December Days - 12.31.10

And so another cycle of my walk through the holiday season has come to a close.  December 31st has its own tradition since moving to Indiana, in that it is the day we celebrate our Indiana Christmas!  We don't take any presents for our immediate family to Oregon with us (the trip itself is really the present) but we save December 31st after we've come home for our own little Christmas celebration.

Kyron enjoying his first cap guns

Since I didn't have to work we were able to get up in the morning and treat the day as we would if was actually December 25th.  We take a traditional family photo of all of us in our pajamas, eat breakfast while we open stockings, and before we open presents we read through the Christmas story.

This year, however, we didn't read the Christmas story from the Bible. One of the kids had gotten the The Brick Testament: The Christmas Story as a gift and we read the story from The Brick Testament instead, taking time to appreciate at the pictures.  If you're not familiar with The Brick Testament, it is a collection of stories from the Bible illustrated entirely with Legos.

All in all it was a great Indiana Christmas.  A few simple gifts to share, but great family time as the highlight.  The funniest moment of the day came when we were reading the Christmas story and we got to this picture and part of the Christmas story.....you can imagine the questions and quotes we have from Kyron on the topic and the picture itself!

December Days - 12.30.10

Last year I did a blog posting about my personal Top Ten Favorite Christmas Movies so I decided this year to create a list of my Top Ten Favorite Christmas Albums/CDs.

First, let me explain the importance of Christmas music in my family.  I have blogged before about how much I like Christmas music but this love was instilled in me by my Mother.  She taught me that it's acceptable to listen to Christmas music anytime of the year, why wouldn't she when you consider the message of most of the songs?  I'm not talking about Santa Claus coming to town or jingling bells, but songs about Christ's birth, Peace on Earth, and Goodwill to Men.  Those are themes any parent would want their child hearing about year round. So before I share my list let me publicly thank my Mom for going against the flow and having Christmas music playing in our house beyond the holiday season.  Thanks Mom!

I have over 100 different Christmas Albums/CD's with a wide variety of music and styles, but these are the 10 that jump to the top of my list as my personal favorites.

10) Faith Hill - Joy to the World: It's a well done collection of classic Christmas songs

9) GLAD - An Acapella Christmas: It's out of print now and not even out there to download, but this one has been a family favorite since 1994!

8) Handel's Messiah - A Soulful Celebration: Handel's Messiah is a classic piece of music and this soulful celebration is a different and fun twist on Handel's masterpiece.  The Hallelujah Chorus in particular is great!

7) Rescue - The First Christmas: Another acapella collection, but this is from a group of guys my sister is friends with in Oregon.  A great collection of original music and original arrangements of some classics.  Even without the family connection, this would be a favorite of mine.

6) Michael Buble - Let it Snow-EP: my only critique of this collection is that I wish there were more songs.  It's primarily a collection of ballads, but they're solid renditions of each classic song.

5) James Taylor - At Christmas: If you like James Taylor, you'll really like this album. If you don't like his music then you might agree with the main review on iTunes.  I happen to really like James Taylor music.

4) Harry Connick Jr. - When My Heart Finds Christmas: The one is Harry from the 90's and if you like his pseudo-jazz sound from the 90's you'll enjoy this one.  The title track is probably the best song.

3) Steven Curtis Chapman - All I Really Want for Christmas: The was SCC's second holiday release and it's primarily his versions of classic Christmas songs with a few originals thrown in, but they're great songs.  Especially All I Really Want which tells the story of Christmas from the perspective of an orphan child.  I had a new baby again when this album was released and I remember listening to that song the first time and being so thankful for my kids and my family.

2) Avalon - Joy: There isn't a bad track in this collection.  It's much more upbeat and energetic than most others on my list but Avalon put together a collection of music that any Holiday music lover would be proud to own.

1) Steven Curtis Chapman - Music of Christmas
In our house, this album is exactly what the title says it is.  This album gets more play than any other on the iPod during the holiday season.  It's primarily original music by SCC, with a couple traditional classics thrown in.  I think this one has been so special to Marcy and Me because it came out right as we were celebrating our first Christmas as a married couple and the song Christmas is All in the Heart connected with where we were in life.

That's my list and I'm sticking to it - for now.  Many of these have been on my list for a long time so it will take something new and amazing to bump any off.

I'd love to hear what your personal favorite Christmas CD's are.  I am always looking for suggestions to continue to build my collection.    

December Days - 12.25.10

One of our favorite family traditions is Christmas pajamas.  Not that they are Christmas themed, just that we all get new pajamas for Christmas and they typically match in some form or fashion.  We open our Christmas gifts on Christmas day, but the one exception is the Christmas pajamas we all open on Christmas Eve.

It's not a unique tradition, I know many other families that do the same thing or something very similar but it's a tradition that my family had growing up and Marcy and I have adopted for the past 16 holiday seasons.

This year, Grandma Simpson provided the pajamas for everyone (Thank you Grandma!) but we had a slight breakdown in communication and for a brief time it looked as though we would not have the pajamas available for opening on Christmas Eve.  Marcy was filled with anxiety that this important family tradition wouldn't be continued this year, but Christmas was saved when we found the pajamas and were able to let everyone open them.

Overall, we had a great Christmas celebration with lots of family and lots of food.  As today comes to an end, I feel very fortunate to have so many blessings in our lives.

Merry Christmas from the Kaopuiki 'Ohana (family)!

December Days - 12.22.10

Those who spend any time around me know that I have a creative side of my person that I will occasionally let out to tackle various projects, hobbies, or just as a way of relaxing.

Out Family Christmas Card:
http://christmas.hawaiianhoosiers.com

One of my creative outlets that has grown over the past several years is our family Christmas Card.  It's turned into a sort of tradition since it started four years ago when we wanted to use our Christmas Card and Christmas letter as a means of allowing our family and friends in Oregon/Washington a way to experience, in a greater sense than a standard letter and card could convey, how we were doing in the midwest.  I also found the exercise of creating the cards a great creative outlet for myself.  So, beginning in 2007 we started a combo Christmas Photo Card and Website/Online Letter as our family's version of the holiday cards so many people send.

As it's evolved over the years (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010), part of my motivation has changed  because I am enjoying the challenges of coming up with ideas.  It's not for everyone, but I like creating something someone else doesn't have and that does a good job of conveying our family's personality.  Admittedly, they aren't even the best cards I've seen but they do represent our family, the Hawaiian Hoosiers.

I have about 6 more years worth of ideas and designs already floating around in my head, so I may need to start thinking of expanding beyond just a family Christmas Card and start thinking about other holidays we can send cards for. :-)

And while it is a creative outlet for me, the true intent really is to provide a different way to simply say to those we love and care about, Merry Christmas and God's blessings on a Happy New Year!

December Days - 12.17.10

Late last night I went to turn on my MacBook Pro and nothing happened.  Panic went through my body as I am all the way across the country and was depending upon my MacBook to help keep me connected and to get some work done as well.  I had never encountered this type of problem before, but I hit the Mac support forums looking for possible causes and solutions.  It got even worse when everything I was ready was pointing to a problem that would require a significant repair process.

I continued my due diligence to determine the cause of the problem and eventually ended up at a Apple Repair store.  I described the problem and everything I had done to try and fix it to the technician I was speaking with.  He nodded an understanding, held the Macbook in his hands, turned it over to inspect the outside and underside, opened it up and pressed the power button.

Right before me, my own little Christmas miracle occurred. The machine powered up exactly as it was supposed to and has always done. No problems at all.  I was stunned!  The technician ran a detailed scan on the machine and system and everything checked out exactly as it should.

It was a strange situation, but I left the store much happier and thankful I wasn't going to have to go through a week long repair process.  I know there are greater miracles occurring in the world, but I'm thankful for the Christmas miracle I was given today.

December Days - 12.13.10

Christmas time is always cookie time in our house and for several generations on my side of the family that means my Grandmother's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.

These are not your ordinary oatmeal chocolate chip cookies though.  This is a family recipe handed down on my Mom's side of the family for generations.  They are a connection to the past, a shared bond between family crossing space and time, and a little bit of heaven in every bite.  I've taken these cookies to work before and had them quickly disappear off my desk as people clamored to get a sample.  We've made them for parties, gatherings, and events and rarely had extra to bring home.

But, before you even think about emailing me to ask for the recipe though, it's important to understand that this is for all intended purposes, a secret family recipe.  In all the cook books my Mom contributed to while growing up, non included Grandma's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Corner my mom on how many people she has shared the recipe with and her answer will confirm the recipe's secret status: (1) Kelsey (my sister), (2) Marcy (my wife), and (3) Erika (my sister-in-law).  The list ends there.  Tell me that doesn't qualify as secret recipe status!

December Days - 12.5.10

As mentioned in a previous blog post, we have three different trees up as part of our Christmas decorations this year.  Having grown up in Oregon and having lived there for the majority of our lives, we took for granted living in the Christmas Tree capital of North America.  Everyone had real trees for Christmas and we used to have an annual family tradition of cutting down our own tree as a family outing. Our house was always filled with that fresh pine smell that was also taken for granted as an innate part of the holidays.

It's been four years since we've cut down our own tree and had that fresh pine smell fill the air of our home, but our Christmas Trees remain important parts of our holiday traditions.  This tree in particular is nothing special by itself, but the eclectic mix of ornaments date back to Marcy's and my childhood and are associated with memories throughout our lives.  They represent a journey we have been on and continue on, just as the wall print says next to the tree.

December Days - 12.3.10

One of my favorite parts about Christmas is the music of the season.  In fact, I am a big believer that it is completely acceptable to listen to Christmas music anytime of the year. Admittedly though, it doesn't start to dominate my iPod until after Halloween.  That may seem a little early for some people, but why limit great music to just a few weeks out of the year?

So, understanding how much I enjoy Christmas music you can then understand my anticipation for tonight's Christmas concert at Northview Church.  It certainly helped build the excitement for the event knowing that Marcy was singing in the concert as well.  Kudos to the whole worship team who put on the concert.  The music was great and the technical elements were equally impressive, just check out the opening number for a sample of the evening:

December Days - 12.29.09

Top Ten Christmas Movies (IMO)

This may not be a topic that everyone thinks about during the holidays, but most everyone I know has some sort of holiday tradition focused around watching a movie or two or three with the family with some sort of holiday theme. People who know me even the slightest, know that I love movies. So below is my ranking of my favorite Christmas/Holiday movies.

A couple notes - First, none of these movies are masterpieces they are just part of how I like to celebrate the season each year. So don't expect to see anything real deep on this list, to me that's just not what Christmas movies are about. Second, Ralphie Parker and his Red Ryder BB Gun aren't even close to being on this list. I know it's a supposed classic, but I have never been able to sit down and watch that movie in its entirety. I just have a difficult time finding anything to appreciate about it, which may seem odd when you see this list:

Number 10

The Santa Clause (1994) - For me, I think it's just Tim Allen in a fat suit that does it for me. The story is okay and my kids get a good laugh out it, but I laugh at how funny and great Tim Allen looks as Santa.

Number 9

Home Alone (1990) - First off, I can't imagine leaving one of my kids at home while I flew to Europe, but I also can't imagine my kids talking to me or other family the way the McAllisters do in this film. By far and away though, the best parts of this movie occur when Joe Pesci & Daniel Stern are on screen. I still genuinely laugh all the traps they fall into when breaking into the house....heck, I'm laughing just thinking about them!

Number 8

The Preacher's Wife (1996) - I know this is a remake, but this movie is all about the music for me. In my opinion (which is what this whole list is about), this movie has one of the best soundtracks of the 90's. A peaking Whitney provided the vocals while Courtney B. Vance and Denzel handled the acting. Just a fun movie to sit back and enjoy.

Number 7

It's a Wonderful Life (1946) - My kids aren't old enough to appreciate and understand this movie yet, but it's been a favorite of mine for as long as I can remember. I think it's the connection to childhood traditions that keeps me hooked on it, but it really is a classic and must see for those that have resisted for so long....you know who you are!

Number 6

White Christmas (1954) - Another old classic and it's special to me for both the connection to my youth - Mom and I used to watch this one together - and the music. It's not possible to play this movie enough during the season. It's great as both a feature film for movie night or to just have on as background noise.

Number 5

Miracle on 34th Street (1994) - Yes, I prefer the remake with Richard Attenborough, Dylan McDermott, and Elizabeth Perkins over the original. Those three along with the scene stealing performance of Mara Wilson that win me over on this remake of a classic. If there was a Santa, I'd want Richard Attenborough to be him, but with better teeth.

Number 4

The Family Stone (2005) - This is more about family than the holidays, but the huge ensemble cast does a great job of bringing the audience into the typical dysfunction of a regular family it's hard to not find something to relate to. We probably watched this one the most this year as we kept finding people who hadn't seen it yet and we felt they needed the introduction to the Family Stone. All who watched it with us agreed it's a winner.

Number 3

Christmas Vacation (1989) - "I don't know what to say, except it's Christmas and we're all in misery." - Ellen Griswold

Number 2

Die Hard (1988) - First, yes it's a Christmas movie. The entire thing took place during a company Christmas Party! Sure, it's not one to watch with the kids, but for a guy it really doesn't get better than this for movies at any time of the year.

Number 1

Elf (2003) - This may be the most quoted movies in our house throughout the entire calendar year. Even Kyron knows some of the lines. It's Will Ferrel at his best and he's surrounded by an awesome cast.

I'd love to hear some of your lists or favorite holiday movies, so please share in the comments below.

December Days - 12.25.09

MerryChristmas!

If you read our family holiday letter this year (http://christmas.hawaiianhoosiers.com) I talked about how the kids argue over who the favorite child of the family is. This debate is taking place for the second generation in a row.

My own brother, sister, and I have debated for years which one of us was our parents' favorite. We each make our own valid arguments for the title of 'the favorite' but Mom and Dad have never give us the answer we have been seeking for years. That is, until tonight when Mom gave us all special new ornaments declaring who was the favorite, or so we thought.

My brother and sister opened their ornaments and we discovered that Mom had wimped out, the ornaments designated birth order in big bold letters and then in parenthesis it said "Mom's Favorite". So it initially appeared we would still be left with the generic answer that we're all favorites, until I opened my ornament. Sure my ornament said First Born (Mom's Favorite), but unlike my siblings' gifts, the head of the character on my ornament had been broken off - a clear sign that the other two held a bit more clout in my mom's eyes than myself.

So, while we still don't know who the real favorite is, at least we're a step closer - it's not me!

Truth is, my sister is the favorite. I know it, my brother knows it, and my sister knows it. My Mom is such an amazing woman though that somehow she has been able to love each of us equally for all our lives. In fact, few people have grown up feeling more love from their parents than we were fortunate to feel. So there may be only one real favorite, but in the end it really doesn't matter....at least that's what my brother and I tell ourselves. :-)

December Days - 12.24.09

For most families, the day before Christmas is filled with anticipation of the big day to follow. For our family, we don't call it Christmas Eve, we call it Marcy's birthday! Admittedly her birthday often gets lost in the hustle and excitement of the holiday season and we probably don't do enough to celebrate the special day for her. If anyone deserves more special, it's her though. She puts up with 4 kids with strong personalities, each with their own special gifts for make parenting frustrating; and she has to put up with me, a forever work in progress. We love her though and when I asked the kids to collectively describe their mom in 10 words, below is the list they came up with:

• Loves us
• Cares about us and others
• Helpful
• Always there for us
• Happy
• Creative
• Fun to be with
• Good person to be around
• Great Cook
• Pretty

The kids give her grief most of the time, but they really do love their mom. I've mentioned before how much I admire and respect her work as a Mom, but she is so much more than a Mom.

I've known Marcy the majority of my life and she has always been a special person to me. First as a friend I grew up with and eventually as the woman I am growing old with. She has stood by me, supported me, and hoisted me up when I needed it. No way would I be the man I am today without this friend in my life. As we celebrate her birthday today, I'm thankful for the past year, but I look forward to the many more years we will share together, including the many more opportunities the kids and I will have to be able to work on letting Marcy know how special she is. Love you Marcy!

December Days - 12.21.09

Warning! Spoiler Alert!.......If you're a believer in Santa Claus, don't bother reading further!

We've never been a Santa focused family. It all started when Makela was only three and refused to sit on Santa's lap at The Festival of the Trees in downtown Portland. The man dressed up as Santa was a friend of the family and as soon as Makela realized that, then the myth was over. From that point on, we really didn't stand a chance trying to convince the older two boys because she couldn't keep the secret. Kyron may be the exception, but even at four he's not real convinced there's a Santa.

So this Christmas has been fun staying with Marcy's brother and his kids who are Santa believers. Our kids are old enough now to understand the importance of not spoiling the Santa secret for other kids (although they've busted it for their share of their classmates) so they've had some fun playing along with the Santa excitement. Although their Santa plans don't really involve milk and cookies so much as they do trying to snare the jolly man in some sort of trap or capture his actions on videotape, all to prove the existence.

With three more days of planning and scheming left, I'm sure Christmas Eve will be a fun night in this house as both believers and non-believers prepare for Santa's (supposed) visit.

December Days - 12.15.09

Tonight we went to go see Kyron's preschool Christmas program. It's so great having him in a Christian preschool where he is learning about the true meaning of Christmas with certain jolly bearded men as after thoughts, not the main emphasis. His lessons and interest in Christmas have been a great reminded to the rest of us what the real reason for the season is. For the past few weeks he has come home singing the songs they'd been practicing and talking to us about the Christmas story, asking questions about things he didn't understand at school. Like, why'd they ride a donkey instead of drive a car? Or, "Who's the mergin Mary?" Gotta love the mind of a four year old!

December Days - 12.13.09

As a kid, one of my favorite visuals of the holiday season is a dark room lit only by the glow of the Christmas tree lights. I've always found it a very calming scene and as a kid would beg my parents to let me sleep on the couch in the family room so I could fall asleep by the glow of the tree. When I got into high school, my parents got these really cool lights that had 25 different lighting combinations that were controlled through this strange whistle remote. The tree became an interactive experience and all of us fought over the tree remote often.

In our house today, we don't have remote control Christmas lights, they're just plain white. The tree tells a story though of Christmas past with ornaments we've collected over the years and those given to us as gifts from special friends. The glowing Christmas tree is still a favorite sight, that to me reminds me of many of the blessings in my life. Although I don't sleep on the couch in front of the lights, Marcy told me today that she wants to put a tree in our bedroom next year. I'll get to fall asleep to that glow every night! Something to look forward to....

December Days - 12.11.09

Marcy and I just returned from the Harrison College employee Christmas Party and we had a great time. In a year when so many people have had to deal with the disappointment and stress of losing a job and/or difficulty finding a job, I realize how blessed I am to have not only a steady paycheck, but a great job with a great employer. Not only is the work very enjoyable and satisfying, but to work with such great people is just an added blessing. I appreciate how gracious my co-workers have always been to me, but to see how welcoming and inviting they are to my family, specifically Marcy, only makes me appreciate my Harrison family more.

I'm also thankful for just having the opportunity to have a date night with Marcy! We need those every now and then.

December Days - 12.10.09

I think one of the favorite stages each of our kids have gone through is the stage that Kyron is in right now, year four, before kindergarten begins. He just enjoys life, isn't trying to impress anyone, and everyday brings some joy into our lives. He doesn't have any inhibitions and he isn't self conscious which gives him a freedom to just be himself without worrying what anyone else thinks. He's that kid at the basketball game that enjoys dancing to the music blaring over the PA system even though it's embarrassing his older siblings. He's that cute kid dancing on the basketball court when he's supposed to be playing defense. He's that adorable little boy hugging and kissing his mom, telling her and everyone within ear-shot "You're the best mommy in the universe!" And He's that painfully honest kid who shares his thoughts, feelings, and word for word quotes he heard from Dad with people Dad never intended to hear that much honesty. Whether he's dancing, singing, recreating his favorite Star Wars scene, or sharing family secrets, he's our Kyron and all his quirks and characteristics make him perfect....at least while I write this and he's sound asleep in the bed next to me.

December Days - 12.9.09

We're an Apple biased home, that's really no secret and five of us have had our own iPods for some time now. As of today though, Caeden, at only seven years old, is now the first person in this home to have his own iPod Touch. We've been resisting the switch over to iPhones only because we're locked into Verizon, but the iPod Touch has been a tempting piece of technology for a couple years. Caeden has been saving his money for some time and finally had saved enough to purchase his own. The funny thing was that when we went online to order it, he chose to have it laser engraved with "Number One" on the back. When I asked him what that meant and why he wanted "Number One" his response made me roll....."because it will be the first iPod Touch in the family!"

He's been the envy of the household all day and we've all had fun playing with his cool new toy! We'll see how much longer we go until there are more of these iPods around the house....

December Days - 12.7.09

We woke up this morning to the first snow of the season. When it gets really cold outside, I'm of the opinion that it might as well snow....it just seems an easier way to justify the chill. Anyways, when Kyron woke up we told him to look out the window for a surprise! He ran to the window and when he pulled back the curtains we heard his little gasp of surprise and then he said "Is it Christmas?!" The innocence in that question made me smile all day as I thought of the moment.

By the afternoon the snow was gone, but the morning snow built up the excitement for the future snow I'm certain will come. My only hope is that we won't have the 3 ft of snow in Oregon we experienced last year. As much fun as it was, it was too much!

December Days - 12.4.09

Our very first Christmas together, Marcy and I started collecting buildings and accessories from the Department 56 Dickens Village series. Some great friends and our family bought us our first few buildings to get us started and for a number of years after that we just gradually added to the collection. It never grew to anything substantial because we started collecting/having children instead and we struggled to find a place in the house big enough for the village.

We haven't added to it in years, but every Christmas season we still get it out to display. For me, it's a reminded of the beginnings of our family and early traditions Marcy and I started when it was just the two of us. One of these years, we'll start adding to it again but for now the village is one of our favorite and most sentimental Holiday decorations.

December Days - 12.3.09

One of the favorite areas of our house during the holiday season is our Christmas Card stair rail. As we receive holidays cards over the next month, this railing will get filled with cards, pictures, and letters that remind us of how blessed we are with special friends and family. We've received a couple cards already (Thank you!) Can't wait to get more!