What are you looking forward to in the next year?
Happy New Year everyone!
pic from http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/53/to-do-list-tools.jpeg
It’s time to make resolutions, wishes, dreams, goals, and live at least for a few days trying to achieve them. But take a few minutes to focus on the routines you have and the normalcy of your life. What can you look forward to within your already structure of life? Real life is about the everyday. Not just the vacation or the highlights. But what is your normal? And how can you look forward to those little moments. Get an extra second of a hug today. Actually make eye contact. Be still rather than look at your phone. Take a moment. Take it in. Breathe. And look forward to those small moments.
And live your new year within your already structured life.
What can you find in your routines and schedules to look forward to?
…
Intentionality
I wanted to wish each one of you, our followers, a Happy New Year. I have been thinking about how to develop a stronger and more vibrant community this year. I am not necessarily looking for “new friends” just a way to enhance the friendships I already have with a depth of intimacy that includes accountability and mentoring and more. I want to be intentional in my relationships, taking more time to learn about the things that make my friends’ hearts glad and the things that cause them to struggle. I want to have authentic friendships that share joys as well as sorrows; true friends that share one another’s burdens. Over the years, I have experienced this kind of friendship and I long for it now. I know that my biggest challenge is to have more “margins” in my busy schedule and I am willing to do something to change this. I want to be someone who is available when my friends need a listening ear and a compassionate heart.
I want to be more intentional in my prayer life. When I make a commitment to pray for my family and friends, I want to hear from God to better understand how to pray. This will be a discipline that will benefit me as well as those I am praying for. It will be a blessing to my heart to become the kind of friend that I am seeking-a person of integrity, sincerity, authenticity and committed to pray for each of you this year as God molds and shapes you into the men and women He has called you to be. I will begin by praying that each of you finds peace and calmness in your busy lives so you can “be still and know God” in a more intimate …
Read MoreHappy New Year 2017!
Sitting down this New Year’s Eve to write this post and reflect on the blessings of 2016.
We welcomed 2 new babies into the family, making our Weisser Grandkids 9, celebrated Kerry’s 60th birthday, and have grown individually and as a family.
Looking forward to 2017 we wanted to share our visions and goals for the year.
Kerry
“In 2017 I want to focus on making wise choices regarding nutrition, fitness, my commitments and my spiritual growth. I hope to incorporate more intentional STILLNESS and prayer and find more balance in my life.
Rachel
“In 2017 I want to focus on JOY and STRENGTH. I want to live with a joyful heart. I want joy to be at the root of all that I do and say. I want to honor my body with good fueling foods and exercise, not be afraid to push myself harder and further, and surround myself with people that build me up and challenge me to keep moving forward.
Bethany
“In 2017 I want to focus on being GROUNDED. Being grounded in truth, in confidence in Christ, in my strength in the lord, in my new role as a mom, in my supporting role as a wife. I want to live from the core of who I am and not get distracted by things that do not align with who I am. I want my foundation to be solid so I am not wavering. I want to live with an energy and abundance that overflows from the life I have been called to. I want to be focused in the spiritual mental emotional and physical aspects of my life to stay on the path of who I want to be.”
Bekah
“In 2017 I want to focus on PEACE- peace in a crazy schedule resident …
Read MoreA Time to Believe
Christmas is a season of wonder and joy. The simple pleasures of this season fill my heart with so much happiness. I love spending time starting new and keeping old traditions, and making memories with the people I love.
One of my favorite traditions is family time at Disneyland. It is truly a magical place during this season and a great way to celebrate all things Christmas. While we were there this past week we watched the holiday firework spectacular, Believe! The word that inspired this post.
BELIEVE in Christmas.
B is for BIRTH. The true reason for the season is the Birth of Jesus, the Newborn King. If you look closely at this story, you can see that all the magic and joy of the season truly comes from his birth – the angels singing and proclaiming his coming, the gift giving from the Wise Men, the star, and the wonder of a king coming not as a man sitting on a thrown but as a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, laying in a manger. Share the story of Christmas with your family in fun ways like, Star From Afar or our favorite Christmas Story Advent Calendar.
E is for ENJOYMENT. Look for ways to enjoy this season and make memories. Find events in your local community and start new traditions with your family or pass on traditions from your childhood to your children!
L is for LIGHTS. Put up lights on your tree, in your house, on your house, then plan a fun family adventure to walk around your neighborhood and look at lights. This is a great way to get outside and enjoy time together. As you walk around talk about what it might have been like for the Wise Men to follow …
Read MoreEasy Homemade Ornament Craft
Looking for a last-minute easy gift or just a fun craft to do with your kids? This easy homemade ornament craft was super fun and quick to make.
I was able to purchase all the supplies, make, and deliver all in the same day. I realized last minute (typical me) that we hadn’t made Christmas gifts for our Daisy troop. I make a quick stop at JoAnn’s (with lots and lots of coupons in hand) and found all the supplies I needed.
Supplies:
Clear Glass Ornaments
Pom Poms
Sharpie Paint Pens
I wasn’t able to find cute Christmas pom poms, so the girls helped me sort the variety bag. We made piles of all the red, green, and white pom poms then divided them evenly among the 6 ornaments. The girls really enjoyed putting the poms in the ornaments. It was a fun motor skill/math activity.
The next step was writing on the ornaments. I prepped the pens according to the directions on the pen, then looked on Pinterest for a really easy font to copy. Handwriting is not one of my skills, but I’m pretty good a copying, so having a visual helped!
I let one side of the ornament dry before I worked on the other side. I kept it simple and wrote the girl’s name on one side and our troop name on the other side.
And easy peasy, DONE!
Let us know if you try this craft! If you post on social media tag us @growingweisser!
…
Prince of Peace
Christmas is here. The season is in full swing. Between all the decorating, baking, shopping, giving, partying, serving, wrapping, and Christmasing, it seems there is hardly a moment to breathe. The one word I would choose to describe my life right now… Busy. But I don’t want to be consumed with busyness. I love the Christmas season. I love getting together with people, the holiday cheer, the excitement sharing food, spending quality time, and spreading love. But how does Jesus fit into this busy feeling? Where is he in the chaos? How do we remember the baby in the manger amidst all the stuff? We put him FIRST. We orchestrate our life so Jesus isn’t just something we do, it’s the center of who we are. …
Read MoreMaking Magical Memories at Christmastime
Creating magical memories at Christmas takes a lot of planning and preparation but it is well worth the effort!!
Almost 30 years ago, our family began a tradition with our 4 daughters. This year we passed that tradition on to the next generation and it was beyond magical. American Girl dolls were the first dolls our girls actually loved and played with regularly. In general they were not that interested in dolls but these dolls were different. They were well made, a high quality product with purpose behind the concept and each one had a story to tell.
A bit of interesting history behind the dolls….
“Pleasant Rowland, (a very inspirational woman) takes a trip to Colonial Williamsburg in the mid-1980s. She is inspired by the “living history” of the setting. Later, seeking dolls as a gift, she sees that there are very few dolls marketed as companions to a girl or focusing on girlhood.
In 1986, The American Girl line launches with three Historical Characters: Kirsten Larson, Samantha Parkington, and Molly McIntire. Each doll is launched with the first three books in her seriesand the clothing and accessories that accompany the stories, as well as their trunks. Felicity Merriman is released Fall 1991 with her first three books and accompanying clothing and accessories.” The year these dolls were introduced our girls were 5, 3 and newborn with our baby coming 3 years later. So in the early 1990s when we made the decision to invest in the dolls there was one perfect doll match per daughter. Kirsten, Molly, Samantha and Felicity became part of our family and the magic of creative imaginative play with the American Girl doll began.
In 1993 our youngest two daughters were treated to an exclusive event put on by the Chicago American Girl doll …
Christmas Goodies at Trader Joe’s
We all love Trader Joe’s! The holiday season has become a favorite time to shop there with so many fun seasonal goodies. I think it’s a good thing these treats only come one time a year because they are so delicious – and yes, most involve CHOCOLATE 🙂 Here are some of our favorite treats and teas!
–TREATS–
The fearless flyer reads, “Jingle Jangle is an only-at-Trader Joe’s assortment of a whole bunch of things that taste terrific bathed in chocolate. Inside the generously sized tin you’ll find organic mini pretzels covered with milk chocolate and drizzled with white chocolate; dark chocolate-covered caramel popcorn; dark chocolate-covered broken Joe-Joe’s cookies; milk chocolate gems with a red candy coating; and milk & dark chocolate mini peanut butter cups. Don’t you feel all jingly and jangly just thinking about it? Imagine how good you’ll feel once you grab a handful and toss it into your mouth.”
Peppermint Pretzel Slims
Pretzel slims dipped in white chocolate and covered with crushed peppermint (A hubby favorite!)
Dark Chocolate Peppermint Joe-Joe’s
These are very rich which is actually a good thing because you can only have a few bites! Not that much of a chocolate fan (is that even possible?? 😉)?? Peppermint Joe-Joe’s (without the chocolate covering) are also an option!
Peppermint Bark – a classic Christmas treat but extra delicious from TJs!
— TEA —
Our favorite morning or late night treat either to warm us up or to fill a sweet craving!
Candy Cane Green Tea
This tea just exudes the holiday season to me! The candy cane flavor is subtle but adds the perfect flavor for Christmas in a cup. And, I love that’s it’s decaf so I can have it late at night!
Chocolate Mint Black Tea
Imagine an Andes mint …
Read MorePreparing our Hearts for Christmas
I am a CHRISTMAS FANATIC! I love the preparations, the lights, the smell of the tree, baking cookies, cookie parties, decorating gingerbread houses, serving hot apple cider, listening to Christmas Carols and the gathering of friends and family. I love making memories and creating new ones. I love to make gifts and to give gifts because I love to bless other people. I love all things that sparkle and I love that Jesus is the center of it all……BUT is He really?
How do we keep the sense of magic that surrounds the holidays balanced between our family traditions and a rich time of spiritual reflection? This will look different in every family. My goal this year is to look at our traditions as something that can enhance, not distract from our celebration of a meaningful spiritual holiday BUT this is a CHALLENGE…….The week before Christmas we discovered a small leak under our refrigerator. What we thought was a small inconvenience has turned into a fiasco. We will spend the holidays with our refrigerator in our entry way and a huge part of our kitchen floor removed and patch up temporarily until we can get a construction crew in here to make the need repairs in January.
This is how I decorated the space in the kitchen where my refrigerator usually sits.
I have the opportunity this morning to talk to a group of women about how to prepare our hearts and minds for the TRUE celebration of the season so we can experience the TRUE meaning of Christmas. How do we insulate ourselves from the influences of the culture and at the same time shine so brightly for Jesus that the whole world (our circle of influence) will see and feel the light of life that dwells within us …
Read MoreWeisser Women Show Time
Us Weisser women do like to stay pretty busy and on the go… It may seem like we are always cooking or organizing or exercising or something… But we do enjoy a good show or movie to have some relaxing down time. So this week we are featuring what TV shows we are into these days! Check it out!
Kerry:
Rachel:
- The 100
- New Girl
- This is us
- Arrow
Jess:
- Brooklyn99
- The Flash
Bethany
- Madame Secretary
- Designated Survivor
Bekah
What are you watching right now?
…
Read More