Merry Christmas!

Wishing you and yours a very merry Christmas!!!

Christmas Movies

We only have a few days left!!  The stockings are hung, the presents are wrapped, the cookies are baked and eaten.  It's the perfect time to sit around and snuggle up with the family and watch movies!  My family has a really fun movie that we watch every year together, but there are a few other movies I can't get through Christmas without...

And our family's absolute favorite:

Home for the Holidays

Was last week incredibly long for anyone else?  I don't know if my eager anticipation of getting home to my Mama was the issue, or if it was the heavy workload I had last week, but it drug on forever!  Fortunately, I got all of my stuff taken care of, and we are safely in Little Rock.  But not until after one awesome second grade holiday party!

  How much have I been looking forward to these five days off for the holidays?  More than you could possibly know!  It's been a taxing year to be a Johnson-Holloway-Lowe, losing two grandparents, moving houses, being pregnant, and so much more - I need this time off to unwind, reflect, and snuggle up with my nearest and dearest.

There's something so relaxing about being at your parents' house.  I can be in my reindeer pajama pants all day, the calories don't count, and I don't feel any pressure to clean, cook, or get anything done around my own house.  If I want to spend the whole day on MarioKart, I can.  How liberating is that?

What's on the agenda?  Not much, I am happy to report.  A little baking, a little video gaming, a little coffee drinking, a little card playing...then a LOT of present opening.  Today, Mama and I are making Grandmama's world famous Christmas cookies, which include peanut butter blossoms, Chocolate surprises, and cocoons.  My mother will also be making her molasses cookies, which are as close to an illegal drug addiction as I'll ever get.  Can't stop, won't stop.  Tomorrow, we'll make Mom's secret vanilla cookie recipe and let the whole family ice and decorate them.

Christmas Eve, we'll head to Ryan's parents' for the day to have Christmas with them, his sister and her husband, and our nephew Rafe.  Then they have a big Christmas dinner at 3PM, complete with a rowdy game of Dirty Santa.  Afterwards, it's dinner at my Nini's with both of my aunts and their families (that means two uncles, three cousins, one cousin's husband, and her little bun in the oven due in late January/early February).

I won't give away all of the fun that will ensue on Christmas, because I'm sure that will make for some great blog posting.  Check back later to make sure I didn't blow up Mom's kitchen!

Oh, and here's a little shot of Alli having a tea party with the tea set my mom had as a child.  How sweet is that?  See if you can spot my dad's childhood teddy bear in attendance.

Best Christmas Presents

I am determined not to lose the Christmas spunk this year, aren't I?  Don't worry, we only have another week and a half, and then it will be back to our normal lives, but until then, it's my mission to make sure you keep the Christmas zest along with me.

Raise your hand if you're done Christmas shopping?  Guess what?  I am!  Isn't that exciting?  And the majority of my presents are already wrapped too.  I told you years ago, greeting Christmas unprepared is one of the things I used to dislike the most about it, but I have spent the past several Christmases extremely prepared and very happy with my present selections, thus alleviating the only issue I had with Christmas.

I never thought I would enjoy the giving aspect of Christmas as much as I did the receiving, but I guess being a parent helps you change.  However, I'd like to take a step back and remember some of my favorite Christmas presents over the years, and I'll even throw in some of Ryan and Alli's as well.

• Nintendos - At my house, Santa sets up the Christmas presents so that they are ready to go when you walk in the room in the morning.  For example, if Santa got you a dollhouse, it would be put together and ready for immediate playtime.  Santa has given Lindsey and I three gaming consoles over the years (a regular Nintendo, a Nintendo 64, and a PlayStation2), and each time they were hooked up to the TV with a game inside ready to go.  I think it goes without saying that my favorite has always been the Nintendo 64.  I will whip you in MarioKart 64- you name the time and place, and all I ask is that I be Peach.

• Billy Ray Cyrus cutout, horse grooming kit - You read that right.  One year, Santa left me a fantastic grooming kit so that I could finally stop using the old stuff at the barn and had all of my own curry combs, dandy brushes, and hoof picks to use.  Big stuff for a young rider.  Next to that was a giant cutout (like the ones you used to see in the CD section at Best Buy or Wal-Mart) of this.  Seriously, he has to be the most underrated hottie of the 90s, mullet and all.

• Diamonds, diamonds, diamonds - Ryan tends to overdo Christmas a little bitsy bit, and in our eight Christmases together, he's given me three diamond rings.  Two more and I change that verse in the Twelve Days of Christmas to "Five diamond rings!"  I do love a good rock or two or three, and I've been shocked beyond belief each time he's done it.  We like to joke that we did things a little backwards - first comes baby, then marriage, then wedding band, then engagement ring...

I checked with Ryan, and his favorite Christmas present was either a Nintendo or the year he got all of the Ninja Turtles.  Alli said hers was last year when she got her Lego village (short memory).  My favorite for Alli was when we got her the giant horse, which is still holding over until that real pony shows up...

It's Not About Gun Control

I know we usually have a lot of fun over here at the Lowe Down.  We're always talking about holidays, fun family events, and home decorating.  Right now though, I am so disturbed and consumed with the horrible events that happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School and the public reaction, I cannot help but comment on it, and I think this is probably the best forum for it.

I almost never agree with my Facebook newsfeed when it comes to political agendas.  Growing up a bleeding heart liberal in the heart of a red state didn't afford me many friends with my same views.   So it's no surprise to me during November in an election year that I generally unfriend some people and hide others and avoid most social media.  I'm used to it.

It has been a surprise to me that since Friday though, I have had to do the same thing.  Not for political reasons per se, but because I am still surprised by my "friends'" reaction to the events that took place this Friday.  Initially, a majority of people reacted simply as expected - horror, grief, sadness, hugging up their own kids - just like me.  Later, as more details have emerged, there have been stories of heroic teachers and kids, all hard to read but valuable.

However, there's another emerging theme.  Gun control.  This one didn't surprise me, but it continually disappoints me.  In the midst of a massacre of epic proportions, parents and siblings grieving for their first grader, are you really clinging to your duck hunting gun and screaming about your right to bear arms?  Clearly, my views on gun control do not match yours, but this is not the time or the place for that discussion.

Here is what I would like to ask, however.  Instead of concerning yourself with gun control, why aren't you screaming for better mental health care in our country?  Obviously, there was something very wrong with this man.  Did he have a mental health problem that went untreated or ignored?  Was he bullied severely as a child?  Was his home life a nightmare?  Details are murky right now, but we can all agree that no average person who had a peaceful upbringing, a healthy mind, and a normal childhood would do what this man did.

Maybe you should loosen your grip on your Glock, because I don't want to take it from you.  Maybe you should wonder what symptoms you're ignoring in your own child, brother, or friend, that is indicating to you that they need help.  This country does not concern itself much with the mental health of its citizens, as evidenced by longer work days, less vacation, severe bullying, and lack of oveall discussion.  Mental illness is a stigma, and not one that most want to discuss.  The only way to overcome this is by us, the citizens, parents, and employees, standing up for our mental health and that of others.

Maybe your child is the bully.  Stop worrying about your gun, and teach him tolerance, kindness, and compassion.  Teach him respect for those who are different from him.

Maybe he's the one being bullied.  Teach him confidence, and listen to him.  Go to your teacher, your principal, your lawyer, and fight for his right to be left alone.

Maybe he's just the one standing aside and watching it happen.  Teach him the merits of caring for those less fortunate than he, and not just in the financial aspect.  Teach him to stand up for the weak, the weary, the downtrodden.

Maybe your child has mental health concerns.  Please don't ignore them.  Talk to teachers, talk to doctors, and get him the help he needs.

I am not asking for sympathy for the killer.  All I am asking for is for us to focus on what's really important here.  Here's a hint:  it's not you or your gun.

Hey Rudolph, C'mon and Guide My Sleigh

In light of the terrible events of yesterday at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT I, like you, am grieving for the families who lost their little ones and full of sadness for the images burned into the minds of the survivors.  I prayed constantly yesterday and made sure to give my elementary schooler an extra hug.  It feels trivial to continue on with my everyday life and especially challenging to continue to discuss Christmas, but I do feel like I lost the spirit yesterday, and I need to get it back for my own babes.  

Overall, I've been in the Christmas Spirit in a major way this year.  The tree was up Thanksgiving weekend, the shopping was halfway done on December 1st, and Alli and I have been blaring Christmas music on the way to school and work.  Letting Pandora shuffle through every Christmas song I know and even some I don't got me thinking - what are my all time favorite Christmas songs?  Some are really obvious, and some aren't.  Here's who makes the cut:

• All I Want For Christmas is You - Mariah Carey - I never paid a lot of attention to this song in my childhood, but when I was in ninth grade, our school cheerleading and dance teams collaborated for a basketball halftime show dance to this very song.  We wore Santa hats, black dance pants, red tank tops, white button-up shirts and held giant candy canes.  It.  Was.  Awesome.  To this day I can still do some of the dance, much to the delight of my family and friends (I assume). This song now holds a very special memory for me, and it's a must-play every year.

• Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt - I'd never heard a woman actually purr while singing, but Earth Kitt can do it.  I've loved this song since my parents got it on Greatest Hits of Christmas album.  What girl doesn't ask Santa for a yacht, decorations from Tiffany's, and a light blue convertible?
• Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer - If I haven't said it before, and I know I have a million times, I love reindeer.  This was always my favorite song growing up, and not just because I liked to throw in "like a lightbulb" and "like Monopoly" when given the chance.  A tradition in our family is watching Claymation Christmas, which ends with the best version of this song by the California Raisins.  Click below, and you're welcome.

• Oh Holy Night - If I could sing for just one song, I would choose this song (If I got two, I would add "I Will Always Love You").  It just the most beautiful song about Christ's birth, and it moves me to tears every single time.  Rest assured, I belt it out when given the chance - I just wish it sounded better.  Make a joyful noise, right?

I'm laying in bed with my little family while I write this post, and they want me to be sure and mention their favorite Christmas songs too.  Alli says hers is "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" by Justin Bieber, but I'm pretty sure she likes the version by the original Biebs, the Jackson 5.  Ryan's favorite is White Christmas by Bing Crosby, but for fun's sake, here's the version by the Drifters that my grandfather was obsessed with: 

I feel terrible for leaving "I'll be Home for Christmas," "Baby It's Cold Outside," and "Please Come Home For Christmas" off of this list, but please consider them honorable mentions.  What are your favorites?

How much do I love...

...my new blog design?  Are you digging the new layout, navigation bar, background, banner, and side bar as much as I am?  I've done the designing on this little blog-o-mine the entire time I've owned it with very little guidance, knowledge, or skill, and it's always looked okayyy but never great.  With a new baby on the way and an intensified desire to document our little lives, I decided it was time to either invest heavily in my coding skills or hire a pro.  Since I can't stay awake past 8PM most nights (thanks, baby Lowe, for turning your mom into an early to bed, early to rise kind of girl), the decision was easy for me - hire the pro!

Luckily for me, a few web logging friends had already used someone to get gorgeous results on their blogs (specifically Boonies in the Boonies, a favorite mommy blog by a girl I've known since elementary school!).  All I did was click on the Designs by Linds button on their blogs (and now on mine - see sidebar) and read through the options.  I was hooked - I needed her design in my blog life.

I promptly emailed her my answers to her questionnaire, and she replied later that same evening.  She actually started on the blog two days later, which was quite pleasing for your friend the instant-gratificationista.  We spent about a week going back and forth on her test blog and making tweaks.  I was so pleased all the way through the process - she had great ideas, great design, and awesome customer service.

The blog went live about a week ago, and even since they I've seen little things I wanted adjusted, and she's done them with no issues at all.  Seriously, friends, if you're wanting to step your blog game up, click on the button on my sidebar and start talking to Lindsey.  She's awesome!