Less is {possibly} more....?

 A letter to our friends and family (and whoever else cares):

Hi everyone,

We have been thinking of this, well, since last year.

In an effort to raise grateful, appreciative, thoughtful children we've given the upcoming Christmas season a LOT of thought and consideration.

While we are grateful for your (possibly) wanting to give them gifts (not to mention all of the wonderful and thoughtful gifts you've all given to them over the years! Each present has been special, remembered and appreciated), and while we also want to give fun, exciting gifts and memories to all of you, here are some of our thoughts and hopes for this year (and most likely years to come).

First – we aren't canning Christmas gifts per-se. :) Just re-thinking it all with this in mind:

We live in a culture that is bombarded with stuff.

Time is too precious and short to spend it looking for, organizing, sorting, cleaning, buying, desiring and managing our stuff. We've spent a lot of time this summer (and are currently still) de-cluttering our small living space. We already have so much, too much.

Less stuff means more room for people and life. More board games, more crazy forts, more room to dance and play.

We are trying to teach our children the difference between “needs” and “wants”. It becomes increasingly difficult to see the difference between our needs and our wants when we are surrounded by so much more than we need. Don't get us wrong, we LOVE buying our kids things that we know they will love. But it already doesn't take long before it's left on the floor and shuffled under a bed and forgotten. We can't help but think that it was a waste of hard-earned money for such temporary joy (if you can call it joy even).

In an effort to instill lasting values into little ones, we want to be an example to them that being the hands and feet of Jesus to a starving world costs something, and having less leaves us with so much more to give. We never want them to feel guilty for living in a land of plenty, but to learn that it is right to act responsibly when much is given. We know that much of the world cannot choose to live with just enough because they don't have enough to begin with. I've seen this first hand in Mexico – children anxiously waiting for the garbage truck to supply their next meal, or newest household item. We are attempting to choose to live simply so that others can simply live.

We also hope our children will see that the most beautiful things in life are simple, often intangible, and almost always nearly free. And that's where we offer this as possible ideas:

*(please please know that we do not ever expect any gifts, and if you choose to not give us or them anything, we are just as happy to spend some Holiday time with you!)

• please consider a gift of experience. Ie: Movie passes, tickets for Canada's Wonderland or the zoo, money towards horseback riding or a sport or art class or something that they can have fun at and create a memory with.
• a gift of quality time. All of us are big on this. A cheesy, homemade gift certificate for a date at Starbucks or something is special. Last year one of our friends did this and each kid really loved the one-on-one time that he gave them. To us, it's so precious that our friend is willing to invest in nurturing his relationship with our children.
• A homemade gift. Grandad's bunk beds, Daddy's dollhouses and furniture have proven WAY better than any store-bought toy. Seriously. And they proudly show all their friends!
• If you see something you think they would absolutely love that is NOT from China, please don't feel you aren't “allowed”. The point is that if we all supported local businesses.... well... we're trying to stick to that attempt this year anyways.

We hope we don't sound all hippy-crazy. We are just trying to find our way with our family re-thinking Christmas and all it's become. We hope it makes some sense to you and that you won't hate our gifts to you! Hahahaha

Love you all,

Nate, Paula and the kiddos

Check these out: This amazing store and project in Haiti The Apparent Project,  Gifts of Compassion,  The Advent Conspiracy,  A blog of a family of 8 living on less for the year http://www.theyearofless.blogspot.ca/  , Enough blog entry that got me really thinking and my friend Fly Lady