Blessed.

As I sit here with my husband, I reflect on the past year.  It's been a year.  Up. Down.  Good. Bad. Ugly.  And every step of the journey has been worth it.  I like to say that I have no regrets.  I like to go through life experiencing everything.  I can't regret what has made me the person that I am today.  I can't.

Today we finished the holiday baking.  It was a long time coming.  It started at the beginning of the month.  Then life happened.  As it always does.  Why does it work like that?  I had intentions to finish and I lost my motivation.  I'll do it tomorrow.  Then tomorrow turned into to yesterday.  And before I knew it, December 23rd was here and I had only done one batch of holiday baking.  How could I finish my Christmas goodie baskets if I didn't start another batch of goodies?

I enlisted the help of hubby.  I love cooking and baking with him.  We have a groove in the kitchen.  An unspoken code.  I don't have to tell him what I need, he anticipates my next move.  Just as it is in every aspect of our life together.  It made me realize that I am very lucky to have that.  To have that person who is the other half of me. He completes me.  In every cheesy sense of the statement.

As I head to bed tonight, I send love and light to those who are feeling sad and alone this holiday season.  I pray that they find peace.  And I say a prayer of thanks for the blessings in my life.

I'm a lucky girl.

Gifts from the heart

This year has been a tough one, not just mentally/spiritually/emotionally, financially as well.  It brings me back to my roots.  Growing up as a family of seven, we didn't have much.  What we did have was a LOT of love.  I learned that the spirit is in the giving.  And gifts from the heart are just as special as the gifts you go to the store to buy.

I've decided that I'm going to do what we did during my youth.  I'm making gifts this year.  I know it's last minute.  I'm always late to the party it seems.  But, most of the handmade gifts are done.  And ready to be shared with my loved ones.

Remember to share a smile with everyone that you meet.  You may be the smile that makes their day that much brighter.  The holiday season is tough for a lot of people.  Share your Aloha spirit.

Finding that Christmas Spirit

Our house is decorated for Christmas, but it still doesn't feel like it's the Christmas season.  Maybe it's because our family is split this year? Last year was the first year that we had all of the kids together.  Add to that a newborn.  We didn't have much money.  But there were gifts under the tree and lots of love.  Being a blended family means making new traditions.  The question is, do you follow those traditions even when you're not complete?  I think so.  

We're almost done with the gift shopping.  My favorite part of gift shopping is for the stocking stuffers.  I don't know why.  I think it's because I can get the cute little funny things that my family loves without it seeming too cheesy.  I went to a holiday faire at the Blaisdell center.  I thought it was supposed to be a craft fair. It was a lot like the swap meet at Aloha Stadium.  I found a Hello Kitty lanyard for Annika, peppermint soap from Filthy Farmgirl and a keychain.  Cute stuff for stockings.  I'm too excited to wait for Christmas!

After the faire, we went to Ala Moana.  Ala Moana is a huge outdoor mall in Honolulu.  Amber had to pick up Star Wars cookie cutters from Williams Sonoma.  While I was there, I picked up a gift for Travis' that I know he will love! Of course I went to BBW while we were there and I got more anti-bacterial gel as a stocking stuffer. I'm addicted.  We ate lunch at Bubba Gump.

It was a fun girls day out that I needed!  I think I'm finding that Christmas spirit in a different way.  Traditions are what I make of them and it isn't up to anybody else to get me into the spirit.  Traditions are adaptable.  Life isn't always perfect and if I have the mindset that it has to be, I will be disappointed.  

Life is exactly as it should be.