Christmas 2013 and my "FaceBreak"

Back in October I started having promptings that I needed to get off of Facebook.  What?  How the crud can I do that?  How will I know what's going on with my friends, family, the strangers I stalk, or the recipes I want to try?  How will I sell Scentsy, or 31??  How will I feel validated by the likes or comments I get?  Cause really, that's a major part of what I finally realized was making FB such an addiction for me.  Logging off was not easy.  I started in November by unliking all the pages that were not "people".  That helped.  Then I started hiding.......you know.....whoever I did not want to see every time I logged on! To me it's less mean than unfriending......but that's a whole other story ;)

So I set a goal in December....go 31 days FB free.  I called it a "facebreak"! I am so glad the way it all worked out!  It was hard the first few days, or the times when people were talking about things that I knew nothing about.  Or when my friends dog died and I didn't know! (RIP Coal!!!!)

Days turned to weeks, and before I knew it I was doing it!  I still did Instagram, cause that's my favorite way to share pics!  So I felt in the loop somewhat!  Within a few days of starting my facebreak I felt the Spirit stronger.  I felt clarity.  I felt validated by the Holy Ghost, and not likes or comments.  I became in tune with my awesome kids.  Which they are so awesome by the way.  I'm beyond lucky to call them mine.  

Jason asked me what my first post was going to be 1/1/14.  It was this:

December was a great time to refocus on my family, and my testimony of Jesus Christ.  

I'm feeling accomplished!  I recommend taking a facebreak.  Even if it's a day, or a week.  Whatever you think you need.  But make it hurt.  And make it worth it.  It was like a FB fast.  

fast²

fast/

verb

gerund or present participle: fasting

1. 1.

   abstain from all or some kinds of food or drink, esp. as a religious observance.

   synonyms:

eat nothing, abstain from food, refrain from eating, go without food, go hungry, starve oneself;

It was worth it.  

Here are some snip-it's of our holiday!  We were lucky enough to have Jason's parents, as well as his sister, her husband and 4 kids!  It was a full house filled with lot's of laughter!  And maybe some tears??  Darelyn, Mom & Dad, thank you for sharing your Christmas with us!  My kids will treasure those days forever!!!!!  I married into an AMAZING family!  

 We started a new tradition!  We tried to see Frozen on Christmas day, but alas, so did all of Meridian!  So we went the next day!  1.  The movie was AWESOME!!!!!!  x's a zillion!  I even bought the sound track!  Do you want to build a snowman? If I ask Jason again he is going to kill me.  Lol!  

Jason and I hit Tucano's for his birthday lunch.  I always have big plans of eating myself to death, but after one or two rounds of meat, I'm dead meat!  It was worth spending the day with my best friend!  

We (Smith side) celebrated our 8th annual Crazy Cousin Christmas Eve!  Mexican food, gift exchange, and lot's of fun.  Sadly, many cousins were missing!  It just wasn't the same!  

What's a party without wrassling G'pa?  

 Aunt Darelyn read a great Christmas Eve book to the kids! 

Emery, Natalie, Taylor and Amelia loved all these clapping games.  They have a song for each one!  

Keller is the best big cousin.  The boys were always in his shadow.  They had a blast with him!   

 Cousin pj's!!! 

Amelia wasn't too far from Ellie the entire time!  I don't think Ellie Mae minded at all!  Spoiled pup! 

Mr. Blue and I stuck to our guns this year with only ONE gift to our kids.  We spent all of December talking to them about Jesus Christ, and all that He did for us.  Our goal was to SIMPLIFY our lives.  Much along the lines of my facebreak, really plugging into my kids, etc.  I'm so thankful for the promptings I felt.  It made for a wonderful way to end 2013, and start 2014!

Not once did they feel like they got less than normal.  Maybe it was the distraction of family.  Maybe it was the lessons we taught that month.  Maybe it was their little Spirits recognizing the importance of having a relationship with their Savior.  Who knows?  I just hope we can keep it up!  Cause it's a good feeling!

Here's to my New Years 1st resolution:

Start blogging again, and not relying on FB for my family history!  

#boom 

xoxo Alli Blue

Here we go!

Natalie and Taylor will be turning 8 on March 24th, 2012.  I cannot believe we are already here!  It really does seem like just a minute ago they were babies, and I was tired!  Ok, I'm still tired, but they are older now!  They will have an interview with the Bishop, and there tell him if they have made the choice to get baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  I am so thankful for my own membership in the church.  Times have not always been easy for  me, especially as a teenager, and therefor my testimony struggled.  But He never left me.

The girls attended their baptism preview on Sunday.  I am glad their birthday is in March because I don't think they could stand to wait any longer!  They got these amazing towels for their special day.  They snuggled them all day.  When Natalie woke up Monday morning I went in their room and as she was making her bed, she said that she was so excited she wished she could have been baptized yesterday :)  Silly girl!  I told her how sad Grandma and Grandpa Blue would have been if they missed it.

This subway art was displayed on the table.  I LOVE IT!  (Thanks for the post Cherie!)

And in other news.......

I don't have room in my life for HATERS.  My priorities are my family, health, calling, and a million other things before I worry about what other people think about me or my family.  

I found myself questioning this on Sunday evening.  I received an email that was not so charming.  

I'm not going to get into it, but it left me feeling like...."Am I crazy???"  "Did we make the right choice???"

Well folks, we did make the right choice.  Jason and I parent with the help of the Holy Ghost.  We follow the promptings that are given to us.  We use these gifts to guide our kids to happiness.  

So to all my haters out there......

Haters gonna hate.  

Bye...bye...