Making Everyday Memories

Some of the most memorable times and things in life are the everyday things -- the things that are happening almost without you knowing it or understanding the significance. The things our children will remember may not be the extravagant birthday party or the expensive Christmas gift. It is probably more likely that they will someday tell their children and grandchildren about the doughnuts Papa always brought by or the little driveway rides Papa gave them on his motorcycle.

Or maybe how Nana and he always shared sushi.

Our Family Vision

Happy New Year!

A few weeks ago, after a comment left about our family vision hanging in our bathroom, I said that I would post about visions soon. So, in thinking about visions this morning, I searched my own blog to see if I had ever said anything about the subject. I guess I'm even more forgetful than I thought! *shaking my head* I have mentioned visions several times during the last year! I also showed my family vision on display in our entry way in Valentine Decor. It is usually displayed two places in our home -- close to the front of our house and in the bathroom guests use. (When the kids were home, it was their bathroom.) In Putting It All In Order, I talked about my personal vision. On New Year's Day last year in Directing Our Days, I challenged you to write your own personal vision and gave you a few pointers on how to do so.

So, that leaves me with little to say on the subject now! So, I thought I'd just share with you our family vision. If you don't have one, I encourage you to sit down with your husband and give yourselves the gift of some direction in this life you are living and this family you are nurturing. Remember, a vision is not the same as your list of goals. That list is how you will fulfill your vision -- the blueprint of your life.

I do want to put out a warning. Vision needs to come from the top -- the head of the family. It will not work if you put one together and then expect your husband to follow it. If he doesn't "catch the vision" of the importance of having a written-out vision, don't push it. Pray, write your own, and let God work on him. I'm sure you've figured out by now that it always works better if God works on him than if you do!

Apparently, our vision was typed out on my husband's long-gone office computer, so I am having to re-type it. In doing so, I see some revisions I would like to see made. So, that might be a subject in tomorrow's yearly meeting of the minds! But, for now, here's our vision:

Let it be known to the Abdelaziz home
and all those who enter herein:

This is a Christ-centered home --
A place where everything revolves around the love of God.

We see:
God as the Head of this house, because it is God's house.

We see:
The Word of God being read openly everyday in this house.

We see:
This to be a place where people can be saved and healed.

We see:
This home striving to be a place of holiness and forgiveness;
and, therefore, will be a place of divine happiness.

We see:
This to be a home where hatefulness will not be excused
and vulgarity will not be tolerated.

We see:
The Abdelaziz family being blessed and prospering
and the miraculous being common place.

We see:
The Abdelaziz family standing out in a crowd
and the love of God being seen in them.

We see:
The Abdelaziz family attempting great things for God
and expecting great things from God.

We see:
Biblical fulfillment in this home
where the blessings of God are in abundance.

A Few Minutes to Share

It is 8:30 p.m. and I've just put my pajamas on and am sitting on the couch with my laptop. Something that hasn't happened in quite some time.

It has been a whirlwind of activity around here. December seemed to whiz by. I had thoughts that I would chronicle each day of the season, but with all the hustle and bustle, finding a quiet time was near impossible. And if there was a moment to be had, there was no energy found in my vicinity. So, I just might be posting a Christmas post here and there during January! Who knows?

We had our annual Christmas party with this year's theme being "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas". I had fun decorating the house in white. It seemed a bit funny to not take down every single one of my Christmas boxes and explode them around the house. It was all serene and lovely. However, my husband said it didn't seem quite as festive. I don't think we had enough lights up for him! So, after the party, I did tweak it a bit and put out a few different things.




I've visited a few stores in the last few days when venturing out to do other errands and have come up with next year's theme. (I'm really enjoying having themed Christmases!) It was inspired by a little gift in my stocking. But, I can't tell you because it's a secret until the invitations come out next year!

On Sunday, December 21, the clan from Colorado arrived! On Tuesday, the Gombojavs arrived! For a week it seemed like chaos reigned around here. I don't have a tiny house, but sleeping 19 people still makes it a bit crowded! We ate and talked and ate and talked. We caravanned around to see the lights, went to eat at Abishai's favorite restaurant, went to see the elephant seals in Cambria at Jael's request, and went to church to worship one more time as a family. Josh preached this last Sunday. I cannot even describe to you the wonder of that.

On Christmas Eve, we opened our gift exchange. This year the theme was PAJAMAS! After opening all of our presents, we dispersed to various corners of the house to don our new Christmas pj's! We then came back and took pictures! It took awhile to take individual pictures of 25 people and then every group configuration we could think of! Fun and funny!

From the oldest...

...to the youngest.

As I said, if I would have had the time and energy, it would have been fun to journal at the end of each day last week. I'm so afraid I'm going to forget something wonderful or cute that happened. And I want to remember every detail of those blessed and glorious eight days!

It's quite quiet around here now. My family room does not have toys and sleeping bags covering it. But, it also isn't giving me hugs and love. Of course I cried when everyone left. Ezekiel (age 3) crawled into my lap before they left and said with a very sad face, "I don't want to leave."

Me: "You don't?"

ZQ: "No. But, my Daddy said he would bring me back again."

Me: "Oh, I'm so glad."

ZQ: "But, I don't want to sleep on the couch." (which had been his bed all week)

Me: "Why? Where did you want to sleep?" (thinking the couch was uncomfortable or the living room too noisy)

ZQ: "With you."

Nana-hood is the best. The very, very best.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from our home to yours!

The Bathroom's Painted!

I am just terrible at remembering to take "Before" pictures. Soooo, you'll have to imagine all the walls in this hall bathroom a run-of-the-mill, boring, contractor white. And since it has been used A LOT, a bit of a chippy white.

All the decor is the same. All we did was paint. And by "we", I mean Paul, the king of painting, the friend who will come by on the spur-of-the-moment, and paint for you after work and late into the night. Wow, does it ever look different! It actually looks like we really intended it to look this way!

My little camera doesn't do justice to the color, but it is a pretty sage-type color. Sherwin-Williams "Softened Green" for the walls, and "Liveable Green" for the trim and ceiling. What kind of color name is "Liveable Green"? Anyway, I took a picture in the daylight and at night. So, maybe you can just imagine. Again. Goodness, why take pictures at all if I'm going to make you imagine everything?

Night.

Day.

The pictures you can see in the mirror.

Shower curtain hook.

What? What are those?

No island bathroom is complete without hanging bamboo sticks!

Above the toilet.

That's our family vision hanging next to the toilet! My husband's idea. What better place to hang it than where people might actually read it?

And the little purse? Just something my daughter hung there because "it matches". Since she was the designer and source of most of the decor, it stayed.

Grandchildren Joy

My grandchildren are such a joy! (I have eleven of them, so I have lots of joy!) Just being with them makes me happy. (Of course, being so far away from them also makes me sad.) They make me laugh. They cause me to see things that just wouldn't be seen if it weren't for their eyes discovering them. They make me think. They also cause me to be amazed. If you think I'm kidding, check out the latest wisdom of my oldest grandson by reading this.

And if you just want to see how fun and cute his closest cousin (in age) is, click here.

Congratulations, Trophy Winner!

My Special Dinner

Back in September, I reviewed the movie, Fireproof for you. If you recall, in the movie, Caleb is given a book by his father -- The Love Dare. That book has now become a #1 New York Times Bestseller! You can learn more about it by clicking on the title.




Well, my husband and a friend have challenged the men that they know* to go on The Love Dare journey with them for 40 days. Each day they read that day's challenge and do it!

*(It is also very special to my husband because three of those men are his sons. Talk about the best father/son trip you can take together!)

The 40 days are almost up. And, yes, some days I can tell what the challenge was for the day. It still blesses me. But, some days are just between him and God -- and maybe his fellow travelers. But, those days bless me, too. Because I can see some big changes in our relating to one another. Oh, my marriage was wonderful before The Love Dare. But, it's amazing how much the little things can make your days just so much better.

A few weeks ago, the men made their wives dinner. I don't know why or what the "point" was. (I haven't read the book. On purpose. I didn't want to be "critiquing" him during his challenges. You know how we women can be.) But, the dinner he made was fantastic! He put so much thought into it, presented it so nicely, and took so much care with it. I was impressed. He served steak, baked potatoes, baked onions (fabulous recipe that he found himself!), marinated artichoke salad, and molten lava cakes for dessert!

I am so blessed to be married to this man! The whole Love Dare challenge was something he chose to do just because he loves me -- and because he's such a wonderful man! Thank you, Gabey!

Okay, just to be completely honest -- and to explain the spot on the tablecloth! -- we were done eating when we remembered that we should have taken a picture! So, he staged some "leftovers". Too cute!