Clear Driveway, RAK Activity & No Mommy Guilt

That picture I posted last night of my cleared driveway was really dark & grainy.  Here’s a much better pic during the daytime showing that my driveway is cleared of the huge tree branches that were blocking it.  You can see a few of them off to the right hand side of the picture.  I’m SO THANKFUL for good friends who look out for us!!!

I wanted to get a picture of this, b/c we get Jason’s Deli every Wednesday for lunch.  They have their weekly meeting in the conference room at 11:30, and I get to order myself some lunch too.  I always get a 1/2 roast beef sandwich w/ au jus & a cup of fire roasted tortilla soup.  YUM!

Autumn has been earning points this week to go to McDonald’s for dinner.  I had a coupon for a free Happy Meal w/ the purchase of a regular meal.  After we talked and ate, she said she wanted to get an ice cream cone.  I am trying to help her branch out & try new things & be more independent.  So, I gave her the money for 2 cones & told her to go order them & pay for them.  She was understandably a little hesitant at first, but I told her what to do and I watched through the window of the play area just in case she needed me.  She did GREAT & didn’t need my help at all.  She was just glowing when she came back w/ the ice cream cones & kept saying, “I did it, Mom!  I did it!”  I was so proud of her for being brave & trying something new.

Tonight for Young Women’s, it was combined w/ the Young Men & we met at Sis. Lee’s house for our RAK (Random Acts of Kindness) Activity.  We split up into teams & each had 7 clues/acts of service to do before we could come back.  We had a big & rowdy group, but we had so much fun.  We handed out candy canes to employees at a local grocery store, collected canned food for the local food pantry, left boxes of chocolates on the cars outside of a hospital, etc.  It was great fun.  Autumn had a great time hanging out w/ Sis. Lee’s kids while I was gone doing that.  When we were done, we met back at Sis. Lee’s for some cookies & hot chocolate.  I love the feeling that service brings!

I was sitting on the couch tonight and noticed that I still have all my Thanksgiving stuff up on my mantel.  It didn’t even bother me, either.  I figure that giving thanks for the Savior being born counts as Christmas decor, right?  We won’t be here for Christmas, so I guess my heart just isn’t into decorating to the 9’s this year.  I’ve read a lot of great articles (this one especially) that really resonated with me.  I look on Facebook & Pinterest and see all these great & wonderful ideas and it just wears me out.  I love that the article says, “Always choose the relationship with your kids over the Christmas activity that makes you scream. Always choose the Simple over the Pinnable." 

The top 1/2 of our Christmas tree won’t light, and I’m fine w/ just leaving it that way this year.  What’s more important is spending time w/ Autumn & focusing on the Savior.  We can still do our 25 Days of Christ ornaments & place them on the lower part of the tree that IS lit.  Autumn doesn’t care & it really doesn’t matter in the big scheme of things.  Years from now she won’t look back & think, “wow, I was so sad we didn’t decorate the tree.”  She’ll just remember the feelings of love & spending time together, and we can decorate more next year.  So, I’m keeping it simple and letting go of the “Mommy guilt.”  Like the saying above my mantle says, “Christ is the reason!”