Just a Temp

Until I can take the time to reconfigure my blog, I've slapped a new and very temporary background on here. Although it's very cute, it is so hard to read so it won't be staying around here for long.

So what have we been up to?

Well, we've been very busy and focused on schooling with the hope that we'll be able to really slow w..a..y.. down throughout the month of December and truly focus and enjoy the reason for the season. From what I've experienced in the past, the holidays tend to be so hectic and with all the running around and busyness, it seems like it's over in a flash and I'm left wondering if we really enjoyed the season like we should have or could have. And did we focus on the meaning of Christmas enough?

So I'm planning on taking full advantage of homeschooling and we are going to fill our December days in our own way. Doing things that will allow us to truly enjoy it and hopefully make many wonderful memories.

Here is just a glimpse of what I'm looking forward to...

Lots of Holiday baking. Time to pull out the kids awesome Christmas aprons that their Grandma made for them. (And by the way Grandma, just in case you're reading this, there's a new chef in town who doesn't have his apron yet ; )

I can't wait for the Christmas crafts galore that we'll do together. Oh I can see the gold and silver glitter all over my house now!

Making homemade Christmas cards for all our loved ones and others who could use some love and encouragement.

Singing Christmas carols and sipping on eggnog while still in our jammies (even though it's the middle of the day. we can so we do.). Oh and I can see us sliding around our wood floors with our comfy socks on dancing to our favorite holiday tunes!

Taking our yearly middle of the week, first thing in the morning trip to the Gardens Mall where we'll have nearly no waiting to see Santa, then heading to Pottery Barn Kids to play with all the latest Christmas toys just waiting to be bought.

Our very favorite thing and also of utmost importance, reading (and sometimes acting out) the Christmas story (over and over and over, so by Christmas day it's embedded in our brains) and also making a Jesse Tree. We didn't make a Jesse Tree last year but I truly missed it and will definitely be doing it again this year. God willing! Since we love this so much I wanted to add a link to the Jesse Tree book that we have, but I couldn't find it online anywhere but here is a website that talks more about it. Also Amazon has several books available. I think it's such a great tradition for the advent season. We read a new story each day then make an ornament (as simple or elaborate as you want to be) to go along with the story to hang on our special Jesse Tree that we display in our school room. Love it!

Oh and I almost forgot! Our yearly field trip to see the Nutcracker at the Lyric Theatre. Oh how we love this day! This may be Gracie's last year of not being in it since it's her dance school that puts it on and the students begin appearing in the show at age 6. Will my baby girl truly be 6 by next Christmas! My oh my!

And I also look forward to making new traditions with my little elves. Each year I try and think of how I can make this Christmas more special and meaningful to us while keeping the focus on Christ.

I guess the fact that I told the kids tonight that if they put their freshly washed jumbo piles of clean clothes on hangers then they could write letters to Santa asking him for all the toys that they just HAVE to have, was not a great start to the reason for the season, huh? IT'S NOT ABOUT SANTA KIDS!!! I know, it was bribery but it worked and the clothes are all hung and I have two hand written letters to Santa filled out front to back with must have Christmas items. Must I remind them again that Santa brings three items to each child and no, Santa absolutely does not bring ginnie (Guinea) pigs as Colton asked for!

Okay, I truly don't know what led me write all about Christmas but I guess I'm getting a little excited. Can you tell? ; )

I was more so going to write in this post about our recent trip but now that it's way past my bedtime, I'll have to save that for another day.

Here's a sneak peak from our trip...




I'll be back with more about it soon!