Merry Christmas...

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Hey K2 Kanakuk Friends,
It's December 25th...Merry Christmas!

"And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord...and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST, AND ON EARTH PEACE AMONG THOSE WITH WHOM HE IS PLEASED."

~ Luke 2: 10-14

Be awesome & Love Jesus, 

kanakuk ashley robbins
ashley@kanakuk.com
Kanakuk Kamps...the best summer camp ever.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

Hey K2 Kanakuk Friends,
It's Christmas Eve (day) technically...I hope everyone is surrounded with family, friends and the deep soul calling that this holiday is so much more than trees, candles, presents, food and even family time...

Remember...

Be awesome & Love Jesus,

kanakuk ashley robbins
ashley@kanakuk.com
Kanakuk Kamps...the best summer camp ever.

Stop the Insta-Madness...

Hey K2 Kanakuk Friends,
Okay, ya'll know I can have a soap box on social media (again, I realize the somewhat irony of that statement considering I am writing it on a BLOG). But you know what I mean...the craze and obsession and overall unhealthy and shallow, unconnected culture it is creating...shew, okay, moving on...

I found this and it was too much...seriously, Instalike Christmas...what does it mean? What does it even do? DON'T ANSWER ME. Today is December 23...2 days before Christmas. I know it's so fun to take pictures...but don't let it take over memories. I know it's awesome to spend 20 minutes on a collage or filtering a photo over and over...but don't let it take over the 20 minutes your grandfather sat in the old leather chair by himself. I know it's awesome to scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll through The Twitter...but don't let it take over you rolling a dice for a fun family game day.

Social media = not bad...when done with moderation and healthy boundaries. Have some this Christmas. Put the phone by the door all together and make the memories that will be forever in your heart...not instalikes needed.

Be awesome & Love Jesus,

kanakuk ashley robbins
ashley@kanakuk.com
Kanakuk Kamps...the best summer camp ever.

Little Drummer Boy...

Hey K2 Kanakuk Friends,

I love this Christmas Carol...it's traditional, precious and more precious. (My vocabulary is oozing right now)...

Anyways, I saw this floating around Facebook land and love this acapello group from The Sing Off. Love this take on it...Enjoy!

Be awesome & Love Jesus, 

kanakuk ashley robbins
ashley@kanakuk.com
Kanakuk Kamps...best summer camp ever.

The "Kid" Christmas Tree...

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Hey K2 Kanakuk Friends,
Growing up in my childhood there is such a distinct memory with Christmas...THE KID TREE VS. THE FANCY SCHMANCY FORMAL TREE. I must admit I loved the pretty all white, themed out in gold bows, ornaments and angels tree that my momma did. But people...I LOVED the kid tree. It was all tacky, crazy colored lights (the pic above was just on the internet of a "kid" tree. it's not actually one I had growing up or anyone I know), the old bubble lights my dad is all sentimental on, popsicle snowflakes, bad 1st grade pictures on foam ornaments, handprints that were all smudged, and not an inch of open space when we were done. Hence I loved it...

I now in our home have just 1 tree...just a kid tree. It's white lights are simple and lovely at night but it's surrounded by ornaments that already hold value...not because they have the littles birthdays or perfectly sparkly snowflake but because it's full of memories already of OUR family. Construction paper tree ornaments with stickers, deformed gingerbread men b/c 2 year olds don't know where 3 buttons have to go to make a normal gingerbread ornament, so many ornaments with "2006" on them for the year the hubs and I got married (how did i trick him into that! woohoo!)...so I'll stick with my "family" tree for now and let's be honest for many, many years to come.

What's your tree like? (If you have a fancy formal tree...rock on! I have nothing against them as my momma still loves a good formal tree! However grandkids have changed her on her formality...it's filled again with grandkid ornaments! haha! we won!)

Be awesome & Love Jesus,

kanakuk ashley robbins
ashley@kanakuk.com
Kanakuk Kamps...the best summer camp ever.

Christmas Traditions...

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Hey K2 Kanakuk Friends,
Look how cute wooden Santa is in this picture with all those perfectly sparkly circle lights. Don't you just want to cuddle him...no? Just me, cool!

Traditions: by the Ashley Robbins dictionary it means things, stuff, or events that always happen. Webster will be calling soon I'm sure to help define some other words that need some clarification.

What are yours? Maybe you don't have any...create some. Maybe you have one you dream of doing with your family...do it.

Here are some of Ours...
1. Advent calendar based on mostly experiences...not spending more money, honey.
2. Opening 1 gift on Christmas Eve...usually our stocking.
3. Going to SDC to look at lights (this is done in November as that is when they have Branson local/tourism free dates)
4. Buying an ornament for each kid for each year and then they will have a box full that I get to give them when they get married...if that's in their story. Side note: I buy that years ornament after Christmas for like $0.50 on clearance. I write on the box or the ornament the name of little and year.
5. Hot cocoa is like a flowing river at our house during December. Our cocoa motion machine (yes, that's a real thing and yes I have one and yes, i'm obsessed with it) is like my best friend. If I was on The Twitter, I would tweet pics of me and my cocoa machine with clever statements all the time...hence why I am actually NOT on The Tweeter Twitt world.

Okay, go conversate with your family...I don't think conversate is a word...again, holler Webster...

Be awesome & Love Jesus,

kanakuk ashley robbins
ashley@kanakuk.com

What Does Christmas Mean to You...

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Hey K2 Kanakuk Friends,
Just a rhetorical question for you to ponder in your heart...

What does Christmas mean to you?

Be awesome & Love Jesus,

kanakuk ashley robbins
ashley@kanakuk.com
kanakuk kamps...best summer camp ever

Free Printable "Golden" Ticket...

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Hey K2 Kanakuk Friends,
Okay, by "golden ticket" I hope no one thought they needed to go buy a chocolate bar and were one step closer to the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory. This golden ticket is even better...seriously, chocolate and candy aren't that great for you all in all.

This perfectly FREE printable is from us to you if you want an awesome little way to give the gift that truly invests 10 times back into your child or teen. You can go HERE to get the free printable.

Below is an example of one filled in with the name and terms...how cute would this be! Make sure to have your camera ready when they see this new ornament on the tree or this ticket in their stocking...

Be awesome & Love Jesus,

kanakuk ashley robbins
ashley@kanakuk.com
kanakuk kamps...best summer camp ever

Break Anyone?...

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Hey K2 Kanakuk Friends,
Doesn't this picture make you just want to lay in the sand with golden waves...just me? Weird.

We loved our turkey break but December is starting to have the call of the wild...ya know what that wild call is calling...It's almost Christmas break...yeah, there is a call...listen carefully...

Okay, no call...but Christmas break is coming. For some of your college crazies you have already begun. Don't rub it in. For most of you high schoolers...you got some time to go. So buckle in to those chairs that are so not comfortable in your english lit class and drink H2O (that's water. I'm so not a fan of all those crazy energy drinks that have large animals on them) and tune in. Your brain wants you to, I promise.

The breaks coming...

Be awesome & Love Jesus,

kanakuk ashley robbins
ashley@kanakuk.com
kanakuk kamps...the best summer camp ever

Christmas Trees...

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Hey K2 Kanakuk Friends,
Oh, twinkly lights...I want you in my house and life and soul everday...why is it only appropriate to have Christmas lights at Christmas. Good thing I live in Branson so I can have Christmas decorations for like 3 months! It's awesome!

This tree above I just love...it's simple. Oh, let's keep December simple...keep your stress over what to wear to your 14th Christmas party minimal...be like this tree...real, simple, charming, lovely, and just precious.

Be like the tree...

Be awesome & Love Jesus,

kanakuk ashley robbins
ashley@kanakuk.com

Ponder on Her Ponderings...

{nate barrett / emerald}

Hey K2 Kanakuk Friends,
You really won't get the title unless you know who this picture is...above is Sam Ponder (well, I knew her as Samantha Steele). I interviewied her years ago and she came and was a part of our K2 family for a summer. She was young, passionate about the Lord and have lived a crazy life of getting her foot in the door of ESPN at a young age with no "higher" education. Her story made my jaw drop as far as the doors that she had walked through and the hands she had shaken.

So it's no surprise that Sam is still a big deal in the world of sports that is ESPN but to me she is a big deal b/c of her passion, her unwavering security in Jesus and her authenticity of just being her. I claim in no way to be her best friend but am proud to say I have sat on a swing for a few hours in a summer that I felt blessed to walk beside her for a bit...

I came across this article that I thought was so "Sam." Real. Raw. Not overly spiritual. Just her. Just who Jesus made her. Please take time to read...

Click HERE for the awesome read...

Be awesome & Love Jesus,

kanakuk ashley robbins
ashley@kanakuk.com

Family Media Agreement...

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Hey K2 Kanakuk Friends,
Just to follow up on Josh Straub's message yesterday (I'm the worst at watching stuff but I'm just praying you did!). Here is a link to two things that we are doing in our household (don't have to tackle to much of the family one yet since our kids are littles but love the marriage e-Nup)

1. Click here for a link to a marriage e-nup. Some of these I must admit are pretty extreme but tweek it for what works and is healthy. I sometimes put in work hours at night (all littles are in bed) which I need to do to help our family...or while husband watches "DaBears" I might do some Pinteresting...that's okay. Talk through the health of your marriage versus Social Media. Remember it is slow and steady how it infuses in...so just be extreme if need be.

2. Click here for the family media agreement. Click on the Family Media Agreement. Love this one so much!!!

Again remember I am not "bashing" the culture of Social Media...not my heart. Just balance and using it for GOOD...which can be fuzzy!

Be awesome & Love Jesus,

kanakuk ashley robbins
ashley@kanakuk.com

I Want to Help You Learn to LOVE BETTER, NOT FEEL BETTER...

Hey K2 Kanakuk Friends,
Goodness, I am begging you (PARENTS, YOUNG MARRIEDS, YOUNG CAREER, COLLEGE, YOUTH, JUNIOR HIGH) to watch this sermon. It was a slap in the face reality check of how to write love on the tablets of our hearts within the slow and deafening voice of social media culture we are now in. Seriously!! I am begging you to watch...the statistics alone will leave you baffled and ready to fight for this generation...

Best takeaway from Josh was this...I want to help teach ____ (he used his son) to LOVE BETTER, not just feel better.

Be awesome & Love Jesus,

kanakuk ashley robbins
ashley@kanakuk.com