Day 1 - Family Holiday Values and Goals

I was lucky enough to enroll in Jessica Sprague's Free "Holidays in Hand - 2009" class online.

Day 1 assignment was to reflect in a journal or on your blog about what matters the most and to describe your family's values.

Since this holiday season finds my immediate family back in the "drama" mode with only a few of us talking to each other and being threatened with not showing up for Christmas there will be "no presence, no presents" I really don't have any hope let alone family values & goals for that side of the family.

So I turn to my other family or should I say my REAL family - my wonderful husband & friends (even though that other family say I only have 1 friend).

Jessica gave us some words to think about like:

peace
family
tradition
togetherness
friends
warmth
welcome
magic
glow
spirit
rest
laughter
friendship
food
sweets
stockings
lights
ornaments
gratitude
sharing
sparkle
merry
quiet
wonder
giving
savoring
appreciating
connecting
reflecting
memorable
joyful

OK so which of these words really matter to me? Savoring, appreciating, giving, friendship (Oh, I forgot I only have one friend LOL), laughter, togetherness.

Now I have to make some goals based on those words:

1. I want to savor the holidays this year by appreciating all my friendships & my DH.
2. I want people that I like to be around and like being around me to sit down and laugh (even if it is at me) and to just be together.
3. I want the holidays to be simple but holidayish. You know simple decorations on a tree we will go into the mountains to cut down, playing lots of Christmas music, saying MERRY CHRISTMAS" to everyone I meet.
4. I want to savor the moment with friends and DH.
5. I want togetherness and share the moment with friends, my DH & others.

Now I have to make goals based on my values:

GOALS:
1. Cookie Exchange with friends.
2. Homemade gifts for friends made just for them with them in mind.
3. Buy gifts for 8 kids from the Salvation Army tree as I do every year because those kids need it more than my 8 nieces and nephews.
4. Annual dinner with friends with lots of laughter, good food and kinship.
5. Getting more involved with Christmasy stuff with my DH. I will help decorate the tree. I will wrap more packages. I will watch more Christmas movies. I will not be a Bah Humbug. I really am never a true Bah Humbug, but I really want to savor the moment more than I usually do.
6. I want to make and encourage more people to make Christmas cards for our Vets in the VA Hospital so they will know people do care about them...a LOT!

PS If anyone cares - a Wii would be pretty cool too!