Coaching women out of "survival mode" to recreate their lives and families
We have family coming flying in and food to create; friends and family to visit and carols to sing; gifts to give and movies to watch.
Today we spent the afternoon with grandparents, aunt, uncles and cute little nieces making, icing and decorating holiday cookies…and playing in the flour. 
I hope your Christmas is just as beautifully messy, in the very best of ways.
I’ve signed up for the December Photo Project. I’m not sure I’ll manage a daily photo but it is fun to bring attention to some small holiday details nonetheless.
Sadly my camera seems to be disagreeable these days. Hmm, wonder if I can ask Santa for a new one? 
December 1-5
What I’m most excited about is heading to Eugene, Oregon, this week! 
We’re driving up with the new Ford to do the veggie oil conversion with Green Eye Auto. Justin could have done the conversion here in Vegas, but wanted the opportunity to play in the shop. And…well, a road trip sounds more fun!
I don’t have our dates and we’re not sure how long we’re going to stay, but I sure am excited to spend my birthday week back on the road.
On to some inspiration:
The things with which we fill our spirits and our minds have the power to transform our perceptions, our moods and our lives. That’s the purpose behind these Inspiration Monday posts.
Inspiration Monday gives you the opportunity throughout the week to seek out and save the things that inspire you with the sole purpose of helping to inspire others.
Life should be Inspired, not required. Let’s get inspired! 
Write your own blog post and share its link in the form below. Or leave a comment on this post.
If it’s not a post about what is inspiring you, please don’t link it in the form!
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We haven’t done a bit of shopping, or baking or half the other things on our list, but we have just accomplished something we missed last year: Christmas letters!
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It’s always bittersweet to write a holiday letter; to pick out the important parts of our lives and try to surmise so much in so little space. It amazes me how things can be so different from year to year but with the same emotional undertones.
The following was included from last year’s never-sent letters but still applies as much today.
It’s been strange to look over photos of recent years, to read our past holiday letters, to reminisce over how far we’ve come and try not to think of how far we have yet to go. We’ve changed in so many ways and through so many experiences, both joyful and heartbreaking. The choices we’ve made have completely transformed our lives. Our eyes have been open to the delicate intricacies in life, the seemingly insignificant things that shape us, the precious moments that will warm us decades later. Lessons of judgment and patience, of peace and connection resonate in our hearts and then seem to be forgotten amidst the rubble of a busy life, while losses so painful to speak aloud still rattle our souls as we attempt to grasp their meaning as well. And so despite all we feel we have accomplished, we recognize all the fullness of the life that lies ahead.
We’ve been blessed in this life. We have each other and all of you. We love you all, and miss those of you we don’t often see. We pray you’re finding more opportunities to laugh than cry, more times to give than take, more moments of peace than chaos. We hope your lives are swimming in love and that you embrace the passion and joy in life and are able to release all else. We hope the life you desire is the life you create and we hope to rejoice in your successes and comfort you in your heartaches. But most of all we pray you feel our love for you always, as it always remains.
We have yet to be successful in daily advent rituals. But we’re enjoying the flow nonetheless.
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Yesterday was spent ::
:: Tree trimming a still crooked (but sturdy) tree
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:: Laughing hysterically at the goofy things we do in front of the camera
:: Playing a bit with my new present before putting it away
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:: Making omelets together
:: Snuggling on the couch, watching A Christmas Story and reciting the best lines verbatim
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:: Playing with the Rubik’s Cube and coming to the conclusion that the real genius doesn’t mix it up to begin with
:: Finishing my newborn’s niece’s baby blanket while Zeb reads a chapter of HP2 out loud
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:: Enjoying each other’s company
Every year I procrastinate with Advent or holiday activities. I always intend to create something great but when the season comes, I have a difficult time embracing Christmas as early as Zeb does.
This will be our last Christmas here, so we’re really trying to make the most of it. We hung lights outside for the first time in years and are planning our entire month with activities or events. Or, trying to. It’s difficult to find traditions that speak to us personally, in a spiritual but non-religious way, and also include plenty of time spent with family and friends.
We intended to start the Advent traditions off yesterday with decorating the Christmas tree. (Yes, we’re on the “real tree” side of the debate.) But we apparently got the National Lapoon variety of tree; the dang thing wouldn’t stay up! After nearly an hour of recutting and readjusting, it was bedtime for a very grumpy husband and a postponement of our Advent kickoff.
I’ve started compiling a list of ideas to run by the guys. Then we’ll decide together which ones we’d like to do. I suppose, we’ll likely combine some of these ideas or fill in any open nights with movies or stories or do nothing at all.
Here are the Advent activities I’ve come up with so far:
Any more ideas?
I'm Tara Wagner, life coach and creator of the Digging Deep process, where I coach women out of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual survival mode.
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