsession- anyone that cooks with that much butter and is still skinny must have some pact with God...)
• Michelle Duggar (Hey- I homeschool- is this really a shock!?!?)
• Harriett the Spy (I never was this intuitive, curious, or bold, but always wanted to be...)
• Juliette Gordon Lowe (pioneer an amazing organization AND get to live in Savannah? What a deal!)
• Princess Diana (without the messy paparazzi-induced car crash. or being married to Charles.  I think it was the wedding that got me on this one.)

So I look back over the past year (most of which was spent throwing up, complaining, and changing diapers), I am identifying the areas in which I need a little self-improvement.  

Eat less; pray more; spend less; exercise more; be more patient; be less judgmental; be more hospitable; be less critical; eat more salads; drink less Dr Pepper... here's a start.  

I'm hoping 2011 will be year that I finally have my house under control, a consistent time set aside for God everyday, and that I can be the wife and mother my family deserves.  And  though my success doesn't hinge on having an RV and map of Alaska, 14 more children, or a secret diary, a girl can always wish!

The Fifth Day of Christmas...

So I've been operating without a home computer for the past few days and have fallen a little behind in my goal to create 12 original Christmas posts before the big day...  I've had a few topics rummaging around in my head, but I think this one is definitely food for thought.  If you have small children, it'll give you something to look forward to:-); if you have older kids, I'd LOVE to hear how you handled this one.

On the fifth day of Christmas God blessed me with an awkward conversation...
a parasitic plant spread by bird feces,
a challenge for our gift giving,
peace about the fat man in a red suit...
and a sweet party with new and old friends!

Anyone that has ever introduced the story of Christ's birth to children knows that sooner or later, the question is inevitable... "Mom, what's a virgin?"

I don't remember the first time my 8 year old posed this one, but I probably told him that it was part of Mary's name... The Virgin Mary.  The Bible is full of people with labels as names- Simon the Zealot, John the Baptist- and he bought it.  LAST Christmas, we were reading Luke 2 in the days leading up to Christmas.  He got to the word "virgin" and looked rather quizzically at me.  He knew he had heard the word before and was searching through his 7 year old memory to recall where he'd heard it.  Finally, he said, "Mom, is a virgin like a pioneer?" umm.... kind of?

In the past 12 months, we've studied botany and animals, as well as welcomed a new baby into the family.  I think he's starting to figure it out.  Last month, his Health curriculum introduced the idea of "puberty" as the time in a person's life when they are physically able to reproduce.  Being a public school textbook, there was no commentary beyond the definition.  I agreed that even though it was possible to create a baby at such a young age, it wasn't necessarily part of God's plan for us.  His response?  "Kind of like that show Sixteen and Pregnant?"  Yep... it's time to block some channels.

This year I have shied away from this topic, leaving it as "it takes a mommy and daddy to make a baby- Mary and Joseph weren't married so it was God that made her pregnant."  I know my seminary-trained friends (and sister!) are rolling their eyes at my lame attempt to leave sex out of a story that is so captivating and innocent for kids.  Think about it- you've got cute, furry animals; bad guys; rich visitors; and angels that appear out of nowhere- entertaining for all ages!

I have tried to focus more on the fact that Jesus' birth had been prophesied for thousands of years.  Our family is building a Jesse tree (more on that later!)- an Advent activity that emphasizes the lineage of Jesus.  We are talking about what it means to be "God made man".  Finally, we are talking about how hard it must have been for God to send His Son to earth, knowing the "whole story"- that He'd be beaten, shunned, mocked, and ultimately killed after living a perfect life.

I look forward to the day when my children can marvel at The Immaculate Conception- "the Virgin birth"- and appreciate it as another cause for celebration.  Until then, we will concentrate on the rated "G" version of Christmas!

The Fourth Day of Christmas...

So I've decided to step off my soapbox and go all "homeschool-y" for today's post.  While I would certainly not categorize us as unschoolers, I do try and follow the rabbit trails that my 3rd grader occasionally wants to go down.  This week, it was mistletoe!

On the fourth day of Christmas God blessed me with a parasitic plant spread by bird feces, 

a challenge for our gift-giving,

peace about the fat man in a red suit...

and a sweet party with new and old friends!

I did a little research on what mistletoe is, but more importantly, how it became the bane of office parties everywhere.  It is a parasite, meaning that it moves into a host tree, attaches itself, and feeds off of its nutrients.  How does it get there, one might ask?  It is spread by bird feces moving from tree to tree.  In fact, the name "mistletoe" may have come from the German roots mist (dung) and tang (branch).  So now, in addition to "angel", "stocking", and "Advent", we can add "feces" and "dung" to this week's spelling list.  Lovely.

Kissing under the mistletoe has become somewhat of a rite of passage during the holiday season- so much that you can mail-order fresh mistletoe if you don't feel like climbing a nearby tree.  How did that happen?  According to Wikipedia, "In cultures across pre-Christian Europe, mistletoe was seen as a representation of divine male essence (and thus romance, fertility and vitality), possibly due to a resemblance between the berries and semen."  Eww.

Washington Irving wrote about this in "Christmas Eve", describing the activities in a New England farmhouse leading up to Christmas:

Here were kept up the old games of hoodman blind, shoe the wild mare, hot cockles, steal the white loaf, bob apple, and snap dragon; the Yule-clog and Christmas candle were regularly burnt, and the mistletoe with its white berries hung up, to the imminent peril of all the pretty housemaids.  

Legend dictates that once you steal your kiss, you remove a berry from the branch.  Once the berries have all been plucked, a woman is no longer expected to pucker up.  The berries, incidentally, are poisonous, causing great gastro-intestinal discomfort.  Much like the feeling of regret you may have after meeting the wrong person under the storied evergreen.

Scholars believe that kissing under the mistletoe has its origins in Norse legends.  It was the "plant of peace" in ancient Scandinavia.  If enemies met under the mistletoe in the forest, they would lay down their weapons and embrace, calling a truce until the next day.  Even earlier than that was a legend surrounding a Norse god being killed by a spear fashioned from mistletoe.  His mother pronounced mistletoe to be sacred and to be used for love rather than death.

In past centuries, it has been hung in homes to ward off evil spirits, prevent witches from entering, and to extinguish house fires.  It has been used in pagan wedding ceremonies as a sign of fertility.  It has been attributed to a girl's chance of marrying in the following year.  These days, it is probably fodder for a good work-place sexual harassment case.  Regardless of your motivation, you'd better pucker up!

The Third Day of Christmas...

Dear Faithful Followers (aka: Mom),
I had no idea the stir I would create with yesterday's post.  I hope no one was offended- I just had a lot on my heart and mind to share.  I received so many encouraging messages via blogspot, Facebook, and email- thank you for supporting my crazy ideas about the way I'm raising my family!!  I hope today's missive will be as thought-provoking :-)

On the third day of Christmas, God blessed me with a challenge for our gift-giving,
peace about the fat man in a red suit...
and a sweet party with new and old friends!

For the past several years I have struggled with the excess of gifts that Christmas has created in our family.  This is a three tiered issue for me, in no particular order...

• I am annoyed by the expectation that my kids seem to have that they will receive a bountiful spread come Christmas morning.  I fully admit that I am the genesis of the problem, and yes, even the perpetuator, however I have made a concious effort to scale back over the past few years.  In our defense, we rarely buy them things other than birthdays and Christmas, but we still need to practice more restraint...
• Our home has more toys than some third world countries.  When Aaron and I got married, we literally were combining two grown-up size houses into one.  We did a pretty good job of paring down our belongings- it's our kids that haven't.  It certainly doesn't help that my oldest has a mind like a steel trap.  I was recently busted trying to throw away a fast food toy.  "But Mom," he wailed- you'd think I was pitching Faberge eggs- "I got that at the Burger King at the Atlanta airport in 2008.  It was after my first airplane ride with Laura & Martin.  It's so special to me!  You CAN'T throw it out!!"  I need to do a better job culling toys (broken ones, especially) but most of our toys have such great memories, either of the people that gave them to us, or of them playing with them.  I know, I know- take a picture and move on....
• The financial aspect of our gift-giving has become overwhelming.  The older they get, the more expensive the desired items are.  This, of course, just gets worse- have YOU priced 257 Wetherby Magnums or diamond solitaire earrings lately?  Seriously, $30 will get a pretty impressive haul for a 2 year old- that doesn't cover the stocking requests of the big boys!

What's a mom to do???  Cancel Christmas???

I started by talking to my oldest about the idea of gift giving.  I asked him why we gave gifts to each other at Christmas.  I expected the Sunday School answer regarding the Wise Men, but he blew me away with this one...  "Because of the gift God gave us.  Actually, He gave us a lot of gifts, but the big ones were salvation and the Holy Spirit."  If you know my son, you know that the word "actually" was said in his most Holy Homeschooling voice.   
A few days after this conversation, I stumbled across an article that, if put into practice, could revolutionize Christmas around the Bost Homestead.  It tackled the idea of just giving three gifts, AND correlating them to the gifts the Magi brought Jesus.  Here's a link if you want more information:
http://www.crosswalk.com/homeschool/11642237/
I think a $15-20 stocking from Santa could dovetail well with this if your family practices that tradition.

Granted, I only read this AFTER a few trips to Target, but it has given us something to plan for next year.

My hope is that it will make our children more introspective and thoughtful when selecting their "gold" gift, and my prayer is that our Christmas morning will focus more on the bounty He has given us than the bounty we've bought for one another.

The Second Day of Christmas...

I have a dear friend that blogs- not about the jerk that cut her off in traffic or the cute thing one of her kids said today- but about the things that matter.  We've not lived in the same town in almost 6 years and I cherish her updates as a peek into her daily life.  Over the past year, she has bared her soul about the lack of community in her church, the state of orphans around the world, and lately, her views on Halloween.  What's the common thread here?  These are all topics she has attacked with her heart on her sleeve.  We're talking a ton of passion and conviction here... all to make you think about how you are living.  She will occasionally apologize for offending her audience, however she never apologizes for convicting them.  I have recently prayed for more boldness in my life, and here is the result...  Over the past few weeks, I have had this conversation with more and more moms, never realizing the amount of ire, judgement, and self-righteousness this topic packs.  Where in the world am I going with this??  Gay marriage??  Health-care reform??  Nope...

On the second day of Christmas, God blessed me with... peace about the fat man in a red suit...
and a sweet party with new and old friends!

I grew up with my family doing Santa Claus.  We trekked to the mall, sat on his lap, wrote him letters, left out milk and cookies, the whole nine yards.  When my son was born 8 years ago, it never occured to me to NOT participate in this time-honored tradition.  I had no idea there were families out there that spurned the jolly old man.  In fact, a knew a couple of Jews that welcomed him as part of their Hanakhah celebration!  Lately, however, I have been made aware of a growing number of families that are simply opting out of this seemimgly innocent Norman Rockwell-ian belief.  Honestly, this idea intrigued me- why would anyone deny their child this little bit of magic in a world where they are growing up faster than we can control?  I set aside some time earlier this season to talk to some of these moms and see if I didn't need to re-evaluate my stance on Ol' St Nick...  As I mentioned earlier, I wasn't prepared for the self-righteousness this topic creates. 

The most disturbing argument involved the idea that once your child finds out that Santa Claus- a man that they can't see, is celebrated at Christmas, and  "sees you when you're sleeping... knows when you've been bad or good"- isn't real, they might start to question their belief in another Man that fits the same description...  While thought provoking, I have to agree- if you only bring Jesus out in December and showcase Him as someone who will show up and make your dreams come true, then yes, you run the risk of your child equating them, and ultimately, their existence.  To me, this logic is akin to homeshoolers that don't teach mythology because they don't want their children to confuse Zeus with God.  If Jesus is talked about in your home, 365 days a year, as a Comforter, a Refuge, and a Redeemer, there will be no comparison!  We're talking about the Creator of the Universe vs. a snappily dressed, fat FedEx guy. 

The second prevailing sentiment among this camp is the idea of "lying to your children".  Ok... so don't.  As soon as my oldest son asked me, point blank, if Santa was real, I told him the truth.   In the years since his father and I had separated and divorced, I'd received the sound advice that while my son didn't need the whole truth about our situation, I shouldn't lie to him about it.  When faced with the option of being dishonest (the easy way out) and coming clean (a tough conversation), I'm glad I applied that advice to this predicament. 

Last week, I was with a group of Christian moms discussing the upcoming Christmas season.  The topic of "To Claus or Not" came up and I was blown away by the self-rightouesness the non-Claus camp was propagating.  While I left this gathering a little ruffled, a sweet friend called me later that afternoon, worried that she was ruining her children by allowing this little bit of merriement and wonder into their young lives.  Now I was mad.  Everyone's entitled to their opinion- Lord knows, I have my share- and occasionally we have the opportunity to share these thoughts and reasonings with others in a respecful and non-judgemental manner.  I mean, we weren't debating the merits of open marriage or puppy-killing!  I was so upset that my friend had questioned not only her parenting, but also her relationship with Jesus over this nonsense.

You may find fault with my arguments- I certainly welcome your comments and opinions.  Just know that I'll delete them in a heartbeat if my parenting or Christian walk are called into question :-) 'Cause that's how I roll...

So our stockings are hung by the chimney with care...

The First Day of Christmas...

Last week, my 8 year old went out to my van to retrieve some essential treaure he'd left there earlier in the day- not insulin or his Bible... I think it was a bakugon- and he left my interior light on.  The battery subsequently died and now my CD player/radio doesn't work.  Part of his punishment for his carelessness is having to listen to me sing.  I know I could call the Honda people and let them talk me through resetting it, but I've kind of enjoyed the forced conversation.  I'm also kind of expecting God to send me a song to sell to someone.  True story- that's where "Indescribable" came from- a broken radio...

Anyways... he and I were trying to remember all the "12 Days of Christmas" which sparked the question, "Is 12/25 the FIRST day of Christmas, or is 12/14 the first, making Christmas Day be the LAST?".  I could probably look that one up, but would rather assume what's most convenient for me, and say that today- December 14th- is the first day of Christmas...

So.... here's the first of my 12 Days of Christmas posts...
On the first day of Christmas, God blessed me with... a sweet party with new and old friends!

A few nights ago I attended a party billed as a "Crazy Ornament Exchange".  I LOVED watching 18 women playing Dirty Santa with some pretty high-fallutin' tree trimmings!  Of course, there were sassy ornaments adorned with feathers, and cute, kid-friendly light-up ornaments, but the most sought after embellishments were decorated with crosses, mangers, and Scripture.  This is thegame where you can open a new box or "steal" an ornament that was already in circulation.  I've never seen so much holy theft!  I observed these women coveting and persuing these garnitures not only as something to beautify their home or remind them of a dear friend, but as a testament to their desire to present Christmas as a time to celebrate Christ's birth.  As the oldest woman there- yep, I checked- I was so encouraged to see all those young moms that are daily trying to walk with God.  In this time of year of reading about "The Grand Gesture" (i.e.: going to Haiti to care for the sick, etc.) I needed to be reminded that MY mission field is 4120 Colony Woods Drive.  God has called me to teach, train, encourage, and support the five people I am blessed to share my home and life with!  Any opportunity a woman has to point their children, husband, and house guests towards Jesus needs to be taken, even if it's by a piece of porcelin nestled into a Douglas Fir. 

Thanks, J, for a wonderful evening, and for reminding me of my calling!!