Advent Calendar

This year I decided to try a new Christmas card display idea in our kitchen that I saw on Pinterest - attaching ribbon to cabinets and hanging the cards on the ribbon with clothespins.  I also came up with an Advent calendar idea to fill in the empty cabinets.  This is our first Advent calendar, so I used a couple different ideas and put them together. 

First, we assembled paper sacks to attach to the cabinets.

 

I typed up the nativity story (the two-year-old version) into 25 chunks, and we put one piece in each bag.  There is also something else in each bag - an object used to tell the nativity story, a craft that goes along with the story, or a fun family activity.  We use paper puppets and The Story of Christmas to reinforce the story piece for that day.

 

Last year Mara wasn't old enough to really grasp any Christmas concepts, so this year I've really enjoyed introducing her to the meaning of Christmas.  It's fun to see her anticipation of opening and dumping out her sack each day.  It warms my heart to watch her pick up the puppets and retell the story.  I laugh at the silly but innocent things that sometimes happen.  Like when Mary and the Angel were in a heavy kissing session!  She was trying to retell the part about Joseph and Mary being engaged to be married, but she forgot it was actually Joseph that should have been kissing Mary. 

Or when I asked Mara what Mary was doing in this picture......

She told me Mary was saying "please."  If Mary was using sign language, Mara would have been correct.  (She is totally digging the sign language we've been using with Micah!).

I hope you're enjoying this Christmas season and all of the joy it brings!

Thankful Thursday

1. family time
2.  Lance's safe return from Chicago
3.  Lance's breakfasts - Why do we rarely go out for breakfast?  Because Lance's breakfasts are much better than anything you can get at a restaurant.  Stop over some morning!

4.  Griffin's first birthday (my nephew)

5.  our fifth wedding anniversary
6.  Grandpa Melvin and his need to wear silly things (if you don't know him, he really doesn't have long, dark, curly hair!)

7.  Christmas party play date - Thanks S and boys!
8.  Lance's "kick off" meeting at work went smoothly and had record attendance
9.  the possibility of a white Christmas - the piles in our yard from Lance using the snow blowing on the drifts in our driveway aren't going anywhere fast!
10.  movie night - Polar Express and caramel corn
11.  Micah's sounds - his latest is the sound he makes when playing with a tractor

12.  snow covered trees and the view from our window - I feel very blessed to look out and not see a neighbor's house!  The next best place to an acreage!

Early Presents

The Christmas present anticipation got to someone.....

However, she did bring it to me just like this to let me know she was opening a present.  I tried to hide my smile.

Lance decided to let the kids open up the presents his company bought for them. They were pumped! 

 

 

Mara got an egg that was supposed to hatch in water.  So Lance decided to throw it into water that night.  She waited, and waited, and waited.  Of course he didn't read the directions right away, but after she got impatient he realized the directions said it would take "a few hours."  So, he took it out of the water, so it wouldn't hatch while she was sleeping.  I put it back into the water the following afternoon assuming we could all watch it break out of its shell after Lance got home from work.  Wrong.

The following morning it had finally cracked!

That chick took over 24 hours to finally make its appearance!  After all that waiting, she was scared to death of it when I took it out of the glass!  It did provide for some good entertainment.  We are very thankful to Lance's work for thinking of our kids this Christmas. 

 

 

 

Christmas Goodies

Let the Christmas treat makin' and eatin' begin!

Can you ever have enough sprinkles?  Mommy says yes.  Mara says no.

 

 

Fifth Anniversary

 

We're celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary today!  We were just discussing how it really doesn't feel like it's been that long at all, yet so many things have happened in those short five years.  We moved from our first house, to a duplex, and then to our current house.  We've added two members to our family.  We went from driving a small SUV to a family van.  Lance has changed jobs, and I now stay at home.  I can't imagine what will happen in the next five years! 

Lance gave me these beautiful roses!  We will be celebrating our anniversary with an afternoon date thanks to K&D for agreeing to watch our kiddos.

 

Mara and I had fun looking through wedding pictures, so I thought I'd share a few.

 

 

 

 

Micah's First Word

I love to see when something just "clicks" with my kids.  Something happened inside Micah's little noggin this past week.  One day he woke and and just started pointing at things saying "dis."  Sometimes he shakes his finger at something and yells, "Dadada, dis!"  And then sometimes he points and asks, "Dis?"  It's the cutest thing. 

He has also started responding to things we say.  If I ask, "Do you want to read a book?" he will go get a book and bring it to me.  If I ask, "Do you want to take a bath?" he will head to the bathroom.  If I ask, "Does that taste good?" he will say, "Mmmm."  He has started signing for "more" and "drink" when he's eating.  It's crazy to think such a little being can do so many things at just 10 months old. 

But here's the BIGGEST news.  Big news for Mommy and Daddy anyway.  He said his first word!  He said it on Wednesday, but I figured I was just hearing it through "mommy ears."  I got him to repeat it on video, so I played it for Lance hoping he'd make it official.  He was 50/50.  So, I didn't rush to his baby book and write it down.  However, he said it again yesterday, so I've made it official!  Let's see if you can figure out what he's saying..... 

 



Here's a hint: it's something to eat.  Any guesses?? 

Thankful Thursday

1.  Lance's safe return from Florida
2.  snow
3.  Jolly Holiday Lights - Mara loves driving around looking at Christmas lights, so we decided to take the kids.  Mara enjoyed the first 10 minutes once we got to the lights, but she didn't appreciate the 30 minute wait to get to them or the other 1 1/2 hours of driving 2 miles an hour to get to the end.  Very thankful it was so busy raising money for the Make a Wish Foundation.  Also very thankful we were able to enjoy it with our two healthy kids.
4.  Pastor T's sermon - Jesus doesn't mind getting involved in my messy life.  In fact, He loves it. 
5.  dinner with my parents, grandparents and aunt
6.  my mother-in-law's homemade salsa

Yes, Lance and I almost devoured an entire jar and a bag of chips in one sitting.  If Mara would have been awake, both would have been gone!
7.  my parents' anniversary - I feel very blessed to have parents who are happily married.  They are great role models for us and others in their lives.
8.  seeing the look on Micah's face as he watched the garbage truck do it's dumping action out our window
9.  snuggling my kids on the couch on a cold morning instead of showering and heading out the door
10.  Micah's imitation of sounds we make
11.  a nap
12.  Kleenex with lotion
13.  Bar Keepers Friend - Why have I not used this before??
14.  baby sign language -  I forgot how exciting it is to see them use a sign for the first time!
15.  the W Family is moving to Adel this weekend!!
16.  our drive through doctor - thanks S!
17.  getting Christmas cards in the mail - Mara and I fight over who gets to open them!  She won this time.

18.  Mary - What a willing servant.  She survived childbirth in a stable.  No epidural.  No lactation consultant if her baby didn't latch right away.  No bassinet, just a manger with straw and cloths.  She rocked her Savior to sleep.  That blows my mind.  She trusted God and obeyed his call.  I need to be more like her. 
   
And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.  She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.  Luke 2:7