Tag: Christmas

  • A Simple Alternative Christmas Gift-Giving Idea

    Photo credit: Reneé Kirk The time to do Christmas shopping is upon us. Are you ready? I know I’m not. I’m one of those people who dread Christmas shopping. I dislike how this annual holiday has become “Retail Christmas,” whereas the true meaning of Christmas is hard to find amid all the merchandise beckoning me to buy for…

  • Bringing the Story of Christ’s Birth to Life

    Many times during the winter months when we have chores to do at the barn for our heifer calves, my mind is full of wonderment about our barn.   It was built by my husband’s great grandfather in 1914 and is three stories tall. I love admiring the markings left from the tools that made…

  • Imperfect Christmas Trees

    A big part of our Christmas traditions is getting the tree, which always creates unique memories. We’re fortunate enough to harvest our own in the woods of the Black Hills. Most years we’ve gathered a pine tree right off our property. A few times I insisted on a spruce, which entailed getting a tree permit…

  • How I Survive December

    I used to feel like the time between Thanksgiving and December 25th was a month-long winter storm. I anticipated the Christmas season with dread.  The last few years I’ve adopted strategies to lessen my worry, stress, and pressures associated with the season. Now I give up, cheat, and put off. This lazy attitude makes me…

  • Storm Mountain Christmas

       Merry Christmas! For the past five years my siblings, their kids and spouses, our mom and my family, have celebrated Christmas at Storm Mountain Center. Storm Mountain is a Methodist church camp for youth and reunions in the summer, but hosts retreats, meetings and gatherings of all sorts in the wintertime. SMC is situated…

  • The Kirk Family Christmas Tree

    Living in the Black Hills has drawbacks because it’s a vacation destination but one of perks I love the most about living here is being able to go into the woods and pick out our own Christmas tree. The Forest Service sells Christmas tree permits that are a third of the cost of buying one,…

  • Recognizing Kids’ Handiwork

    One of the things I love about 4-H is the theory. Kids get to make their own choices and decisions and do all the problem solving while creating and learning something from start to finish. I enjoy helping my kids brainstorm ideas, suggest materials needed and assist with problem solving suggestions to ease their frustration…