It is the most wonderful time of the year- Advent. The season of preparation and expectant waiting. A time to prepare our hearts to receive the greatest gift. And in that time to extend that hopeful expectation with our very own hearts and lives to those around us and to those around the world.
We have many traditions during this season and we have been making great memories. The kids were eager to decorate the house and the tree. They did much of it themselves this year...
Julia had a story and a place for every ornament.
She was very particular to the animals of course...
And just to keep it real, it is not all happy, shiny, Hallmark moments in our home either. There are an equal number of these, too. Carter watching football scores concerned about the BCS rankings and Julia pouting about some grievance...
Over the summer my some friends got together to do a Jesse Tree ornament exchange. It is a 25-day devotional of symbols and scriptures that take us through the Bible from creation to the birth of Christ. Each step of the way tells a piece of the story and shows God's faithfulness through 4,000 years of history. Each night after dinner, the kids hang up that nights ornament on our Jesse Tree.
Christmas card production is also in full swing. It surprises me how much they enjoy the stamping, stuffing, and licking :)
On Sunday evenings we have our dinner by candlelight. The meal is nothing fancy, just the ambiance. We light our family advent wreath candles and talk about the meaning of each one.
One of our favorite fun evenings of December happened last Tuesday. After the girls finish their dance class, we head over for dinner at "dollar tacos"- a crowd favorite...
Then our favorite bakery has their annual Christmas Open House...
The yummy treats are everywhere. All the goodies are free and unlimited!
They help the kids decorate their own mini-masterpieces...
And several of their decorators are making cakes for the crowd and demonstrating their technique...
Then it was time to taste!
So much to choose from!!
We had a great time with so many of our friends...
You will see many familiar faces in the photo montage the bakery released.
After the bakery, we head over to Starmount to drive through their light displays- hundreds of brightly colored balls hanging from high in the trees. (The blurry pictures do not do it justice.) It is like something from a storybook...
We finish the night on the lawn of a local college visiting the nativity scene they have on display.
The kids love the opportunity to see everything up close. we were blessed by warm weather this year for December. Last year was bitterly cold. The security card who stands watch over the display remembered us from last year. I guess with all the kiddos we are kind of memorable :)
We have made so many wonderful memories already. Looking forward to many more and some wonderful opportunities to serve and reach out. We pray your advent season is a time of peace, reflection, and preparation.
We have many traditions during this season and we have been making great memories. The kids were eager to decorate the house and the tree. They did much of it themselves this year...
Over the summer my some friends got together to do a Jesse Tree ornament exchange. It is a 25-day devotional of symbols and scriptures that take us through the Bible from creation to the birth of Christ. Each step of the way tells a piece of the story and shows God's faithfulness through 4,000 years of history. Each night after dinner, the kids hang up that nights ornament on our Jesse Tree.
Carter reads the scripture for the night (from the itouch), Daddy does the devotion, and Julia reads the prayer. Such a sweet time of family worship. I love to see their excitement over the true meaning of Christmas. The stories are all ones they know well so we've been able to take the discussions a step further now.
After the bakery, we head over to Starmount to drive through their light displays- hundreds of brightly colored balls hanging from high in the trees. (The blurry pictures do not do it justice.) It is like something from a storybook...
No comments:
Post a Comment