All in a snow days work....

Here are some recent pictures of how we have been spending our time.

 Playing in the snow after church on Sunday:

 Snow Day game of Carcassone: Lydia was the victor over Mommy and Emma!

 I didn't take any pictures of the girls playing in our 7 inch snow but I brought some in today for indoor snow fun. The girls played happily while listening to the soundtrack of Disney's Frozen.

Painting the snow with food coloring.

We've also read books, watched TV, played games, computer/wii time and thrown an argument or two into the mix just for kicks! Anyway, just trying to document the real moments of life as they happen.

Be blessed!

Christmas 2013 Pictures

Well, December has both blown by and drug on. Everyone of us have been sick at some point this month and some of us have had multiple different kinds of sickness. From heaving to hives and all around yucky colds our December has been rather bleak.  Despite that we had a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas Day celebration and are enjoying the down time this week is providing us.  Here are some snapshots of our Christmas.

Christmas Eve sister gift exchange (the rule is they can't open till after bath)

The Mystery

Pee Wee Pillow Pets!

After church the girls open their new pajamas

 Christmas Morning!

Presents at grandma and grandad's

After Christmas crash

 Merry Christmas from all of us to all of you!

Christmas Plan 2013

No, I didn't get tired of counting my many blessings and reasons to be thankful in November, I just wasn't diligent in continuing with the daily posting! That being said, I had an incredible time with God on the journey to discover His blessings in the everyday happenings of life. A journey that I wish to continue as we prepare to celebrate Christmas.

Christmas around our house has always been a time of connecting and focusing our attention on the reason for the season, Jesus.  I have been sharing our advent activities on my blog for the past couple years and am doing it again this year.  For sure you will see repeats from years past but I do try to change things up a little each year.

We've already begun our Jesse Tree readings for this year. We will light our first advent candle tonight as it is the first Sunday in the month.


 

Our daily countdown activities for this December are as follows:

1. Celebrate Christmas Past (look through old pictures)
2. Coloring book fun
3. Plan RACK (Light 'em up) activities
4. Shape Tracers
5. Spaghetti Dinner and Lights
6. Family Movie Night
7. PJ Book Day (take library staff treats)
8. Christmas Card Day
9. Homemade Hot Cocoa
10. Snowman craft
11. Christmas Tree Game
12. Paper Snoflakes
13. Carol at nursing home
14. Carol and celebrate birthday
15. Family Movie Night
16. Snowman Door Hanger
17. Candy Cane Craft
18. Christmas Puzzles
19. Bake and deliver neighbor treats
20. Legend of St. Nick with craft
21. Nativity Craft and activities
22. At home pedicure
23. Gingerbread day
24. Bake Jesus a birthday cake (attend Christmas Eve Service)
25. Christmas Day Celebration!

As far as gifts go, our family keeps it pretty simple and small.  The girls exchange gifts on Christmas Eve so they have something to occupy them during rehearsals for church. The kids get new pajamas after church on Christmas Eve and then wake up to a few presents under the tree. While I've always loved the idea of three gifts per child (just as Jesus received 3 gifts) we fall much more in line with this way of presenting gifts.

One new advent happening I am adding this year is marriage countdown activities. I've always done this with the kids but this year Justin and I will be counting down the days too.  I downloaded the marriage advent activities from The Generous Wife (on the right hand side of her site). I read her blog daily and am always encouraged in my walk as a wife.  Happy Home fairy has some cute ideas to keep your marriage fun, light and spicy during the holiday season. Check out her site for a ton of other great ideas too!

I would love to know what wonderful things you have planned or what traditions your family has for Christmas.  Please share so we can all gain new ideas and learn from one another.  Be blessed and be a blessing this Christmas season!

Thanksgiving 2013 Memories

Here is a short video highlighting our family Thanksgiving this year.  Hope you enjoy it!

Day 9: Well written allegory

The girls and I have been reading through the children's version of Hinds Feet on High Places. We are all loving it so much. I bought the book a few years ago but was waiting for the right moment to start reading it. This fall is proving to be the right moment. As we are all working to process some difficult situations, we are being reminded by "Much Afraid" (the main character) that "The Shepherd" is always with us when we call on Him. We will encounter many trials and troubles on our journey, we will experience things that cause pain, but through it all we have a friend who will never leave us alone.

Today I am thankful for the allegory of Hannah Hurnard's book Hinds' Feet on High Places. It had given me (us) so much to reflect upon and opened many good conversations in our house. 

Day 8: Wonder and Awe

It delights my heart when the girls become excited about the simple things in life. Today I was working on some Christmas stage design ideas for our Family Ministry room and as usual the girls loved the initial ideas.  Their excitement, their wonder and their awe is completely refreshing. Seeing the simplest thing and yet thinking it's the best thing ever just makes my day. Gotta love when your kids give you props.

Here they are enjoying conceptual brainstorming with me.

Day 7: A God Who is present in ALL of life

I'm pretty sure that for every cough, cough, cough...hack, hack, hack...sniffle, sniffle, sniffle...I've heard over the past few days my heart has done an equal amount of grumble, grumble, grumble. The truth? I can't stand that about myself. The seeming power the common cold has to unnerve, frustrate and irritate me is pretty unbelievable because all the common cold requires of me is to wait it out. When my kids get sick I am able to do very little to make a difference. I can snuggle, trying to soothe with my arms and heart what no medicine can ever do. I can practically comfort with extra fluids, rest and medicine, but even with these interventions, it's a waiting game.

Thing is, there are some really big issues in my life right now in which I believe I am waiting well. Waiting as ultimate healing for dis-ease comes for someone I love very deeply. Waiting for a loved one to come back to God. Waiting for tension and friction to give way to resolution and restoration. See, all these issue are big, overwhelming and completely out of my control thus my only option is to wait. God is teaching me to use this time of waiting in these areas of my life as a worship offering to Him. Worship through the waiting is incredibly painful and difficult but the only other option would be to deny that God is good and has any plan or purpose for the trials I am facing. I am choosing not to go there for I KNOW my God is good and that He has a plan and purpose for everything He allows in my life.

So why is it that this little thing called a cold has my heart and mind in a frenzy? Because it is inconvenient and I can't do anything to change it.  It shows just how much I crave the ability to control what happens to me and those I love.  It faces me with the truth that I need to accept with joy whatever lies before me.  So today, I am thankful for a God who is present in ALL of life. I feel His presence as I wait in the big things in my life. May He also quicken my heart to be sensitive to His presence in the mundane task of waiting out a childhood cold. A line in Matt Redman's newest worship album says this, "Everyone praises the thing they love... I'll be praising You my Lord."  That is my chief goal and ultimate desire in all the waiting situations in my life, that I use my attitude to praise my Lord and Savior.