Some things we did this past week...

Christmas party at the library and another visit with Santa. Chey got to tell him all the things she forgot the first time.

Before the weather turned nasty and wet again we spent an afternoon raking and playing in the leaves.

Ryan loved throwing the leaves on everyone else (especially Tiny, the dog), but wasn't to thrilled having them thrown on him.

Brittany and Courtney went to a Church youth christmas party with white elephant gifts, Courtney took some big huge clown sunglass and came home with an elf hat and Britt took half a roll of toliet paper and came home with garlic pills.

Saturday we decorated (and ate) cookies.

And Saturday night after we picked Chase up from work we went to Dairy Queen and got Candy Cane Blizzards (YUMMY) and then drove around looking at Christmas lights. Not as many people decorated this year though. And Cheyenne shared a bit of christmas wisdom with us as we drove! She told John," you know who made the whole world and all the animals and cars and trucks and couches? God did! Isn't He amazing! But you know who nobody likes cause he's mean? The devil! I think he just needs some christmas spirit like that green monkey guy, you know the grunch. Cause he was mean and then he got the Christmas spirit and now he's nice, so I think the devil needs some too!"

I couldn't agree more! Obviously someone watched the Grinch this week too!

Then Sunday night we drove thru Bethlehem City put on by West Conroe Baptist! Long wait with little ones, but well worth it. They gave out hot chocolate and candy canes, and the Gideons gave out New Testaments, and there were Choirs singing while we waited. Then we dove thru each important event in the life of Christ from birth to Resurrection. The kids loved all the animals, camels goats chickens, bet you didn't know there was a zebra at the manger, Ha! And the soldiers on horseback. We listened to a narrated story of each event as we drove thru.Very nice and elaborately done.

And today everyone is tired, trying to get school done, (last week before Christmas break YaY), the house is a mess (how does this happen on the weekends) and more rain. Have a great week, I think I'll go find some Christmas Spirit! now or maybe a maid.

Santa and Snow

One of the perks of homeschooling, today we had a "waiting for" Snow Day. And we waited and waited and waited and finally when we squinted and looked really closely, we saw it.

Then we went and saw santa. Cheyenne was so excited because he was the "real" Santa not just one of his helpers, I'm not sure how she determined he was the real one, but she knew. And Ryan sat with him too, I was afraid he might be scared this year but not my big boy. I've been showing him a santa ornament we have and saying, look at santa, he's nice and santa says HOHOHO. So when we got home I said did you like seeing santa, not really thinking he'd actually know what I was talking about, but he said HOHOHO and started looking for the ornament.

And then we topped off the day by decorating a gingerbread house.

And work called and told Chase he didn't need to come in because all the parties had cancelled, so we were very glad about that.

Keeping Christ in Christmas...

Then a shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit.

And on that day the root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples. The nations will seek Him, and his resting place will be glorious.

Isaiah 11:1,10

This is our Jesse Tree.

Jesse was the father of David and Jesus came from his stump or family tree. So as we countdown to Jesus's birth we go through his family lineage and important events and prophecies from God at creation to his humble arrival in Bethlehem.

These are some of our ornaments.

Each night we have a devotion/bible story, then discuss it and place our ornament on the tree, then sing a song that either goes with the story or a christmas song or just one we like, then pray and we're done.

 We are using the book One wintry night (thanks mom) and supplementing with a kids bible.So far we've placed the tree which was our first ornament for the prophecy in Isaiah and this year we put an angel on top to signify the part angels have had in so many of the stories and events. Then we placed a world ornament for the creation story and a fruit tree for Adam and Eve and tonight was a rainbow for Noah. Slowly it transforms from a bare, empty, sad little tree to a full, bright tree with a story to tell. Kinda like our lives once we allow Christ in.

Anyway it's a fun and easy tradition that helps keep the focus on what this season is really about.

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas...

We put the tree up the day after Thanksgiving. I don't think Ryan knew what to think about having a tree in the house. I don't think he realizes the ornaments are supposed to stay on the tree either though.

Now Cheyenne is asking every night, "Does Santa come tonight." We have a countdown candy cane holder and we've told her when all the candy canes are gone Santa will come, but she just doesn't get it.

She has been having fun playing with her play nativity set (thanks aunt becky) while she waits for him though.

And tonight we sat by the fire watched Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, drank hot chocolate and ate popcorn. I love this time of year!