Holiday Help from you....

(Jackie Schneider, Shayne, Paul Schneider, Cayden)

This year is the first time in years, we have not done Christmas cards. Most of you know that we send out cards with a newsletter & picture. But since we couldn't coordinate our schedule to get pictures done, we let the cards slide. (However, I may send out a few today).

In lieu of the newsletter & picture, we decided to do a few YouTube holiday greetings from our house to yours! So be looking for that in the next day or so, hopefully today!

So...... I thought it would be fun to ask you all to do 2 things for me to break the monotony of typical holiday stuff. (1) share/post on here your favorite holiday tradition & new years resolution (I'll hold you accountable) AND

(2) the fun thing........ in the next couple of months, mail us a picture of you, your family... whatever that represents you! We're going to start a Schneida's Wall of Fame & Friends in our house! We have a huge family wall, but we want to bring you all in here as well! So here's the scoop: send us a 4x6 or 5x7 picture. Frame it if you can (can get frames at Dollar Tree) & we're starting a wall! You can label it, write on it, whatever you want, just keep it clean! Occaisionally I'll blog about it, and maybe post a picture/video with an update! Whenever you want, you can send in a new picture to add to it! C'MON.... it'll be fun!!!

Our traditions? Well, we don't have any in concrete, but the past 2 years on Cmas Eve night, I've taken Cayden outside under the sky (& last year with Shayne) & told them the story about Jesus' birthday & the trip to Bethlehem. My pastors wife bakes a birthday cake for Jesus, so I might copy that! (thanks Jenn!) Saturday Cayden helped me taste test, I mean ice the cookies! Then that night he & Shayne painted some ornaments for me. Well, Shayne thought that the paint brush looked a lot like a spoon with blue icing so he attempted to taste it numerous times!

For New Years resolutions.... well, as always... I plan on being healthier & better organized! The difference is, this year I hope to stick to it! (can't you relate?!) Oh... I know the big one for me:

This year my family has endured the loss of several friends & relatives, all at a young age! I find myself always telling people when they ask me "... what have you been up to lately?...", my reply consists of "I'm SO BUSY with work & the kids..." Now, while all those are important, the friendships that I have & have lost touch with are also important to who I am. So in 2009 I plan on committing myself to getting up with girlfriends that I haven't seen or spoken to in a while & having a monthly outing of some sort! It may not sound like a lot, but it's a start.

LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO BE TOO BUSY TO ENJOY IT & ONE ANOTHER!

So hopefully my resolution will prompt you to do the same. I mean, we all get on here & read blogs, email, FaceBook, MySpace, text people all the time.... but that's not a person-to-person relationship! So I challenge you & myself to make dates in person, with your friends! Send a HAND-WRITTEN card or letter! Don't let distance & "too busy'ness" come between you! The one thing in life that is certain is that we all die..... so don't be left behind regretting you didn't make the time for one another!