Being Blowey: Christmas

12.01.2011

Here is the Advent list I made for my family this year... (its very vague just helps me rem what fun things were doing each day)
December Advent Calendar 2011
Get Christmas tree & drink coco

Make Special thank u card for teachers

Decorate the tree and House for Jesus' Birthday

Santa's Wonderland at Bass Pro

Put our manger together and make a tent like it

Christmas Carols sing along with instruments

Make name tags for gifts out of Christmas symbols

Make a Gingerbread house at Fancy's

Gather toys for kids in need this Christmas

Watch Frosty & make snowman & Funfetti w Granny

Christmas Scavenger hunt with red & green picnic

Mail out & write Christmas cards (pray for families)

Drink hot Coco and cuddle on the couch get out old photos!

Wrap our presents for everyone

Ride the train at the mall

Shrinky-Dink Ornaments

Baking day!
Church concert

Christmas Santa's Wonderland in College Station
Start 7 day countdown "what to give Jesus for Christmas"
Put on Bethlehem Play-video
Ice skating and Lego land AM
Fill a stocking and leave it on a neighbors door
Decorate cookies for Santa , make reindeer food!
CHRISTMAS EVE
Christmas service, Letter to Jesus
CHRISTMAS DAY
Look for the crown in the tree and give it to Jesus 26

NEW YEAR’S EVE
Put promises for 2012 in stockings for next year!

one thing that I am happy about is that i actually typed up a list and put it in a calendar and actually attempted to be fully ready for advent. (even if things like the Christmas performance at K's school left us scrambling today and we didnt get to do all we hoped-at least the first lesson is about forgiveness right? lets try again tomorrow)

One thing that is really hard and heavy on my heart is a desire to do an Advent ornament and also do all the other family things that we look forward to..so the question is, how do I do both- i incorporate scripture and bible lessons with our advent but I wanted to do something different this year, how do I plan all l this in the midst of the crazy things that just HAPPEN to be falling in my lap this month as well?....

Let me interject that I KNOW there is no way its a coincidence that some of these pressing things have come up this week...the enemy is trying to steal my joy, make me feel like a failure, and keep me from doing what I know God has pressed on my heart. never mind the fact that me and bry have been so exhausted and busy and getting sick we havent gone to sleep at the same time all week, I've been sad (for no apparent reason really) in the midst of a time that is usually my favorite, I feel so pressed by the end of the day my mind literally just aches-its just empty and hurts to try to recover anything, noise from anyone especially loud little girls who are making some version, different each time mind you, of the most annoying sounds ever made from Dumb and Dumber ( i swear they must have seen the clip or something how could they know how to make these noises so well) are piercing my already splitting head.

So WHAT in the world does this have to do with Advent you ask? Well, I think it's just the simple fact that as much as I wanted to write how wonderful the week has started and how great everything is and how awesome I feel and how the girls are sitting politely waiting to hear about the spectacular reason for the season...that's not really how its actually looked. Its looked more like a train wreck and I am just sort of coming out of the ashes here....

One thing I love so much about the Lord is that in a few minutes I will close my eyes, go to sleep and get a chance to do it better tomorrow, to start over tomorrow, to forgive myself and others, to seek His will for the day, and to make right whats trying to go all wrong.

So even though today is Dec 1st....it's really all going to look like it should tomorrow. (wow, i actually will sleep before 2 am, its looking better already!)

I've attached some of the fun things that we are doing for our advent calendar...tomorrow I will attach the evening lessons I am hoping to get from a friend.

12.01.2010

Advent and Christmas Traditions

Dear Advent box, how I have missed you. Last year we had a blast and Kehnley really thought you were magic how you would always have a new fun treat and instructions for a fun day ahead as we counted down the days til Jesus' birthday. This year I can't wait to see you because she knows a little more and is going to be SO excited to see what you have in store! Of course we have our nativity advent that helps us keep our days all in a row and as we fill the manger with all the animals and angels I can't help but get a little anxious to see what Sadie will do with you when I am not looking!

Some old some new family traditions to share, please feel free to let me know yours AND use some of ours!

25 stories of Christmas:
This year we are going to wrap a book (some old some new) that are all about Christmas and since Bry misses all the advent full all day while he's away at work, he will be the one to greet her with a new wrapped book every day when he gets home and that will be the book she gets to read at bedtime with us. I can't wait for her to see the Grinch Stole Christmas Original, and a new book I found called God gave us Christmas!

Hidden Crown:
My husband is German and I looked up years ago German traditions for Christmas, i also asked about some that their family had when he was growing up. Is mom shared with me how her mom, the boys Granny would decorate the tree and keep it hidden until Christmas eve! That was the first time they got to see it! But since I am pretty obsessed with falling asleep on the couch by only the light of the Christmas tree each year (there is just a joy that brings me that I can't express) lol I couldn't do that one, but hiding a pickle in the tree is a tradition for many Germain homes and who ever finds it gets a special treat. Well, this year we are hiding a crown. We did something like it last year, but I am going to REALLY hide it good this year and who ever finds it gets to put it on the cake and present it to Jesus for His birthday! (Hopefully K will find it first! lol)

Christmas bake off:
We have a Christmas baking cookie exchange that I hope to share with some new friends and family this year! Last year at the Blowey's K had a blast decorating "goodies" for friends to share, she wanted to eat all those "goodies" as she called them all the time though!

Shrinky-Dink:
Every year for many years (Bry loves this....well....he's grown to love it) we make shrinky-dink ornaments! They are SO fun, great keepsakes and make the best gifts! And it's just amazing seeing all those big drawings and art work shrink down to pretty little ornaments for our tree! One day when I am old and gray i will have enough shrinky-dinks to cover a tree all on their own! (And Bry will probably have a billion deer feeder scenes he's created from year to year on his!)

Advent Box:
I get ideas from blogs and websites and my crazy sleepless nights up for hours thinking about things to make and do on the days leading to Christmas that are fun and silly and remind us the joy of the season! Some are the same each year... some are different. Here is the first for this year and the sources I have for the rest I will post tomorrow. (it's been a CRAZY week!)

W. Day 1 Make a wreath for Advent. Talk about what advent means. Decorate the tree and Bry is bringing the first wrapped book today all about the Christmas tree!!