Saturday, December 25, 2021

Merry Day #25 - Merry Christmas!

 ~Welcome to my ~


Merry Day #25!

I know that I have fallen apart here the last week...
but with good reason! My family has all been home and I have spent every precious minute with them.

Keith did get his dream truck...
Toyota 4Runner SR5 Premium
It is fresh off the trailer, only 3 miles on it when we test drove it. He wouldn't have gotten it, had I not said: You deserve it, you get it. 
This man is the most hard working, honest living man I know. All he does is work. He has put three kids through college. He has no hobbies that he spends money on. He never, ever blows money on anything. We have saved our entire marriage. We are of the age now and in the position now that I say we can throw a little caution to the wind and if ever there was a person that deserved to throw a little caution to the wind, it is this hard working, generous man. 
Here he is with his baby - (that we are not allowed to drive in the rain, snow, or in the salt - ha ha ha!)

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I did very little crafting this week....
but I did get this applique done on the sweatshirt for holiday JOY :)
I used my Baby Lock Meridian single needle embroidery machine and Kimberbell Designs software.

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I started painting Ellen Stamilio Designs - Mr &Mrs. Claus. She uses a lot of traditional Tole Painting strokes so I'm a little lost...but I'll figure it out.

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These boys went on a brother winter hike in the woods and later met up with some friends to hike with in a local state forest trail. Makes my heart happy when my adult children still love to be with each other :)

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Yesterday we had our
~ Pfeiffer Family Christmas ~
here are some scenes from our most spectacular day toagether. 

Hunting the Christmas Pickle and Bigfoot:

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Pickle Finder: Austin - who got to open presents first. 
Bigfoot Finder: Logan - who got a bag of Bigfoot Poo (Lindor Chocolates)
Just fun silly traditions we do each year. 

After presents we had all hands on deck helping Mom and Dad prepare our Chinese Christmas Feast!
Fra-la-la-la
They were rolling homemade:
Egg Rolls
Pork Dumplings
Crab Rangoon
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Our Chatterbox, warming his arthritic kitty bones in front of the fire on his kitty pie (he was looking at his Daddy who was talking about his gift he just opened - which involved the word "treat" - LOL!)
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Daddy by the tree, on his iPad 
(which he told me 3 Christmases ago he'd never use so don't get him one - three years later....he is ALWAYS on it)
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Our big tree:
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Ellie with some early morning food prep with Mom:
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Goofing off waiting to dig in:

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Resident Chefs:
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Our Traditional - stick it in the pie-hole Christmas photo: 

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I won the "exploding kitties" game during our White Elephant exchange so we played this fun (albeit heavy on the rules) game all afternoon - I never won. Ha ha ha!

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and finally we celebrated the birth of our newborn Savior and King at midnight mass:

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What a wonderful day we shared with each other! Perfect, wonderful day!

Merry Day #25!

What do I have to do today: 
NOTHING!
So guess what?! I have pulled several potential new starts - all Christmas Themed and I'm going to choose one and start it today! And stitch the day away in my PJs with no bra!
 TMI, I know. 

Finally....
I wish to thank, each and every one of you for following me, my family and words here. It is always humbling to read your comments and words and I thank EACH ONE of you deeply for taking the time to read and comment. I appreciate that so much!

You know...
with me I always try to be very, very real. I never "put on" I figure that's silly to act/to be something I'm not. I haven't been faithful to this blog for several years. When I lost it all a year or so ago and all that was going on at that time with me....I nearly deleted everything that was left. Just done. Pack up and go home. I'm glad I didn't as with all things - life went on, circumstances changed and my true friends stood by me. 

Life has been difficult for me and my family for the last 3.5 years.
For reasons I will keep to myself, we have struggled. Mightily. During this time, I have prayed. I have prayed for our struggles, prayed for mentors to be placed in paths, for situations to be illuminated and for hearts to change. During these 3.5 years, there were times were I felt no hope. What was I doing wrong? Where was God in all of this? 
How singularly human I acted. How selfish and self indulgent.
To compensate for where I think I am failing, I then will over extend myself, trying to be all things to all people, being super human. Because I know from 51 years of experience I can work longer and harder than anyone else and I can control the outcome of that.  I pride myself on it (sinner that I am). 

My prayer life - because of my struggles and my family's struggles - has sort of been not the best, for the past several years. However, in spite of the desert, I tried to continue in prayer - best I could - to be steadfast, persistent and continue on. I fasted. I talked to God. I offered good works to his better glory for the help and healing of what needed healed and helped in my family life.  
About 3 months ago....my prayers began to bear fruit. I have seen hearts change, I have seen situations resolved. Again are things perfect? No they are not! But fruit is borne and for that I am thankful!

 Why do I tell you all of this? Because I know that there are people out there struggling, just like me. 
Life is hard. 
No matter how you want to spin the pictures and stories to plaster all over social media today - 
LIFE is hard and WE ALL have issues. 
I'm here to say: My family has struggled - mightily - the last 3.5 years. I have struggled mentally and spiritually the last 3.5 years (and some years before that).
We are all common in the strife of life. I walk with you in strife.
Today is the day...
that we of the Christian faith celebrate the God-man humbling himself to come to earth - this dirty, sin ridden earth - to save us. 
There is so much hate in the world, so much strife. When I go in public I am truly and honestly shocked by people's actions, by their words, by their treatment of other people. Then these same people will go on social media and proclaim that they are so kind, so loving, so all knowing. 

I am saying right here, right now that I too struggle in kindness, in love, in being the kind of person I want people to remember me - the sort of legacy I want to leave.
Give of your heart to the world. Be the love to someone who needs love. Be the kindness to the one who is suffering. You don't have to be Christian or believe in anything or any other power other than simple love and kindness shown to fellow man walking the earth with you.

I plan this year - the year of 2022 - to give thanks to God for his answer to my prayers by:

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach.”

-Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol"
 
God sent his son to teach one thing: Love.
and I hope to honor that Christmas miracle and my own Christmas miracle I received last night by doing the best I can at spreading only: Love.

Join me.

Merry Christmas!
all my love, Vonna xxxx 

23 comments:

  1. Merry Christmas, Vonna. Thank you for being a light of love in these dark times.

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  2. What a beautiful post. Thank you and wishing you a great 2022. We often have no idea what others are going through so its a good idea to try to keep in mind always to be kind.

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  3. May there be blessings upon you.

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  4. Thank you Vonna for a thought provoking blog. I do not use social media as I find it very upsetting what gets posted that is bitter toward others. May 2022 be the year when you will be able to put the last 3.5 years totally behind you and be a shining star as to what God has done for you. Happy Holidays to you and yours.

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  5. I admire how you share the good and the bad. It's easy to look perfect with a blog or on Instagram, but it takes someone special to share their challenges. I hope you had a Merry Christmas stitching the day away. Kindness can be the easiest thing or the hardest depending on who you are. Let's celebrate the kindness.

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  6. A very Merry Christmas and God's blessings for the New Year!

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  7. Thank you Vonna for sharing your family’s Christmas with us. May God bless you all in 2022!

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  8. Thank you Vonna for your Merry Days of Christmas! I have so enjoyed it and appreciate all the time and effort it takes to do this! Thanks for being you, for being real and sharing life as it is with all its glories and warts! You are truly an inspiration. Wishing health, happiness and God's blessings to you and your family.

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  9. I so thank you for your post! I am also thankful for your gift of sharing your talents and skills with such wonderful tutorials. I am learning so much! Blessings on your and your family. You're right--life is tough but we have Jesus who understands and while we don't always get the answers we want when we want them, we will in the right time. We have hope!!

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  10. Who knew this post would move me to tears? Thank you for sharing. I love that you are real and honest through the good and challenging, the spiritual desert and the times of richness and plenty. Keep your light shining. You never know who is looking for a glimmer of light and knowledge to cling to. Merry Christmas!

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  11. Feliz Navidad......mira Vonna, yo no creo en Dios, yo creo que nosotros los seres humanos tenemos que empatizar,y no hacer nunca lo que no quiero que me hagan a mi, si el planeta entero empatizara, todo seria diferente, pero la condicion humana es así, yo me conformo con no hacer daño a las personas de mi alrededor, a mis amigos, vecinos y compañeros de trabajo.....Feliz Navidad, y felicidades por ser una mujer tan luchadora, porque eres tu, con tu fuerza la que hace que cambie las cosas, no las oraciones, si no tu con tu bondad y siendo buena persona y excelente madre

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  12. Vonna, I enjoyed seeing the photos from the Pfeiffer 2021 Christmas. I love that you keep things real and with saying that, I have reread the last few paragraphs of this post several times because it truly resonates to and with me. I am truly thankful that you didn't pack it up, but that you continue on with kindness and inspiration. Wishing you good health, much happiness and many blessings as we wind up 2021 and bring in 2022. Love you!

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  13. Merry Christmas Vonna and family!

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  14. I', very happy to know you and call you a friend! I love that you don't put on airs. You tell it like it is and share your love and talents with the world. Keep on being you!

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  15. Blessings to you and your family, may 2022 be everything good for you and yours. Thank you so much for your honesty and for your outlook on life, the good and the ugly. Vonna, only good shines from you and your smile, stay true to yourself and to your faith. We do not always get what we pray for but we do get what we need. Sending love and hugs from Arizona.

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  16. Vonna dear ~ Bless you for so honestly sharing your heart and Family, particularly this 2021 season of Christmas. Others who find themselves in darkness by choice or circumstance need the light that shines from your doubts-retired and joy-discovered heart. The bitterness that is echoed these days is a reflection of hurting souls and a longing for what it is you already possess. Just keep loving them, anyway ...they'll catch on sooner or later. You are wise beyond your years and I know that that wisdom was hard-wrought. Thank you for inviting us to the grand Chinese feast and letting us partake of the love and caring that permeates your family and home. Have a serene and joyful rest of Christmastide, dear one. Oh, and the best to Keith for having also won the second grandest prize this Christmas.

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  17. Thank you for continuing to post your blog! I really enjoy reading about the doings of you and your family and appreciate your being so honest. We have a bit of a family struggle right now and it certainly helps to know that we are not the only ones who have issues that need to be resolved - and they will be. Wishing you and your family all the best in the New Year.

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  18. Thanks for all the knowledge you so generously share. I loved reading about your family Christmas traditions and I hope 2022 is a wonderful year for you and your family.

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  19. Thank you for sharing your family Christmas traditions and for keeping it real. I wish you all the very best in the New Year.

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  20. Merry Christmas, Vonna. Your post really touched home today. Thank you for all the wonderful talents you share with us. May you have a blessed 2022.

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  21. Oh honey I have watched you kind of on the side-lines for quite a while now. I KNOW what a wonderful person that you are and I feel your struggles with all my heart. I am SO glad you never gave up. I wish I had magic words for you but alas, all I can tell you is that I am with you as I am sure many other are. I, for one, am ready for a 2022 full of light, love and peace.

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  22. Thank you so much for this post...sounds to me like you have a wonderful relationship with our Lord...He loves you unconditionally even when you think you are letting Him down! I love reading that you are leaning on Him during your struggles...that's what we are supposed to do. I'm 70 years old now and I can tell you that our country needs Jesus in a big way...so much hatred, strife, etc. The self-centeredness that is everywhere (sadly, my two granddaughers!) is so sad. If people would only realize that by doing for others, having a generous spirit, is where true happiness comes from. I'm not talking about money, I'm talking about caring...I know you understand. Here is hoping that 2022 will be a year of happiness and grace for your entire family!

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  23. A little late to your Christmas blog posts this year. Wishing you and your family a Happy and Healthy New Year. Congrats to your hubby for getting his dream truck!
    Carolyn

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