Our Advent Calendar's daily verses:

I compiled this Advent Calendar a few years ago and we are still using it every year.
I enjoy reteaching the Christmas story as the month of December and the season of Advent unfold.







In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth
Luke 1:26


To a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary
Luke 1:27


And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.”
Luke 1:28


Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”
Luke 1:30


“Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.”
Luke 1: 31



In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled.
Luke 2:1









And Joseph, too, went to the city of David that is called Bethlehem. To be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
Luke 2:5


While they were there, the time came for her to have her child,

Luke 2:6








And she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Luke 2:7








Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock.

Luke 2:8





The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear.

Luke 2:9



The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”

Luke 2:10



“For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.”

Luke 2:11







“And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”

Luke 2:12








And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:

Luke 2:13


“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Luke 2:14


When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.”

Luke 2:15







So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger.

Luke 2:16



When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem,

Matthew 2:1









Saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.”

Matthew 2:2









After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.

Matthew 2:9




They were overjoyed at seeing the star, Matthew 2:10







And on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Matthew 2:11




And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.
Matthew 2:12




I hope each of you have a wonderful Christmas!

Christmas Movie Marathon....

Icemageddon hit north Texas last weekend, We were stuck indoors for a total of  FOUR days.

Once our power returned (after 12 hours) we decided it was time to start watching our favorite Christmas movies!

As a result, during the last 10 days we have watched the following movies.

Santa Buddies
Curious George, A Very Monkey Christmas
Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
The Muppet Christmas Carol
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Frosty the Snowman
Frosty Returns
Santa Claus is Comin' to Town!
The Little Drummer Boy
Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol
Cricket on the Hearth
Veggie Tales Christmas Sing-Along Songs!
Veggie Tales It's a Meaningful Life
Veggie Tales The Little Drummer Boy
Veggie Tales Saint Nicholas
Veggie Tales The Toy that Saved Christmas
Veggie Tales The Star of Christmas
A Charlie Brown Christmas
It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown
A Christmas Carol with George C Scott
Beauty and the Beast The Enchanted Christmas
Thomas and Friends Merry Winter Wish
The Magic Schoolbus Holiday Special
Disney's A Very Merry Christmas Sing a Long Songs
A Christmas Story
The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot about Christmas
A Christmas Carol with Alastair Sim
Bah Hamduck! A Looney Toones Christmas
The Polar Express
Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas
I want a dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown
The Berenstain Bears' Christmas Tree
A Very Merry Pooh Year
Winnie-the-Pooh Seasons of Giving


How many of these have you seen this year?
Seen any not on this list?

This was a lot of fun.  We'll keep watching them for the rest of the year, adding to this list as we find more on either Youtube or Netflix  :-)

HOLIDAY EATING TIPS

HOLIDAY EATING TIPS

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Holiday spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately.. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat.. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Holiday party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple, Mincemeat, Pumpkin, Chocolate.... Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one chocolate... Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

God Bless Us Everyone!

Merry Christmas!

for you last minute wrappers

here are some quick and easy wrapping instructions!

Two Christmas Miracles in One Night!

First, early in my night came a page from a man who found one of our Pediatrician's wallet in a restaurant parking lot. Found the business card inside and called to try and return the wallet. I've never had more fun paging a doc!!!!

Then, later in the morning I sat listening to my 8 yr old who we thought would never walk talk or have independent thoughts sit by himself and read every word in a brand new book he's never seen before!!!!! He got upset when called away before he'd finished the book! :-)


As of this morning I have wrapped all the gifts and hung all the Christmas Cards I've received! It really IS starting to feel like Christmas!!

It's getting CLOSE!!!!

Have a terrific weekend!

He finally lost his second tooth! :-) the one next to the gap is dangling...I'm hoping for it to fall out by Christmas so he can sing "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth!"....we'll see!

As a matter of fact!

I'm wondering why she gave him ammo.......

Had a WONDERFUL day off!! pedicure, massage, The Expendables with hubby (KABOOM! -- the grandaddy of blow em up BIG movies!) and 5 miles on the bike in 23 min! 2 min faster than last week!!

The frozen milkshake my hubby saved for me......I had to wait awhile before I could eat it!!

She MIGHT be my child.....she was found sound asleep, with all the lights on, and a book in her hand.....YUP! I think she belongs to ME!!

haha

Please take a moment to remember those who can't be Home for Christmas!





God's many Blessings on our troops this season!

Getting there....

For some reason I'm having a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit this year.

However, I am slowly getting there. Looking at the calendar with Sonshine on Sunday I realized we are LESS THAN 2 weeks till Christmas!! So I have taken a few measures to help turbo boost my Christmas Spirit.

First off, I have FINISHED my Nativiy curtain!!! It looks better than I expected so I'm pleased about that.



I have also finished all of our Christmas presents....but you don't get to see those yet!


We went for our pictures with Santa. Totaly new experience for me to feel VIP at the front of the line. Santa was AWESOME!!

Now, I just have to decide which picture to put in the Christmas cards.....

Which would you choose?


As my final attempt to kindle some good ol Christmas Spirit, tonight I have restarted what used to be an anual December tradition of mine:

If you'll excuse me, I've got some Humbug to banish...with the help of a ghost or two.............

Christmas is coming! Are you ready??

My girl cat and my girl child are both repeating the same phrase over and over ......"I want the curling ribbon! I want the curling ribbon!" I should hand it over and video tape them fighting for it!!!!
and my 15lb boy cat keeps trying to climb the artificial tree.....

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas......dooo de doo doo dooooooo"......



Major Mommie SCORE this week!! I am the master of the magic of CURLING RIBBON!!!!See it's straight! Run my hand down it and VOILA! See it's curly!!... Run my hand down it again......and........IT'S STRAIGHT!!!!!!

TaDa! Ha ha ha HAAAAA!!!!!!

Seriously it kept all 3 kids entertained for 20min!! They couldn't figure out why it didn't work for them..........





Me: (teasing) so you want a strawberry milkshake right?
Sonshine: no, just chocolate
Me: chocolate? Are you sure??
Him: yes, chocolate helps me focus
Me: focus??? On what??
Him: chocolate helps me focus on my Tae Kwon Do, Mom!!!!!


Uh yeah. Ok.
(he MIGHT be related to me in some way....)

Tomorrow or the next day I'll put up pictures of the Christmas decorating/sewing we've been doing. But it's been a long hard night and today I just wanna laugh!

Santa Claus

This is a repost....I repost it every year at the beginning of December. It is a true story from my childhood.

OK, when I was a child we lived in what I now know was poverty. However, because my then step-father was going to SMU to seminary (he never finished) we lived for a year and a half in the richest part of Dallas. It was very hard to be "the poor kid."

Well, during the second of those Decembers we got an envelope in the mail that said "To the parents of Sarah ....." return address was Santa Claus. Inside were $100 in gift certificates to the local grocery store. Our Christmas was not big, but we did have one. Because of the former step-father's poor spending habits, we would have had Christmas regardless...but then wouldn't have had money for food. Those gift certificates were perfect. A month's worth of food (give or take) that can't be spent on anything else. (This was long before you could get groceries and "stuff" like clothes and toys at the same store.)

I have a younger brother with a different last name. Why was it addressed to my parents? Who sent it? How did they know that just sending money wouldn't be as helpful as the gift certificates? Did they know? How can you accept a gift when you don't know who to tell thank you?

These questions have no answers.

But I do know this. I was 12 years old and very depressed. Ready to lose hope in everything. My Mom was in the process of kicking out the former step-father with poor spending habits. The world as I knew it was falling apart. Out of nowhere Santa sent me a gift. Not just a gift of money for food for the family, but a gift to me of hope, an example that people aren't all hateful and snide, and the assurance that I could and would make it and be able to move on to a better life. Also, the knowledge that there'd be help along the way through the Grace of God.

Christmas is about the Birth of Christ. However, Santa Claus is about spreading hope and joy to those most in need. And every December I celebrate BOTH. Yes, I DO believe in Santa Claus and I DO believe that he still lives.

He lives in our hearts every December when we make a point of spreading hope and joy to someone else.

"And I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night."

Getting exciting around here!!

Dear Darling Daughter,Please note that pull-ups are NOT reusable. They do NOT need to be washed. And therefore do NOT put them in the washer anymore! The 2 pair of pull-ups that got washed in the last load of darks was The End of the recycling experiment! Got it?!




Wow. I must be overwhelmed this year. I'm crying my eyes out because a totally unexpected chain of generosity is making it possible to get my kids' Santa pictures done at a convenient time!!! Unexpected generosity amazes me!!



You may know that I work 6 nights a week, this makes it hard to do things that can only be done during "normal" business hours. Last year we had the most fantastic Santa pictures made EVER!




Pretty amazing with 2 Autistic boys!! But I got in the virtual line at 10am and didn't get the pics till 6pm. This year I just can't devote a whole day to waiting for our number to come up. I've been very worried about this situation and really wanting those pics. Matter of fact I'd have to say if I had a Christmas wish for this year, it'd be an easy way to get pics with that awesome Santa.

So, I happen to have a friend who happens to work at the store where Santa is taking pics this year. She happened to be there at a time when there happened to be NO kids/shoppers around. She was asking about the best times for us to show up for pics and "told Santa about [my] family." Santa said to come when I could and he'd move me to the front of the line! WOW! That's it! My Christmas wish has been granted......without me ever asking for it out loud to another person. I can't WAIT to see Santa!! And hug his neck.


I have another amazing Santa story to tell. Watch for it in a day or two.





Decorated a bit more last night.....

kids had a great time searching out the 2 new things that went up










And, of course, our Elf on the Shelf chose a new spot to watch from.

Plus we finally we able to open the first door of my Advent Calendar!!

The kids are so excited! I spiffyed up the box with some holly and glitter! I love that we rememorize the Christmas story each year with this simple and fun tradition! I added a new twist, this year I printed the daily verses on some sheets of ink jet magnetic paper that a friend sent me awhile back! Now it's more permanent and easy to just plop on our freezer each day!!

Decorating Day 2, and other stuff...

I found just the COOLEST thing ever at Hobby Lobby!!!!!

See the pieces get smaller AND the puzzle gets harder from the left to the right! We're working on it in the early morning hours. Since both boys routinely wake up between 4 and 5 yet no one needs to be up till 6. I'm thinking once Christmas is done I'll pack it back up with the decorations and it'll be our December tradition to work together on it!

If I see any more "Family Puzzles" I will be sure to grab them! This is so much fun!

I love puzzles! and so do the kids, so this is a really great find for us.

Sonshine decided to add some things to our shopping list the other day....

BWAHAHAHAAAA!




I'm deciding what gets put up this year. I figured that since I already have a red tablecloth I didn't need to change it, but instead threw the Santa one over the piano for a new look.

I like it!

Meanwhile the table gets my absolute favorite and fun Christmas placemats!



These are clear circle mats, with red and green circles and SPARKLES!!

These old ladies wanted a turn out and about....



And of course when John Friendston flew back in from the North Pole this morning he found a new spot to sit for the day.....

:-) getting there.....

Christmas is Coming!

There are a few things I do every year to prepare for Christmas. I always watch The Muppet Christmas Carol. I always listen to Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer. And I get out my decorations. I have kept a non-breakable tree since the kids were small, and I usually rotate out my decorations. It's fun for me to decide what goes out this year and what stays hidden for another year.

This year I've decided to add another element to this process. Partly out of building of excitement and partly out of lack of time off I am going to bring out the decorations slowly over time this year. Instead of one or two big days of decorating I'm going to put just a couple new things out each night. And see how long it takes the kids to spot what's new!!

I started yesterday:






So, come along with me in the building of excitement to Christmas, that most glorious day when God Himself came to us as a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid to sleep in a feeding trough in a barn.

Hello There!

I'm still around and kicking!

I have finished all 40 Christmas gifts!
I have ensured Gator wasn't ignored by the tooth fairy when he lost his first tooth last Thursday....or when he lost the second one Friday!
I have diligently moved our Elf on the Shelf every night so he'll keep the magic that allows him to report all behavior to Santa.
I have obtained an adorable picture of my 3 hooligans with Santa.
I have printed 30 (of the 60 needed) copies of said Santa picture.
I have played a bazillion games of Bejeweled Blitz.
I have thoroughly tested out all of the Christmas gifts my hooligans have gotten so far.
I have decided that when they aren't looking I'm stealing the Hotwheels racetrack with tricks and setting it up in MY room.
I have taken a zillion pictures that I haven't had time to post here.
I have eaten waaaaay too much food.
I have decided that the words "diet" and "exercise" are forbidden till after the New Year.
I have been through a gruelling 2 hour interview at Children's Medical Center's Sports Medicine Clinic.
I have scheduled a SECOND interview with the doctors at the Sports Med Clinic for Monday (PRAY PEOPLE, PRAY!)


All in all, I have really enjoyed myself lately. How about you? Are you having a Merry Christmastide??

I'd love to shake his hand!!!

Secret Santa spreads joy, disbelief in Kansas City

– Tue Dec 14, 9:45 pm ET KANSAS CITY, Mo. –

Secret Santa II hit the streets Tuesday in a long-standing Kansas City tradition of handing out $100 bills — sometimes several at a time — to unsuspecting strangers in thrift stores, food pantries and shelters.

Some people gasped in surprise. Some wanted to know if the $100 bill the tall man in the red cap offered was fake. Others wept.

Secret Santa II has seen a lot of reactions since taking over where his mentor, Kansas City's original Secret Santa, Larry Stewart, left off when he died in 2007 at age 58. Like Stewart, who gave away more than $1 million to strangers each December in mostly $100 bills, this Secret Santa prefers to stay anonymous.

A fake white beard taped to his face, Secret Santa II handed out about $10,000 in total Tuesday. Recipients included a police officer with terminal cancer, a homeless man pushing a rickety old shopping cart, an 81-year-old woman who had recently told her 27 grandchildren she wouldn't be able to afford any Christmas gifts, and Bernadette Turner, a 32-year-old unemployed mother of two.

"It's hard to come by," Turner said looking in disbelief at the $200 Secret Santa had given her.

Then one of Santa's "elves" — another tall man in a red cap — sidled up to next to Turner, asked a few questions, and handed her an additional $100. Turner, whose children are 3 and 8, was overcome.

"I can only afford one gift for each child. But now ...." she said, wiping tears from her cheeks and reaching out for a hug.

"Do you believe in Santa Claus?" Capt. Ray Wynn of the Kansas City, Mo., Fire Department, asked from a few feet away. Wynn had followed Stewart on many "sleigh rides" around the country and now follows this Secret Santa, providing stories, memories and amusing sound effects.

"I do now," Turner said. "I do now."

Secret Santa II took over from Stewart about the time the recession hit and the economy went into a tailspin. Like Stewart, this Secret Santa doesn't talk about his own finances, where those $100 bills come from and if — like for so many people now — they've been harder to come by.

Come December, he just fills his pockets with money, dons his red cap and heads out looking for people to make really happy.

He will likely hand out about $40,000 this December. He says he'll go "till the money runs out."

"The recession, unemployment. This is the time you don't want to stop. You don't want to back off," he said.

He walked up to Peggy Potter, 59, of Kansas City, Kan., who was looking at some framed prints at a thrift store. He made some small talk, put his arm around her and within minutes she was crying. Her son died about a year and a half ago. Her husband died in July and her daughter died soon after that.

"I'm just ... today's been a rough day for me, just thinking about my loved ones," she said. "I've been having a hard time paying for all the funerals."

Santa gave her $200, listened more, hugged her, and told her the poster she was holding had special meaning. It was a photo of two hands, one large, one small. Words printed at the bottom could have been written by Secret Santa, the original or the current one.

It said: "Kindness in giving creates love."

I just love this!

uh, pause the green playlist upper right....




Ten days till Christmas!

shew!

Where'd the week go?

12 thousand toys bought
11 cups of coffee
10 kiddo snuggles
9 snowmen built (from playdough)
8 zillion "singing" lights
7 pics with Santa
6 ladies lunching
5 Presents Done!
4 toy shelves cleaned out
3 stockings stuffed
2 horseback rides
And Harry Potter on the Big Screen!

So, how was your weekend?

:-)

I'm sooo excited!!


oh my goodness this is going to be a GREAT 4 days off!!!

yesterday - lunch with my favorite group of ladies!

today - extra snuggles with my sweetheart this morning and lazy day with my girl, then sewing tonight while Subvet's off at a meeting.

tomorrow - finish ALL shopping and then HARRY POTTER!! (for free! I found a gift card HA.) then after dark going to see the lights here. It's very much worth the long drive believe me!

Sat - horse riding, then pictures with SANTA, then a date night with my sweetheart!!


a sneak peek of a light show done by the same guy who does the one we're going to see.....

Santa Claus

This is a repost....I repost it every year at the beginning of December. And it is my first Acts of Generosity post for this year!



OK, when I was a child we lived in what I now know was poverty. However, because my then step-father was going to SMU to seminary (he never finished) we lived for a year and a half in the richest part of Dallas. It was very hard to be "the poor kid."

Well, during the second of those Decembers we got an envelope in the mail that said "To the parents of Sarah ....." return address was Santa Claus. Inside were $100 in gift certificates to the local grocery store. Our Christmas was not big, but we did have one. Because of the former step-father's poor spending habits, we would have had Christmas regardless...but then wouldn't have had money for food. Those gift certificates were perfect. A month's worth of food (give or take) that can't be spent on anything else. (This was long before you could get groceries and "stuff" like clothes and toys at the same store.)

I have a younger brother with a different last name. Why was it addressed to my parents? Who sent it? How did they know that just sending money wouldn't be as helpful as the gift certificates? Did they know? How can you accept a gift when you don't know who to tell thank you?

These questions have no answers.

But I do know this. I was 12 years old and very depressed. Ready to lose hope in everything. My Mom was in the process of kicking out the former step-father with poor spending habits. The world as I knew it was falling apart. Out of nowhere Santa sent me a gift. Not just a gift of money for food for the family, but a gift to me of hope, an example that people aren't all hateful and snide, and the assurance that I could and would make it and be able to move on to a better life. Also, the knowledge that there'd be help along the way through the Grace of God.

Christmas is about the Birth of Christ. However, Santa Claus is about spreading hope and joy to those most in need. And every December I celebrate BOTH. Yes, I DO believe in Santa Claus and I DO believe that he still lives.

He lives in our hearts every December when we make a point of spreading hope and joy to someone else.

"And I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight
Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night."