The sun is shining today. Oh, it’s cold alright, but the sun is shining! It makes me feel better about it being cold. Even the winter sun warms you up while your hanging clothes on the line. Or doing farm chores. I’d rather have sunshine falling from the sky than something wet while doing farm chores in the winter.

I volunteered to alter costumes for the little kids play (preschool thru 5th grade) at church. I measured a LOT of kids last night. I lost count. lol And have 16 more to do. There’s 30 something kids in the play. Thankfully they are all wearing robes! So I only have to hem the bottom and sleeves. 4 others need lengthening on the bottom and sleeves and 2 need fabric added to the side seams. There are actually a few that need NO alterations at all! It won’t be that bad at all. And shouldn’t take to long. I’ll be starting the sewing later today. I’ll have my kids pose for pics, cause their cool, and they’ll do it. lol

I also need to work on Christmas cards. I think we have enough left over from the last couple of years that we won’t have to make any this year. I’ll find out after I actually make a list. lol I need to get the ones for church done by Sunday. Abigail’s Wednesday night class is doing a post office thing to raise money for missions. Give them the cards, and the postage money, and they’ll deliver the cards to the families in church, and donate the money to missions. Sounds like a good deal!

I’ll leave you with one of our favorite Christmas traditions.
Duane and I got this glass at Arby’s when we lived in Florida. BEFORE we had kids. Yeah, the glass is old. lol Other people got enough glasses for people to drink out of for Christmas dinner. But we only got one. We only went to Arby’s once while they were doing the glass promotion. lol So that, 1985, Christmas we used it as a candy dish for M & M’s. And we have contintued that ever since. For 22 years, this glass has had M & M’s in it for Christmas. The past few years I have had a hard time with the kids eating all the candy. lol I no sooner put candy in it, then they clean it out. So it stays emtpy a lot now. But that’s ok. I just picture it full, and I’m happy. It has holly going around the bottom of the glass. See…..isn’t it pretty?

Does anyone else have traditions like this?

We’ve been celebrating advent for about 5 years now. We started with Jotham’s Journey. We read that 2 years in a row. Then we bought Tabitha’s Travels and Bartholomew’s Passage . This year, we are starting over with Jotham.
When I bought these books, it took a long time for Amazon to get them in. I bought them new. But apparently they can’t get them from the publishers anymore. They are now going for $80 and UP on Amazon. USED! Last week the prices started at $50. If we were done with the books, I could make a small fortune off 3 books! But we want to use them for a few more years. And by then, maybe we’ll have grandchildren, and we’ll pass them down to them. These books are just awesome! IF you can get your hands on them, you will LOVE them! Now, I’m not suggesting you pay that much for ONE book, but they are awesome books!
We light the candles on our Advent wreath, and snuggle under afghans in the living room, and read by candle light. We do have the Christmas lights on. I sit next to the tree so I can see to read. lol The kids take turns putting out the candles when we’re done. The first night of Advent we have egg nog to drink. And we have it again on Christmas Eve. Those are the only 2 times we have it, the kids like it, so only having it twice during the season makes it more special.

Last year, we started a The Advent Jesse Tree and we really like that, also. We use this book, The Advent Jesse Tree. It has a memory verse, suggested hymns, devotion and prayer starting December 1st and going through Christmas morning. The book has a listing of all the ornaments needed each day for the tree, so you can plan ahead. It also has drawings for everyday that you can copy, (with permission in the book for this), and turn into ornaments. This is what we did for several. We colored some of them in with colored pencils, and they turned out very nice. We are not searching for ornaments to replace the drawings, because we like them. We use a small, like 2′, Christmas tree for our Jesse tree. But you can use a branch. We used what we had. Besides, we don’t have anywhere to hang a branch. And the Jesse Tree makes a nice centerpiece on the dining room table.

I know I’m late with this, should have done it last month. But it’s not too late to start! If you get a book this week, you can do 2 days at a time until you catch up. We had to do this a couple of years, because we got the books late. The kids didn’t care, they liked doing more than one a night. Of course, our kids do like to stall at bedtime!

On Christmas morning, we all get up and eat homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Do our devotions and stories, THEN open presents. Ok, some years the kids talk us into letting them see what’s in their stockings before breakfast. lol Yes, we hang stockings, but they are definitely NOT filled by anyone other than US! They just hold all the small stuff. And candy, of course!

I’m sitting here drinking hot chocolate, having just come in from hanging 2 loads of laundry on the line. It’s about 30* out but the sun come out just for me, so I could hang clothes in the warmth of the sun. While running errands yesterday, I bought some little knit gloves. You know, the ones that look like they fight a tiny child, but stretch. Since they are snug fitting, I was able to wear them while hanging the laundry! YEAH!! No more icicles for fingers!
Today is a busy day. We have piano lessons, a birthday cake to bake and decorate, a birthday dinner to make, and getting the house company ready. I sure wish we were better at keeping the house company ready everyday! Maybe in a few more years! But for now, we have lots of work to do today!
I have called school off for the day. Well, book work. They still have piano, and home ec (baking and decorating the cake) and they always have books in their hands. I like to think they are actually reading them, and not just laying them all over the house for some sort of decoration! Just kidding! I know they are reading them. But it wouldn’t actually hurt them to put them back on the shelf, now would it?
Hannah is sick. And who knows who’s going to get it next. It’s only a cold, for which I am extremely thankful! But colds sure can make you feel rotten. Here’s hoping, my little Hannah’s throat feels better SOON!

https://lindaslunacy.com/2007/12/im-sitting-here-drinking-hot-chocolate/

Today, I decorated the cabinet in the dining room. Here’s a before pic:

While we were getting the Christmas dishes down from the cabinet, and getting everything in place, we listened to this cd:

We really liked it. The songs were very pretty. They’re are quite a few songs that are instrumental. Which made it a very nice cd to listen to while you work. Most of the time, when we have music on, and we’re all talking and working, the music gets annoying. But this cd was different. Even the faster songs were still soft and gentle. The whole family liked listening to it while we worked.

Here’s the cabinet after:

And while I was putting the last of the mugs in, I thought outloud “Wouldn’t it be cool to put some Christmas lights in here?” So the kids ran and found me a small string of lights. I wound that around all 3 shelves. See….

It’s fun decorating as a family, and it was enhanced by listening to the Michael W. Smith cd.

BRRR!!!!!
I just came in from hanging a clothes on the line. The sun is shining, but it’s only 32* out there. brrrr! I just can’t hang laundry with gloves on. This is where hot cocoa is most effective. The defrosting of the icicles I call fingers.

I’ve been doing some Christmas decorating today. Pics coming later! And I’m gettign ready to take the kids to a parade. It’s in another town, and their cousin is going to be in it. They don’t know, yet. It’s a surprise. hehehehehehe Then I’ll be back to post the Christmas decorating pics.

because I can’t think of a better title. Today’s errand day. I was going to get to go by MYSELF but a certain teenage babysitter announced that she had to go shopping for a Christmas tree ornament. sigh. Granny is at my brothers house, so I could have gone by MYSELF wait, I already mentioned that. I guess it would be better to forget it, since it’s NOT HAPPENING sigh
But I WILL go shopping by MYSELF on Saturday. So if your a “certain teenage babysitter” I’m going by MYSELF. And that includes rides to see a certain teenage boy. ’cause, well, I’m going by MYSELF.
Now that we settled all that, I’m serving left over turkey soup over left over mashed potatoes for lunch. Don’t ask me how we had left over mashed potatoes, cause I haven’t figured that out yet!
Before I leave, here are a couple of funnies for you:

me: Abigail saw a pretty red sunset this morning, on the way to the chicken pen.
D: Red at night sailors delight
Red in the morning sailors warning
Hannah: What does that mean?
me: Whatever you do, don’t go sailing in the creek today.

D: reading from the Bible says the word “portion”
Z: what’s a portion?
D: well, if we have a pie, and you eat a piece, you’ve had a portion. ( feels pretty good now, for coming up with a good example)
Z: But I didn’t eat the pie!

roflol
Have a good day!

THIS JUST IN….from the PCS lunchtable:
“I’m going to burp a big one, now.” Believe it or not, but that is from a “certain teenage babysitter”
Shocking, but true……..

I screamed with my hands over my eyes!
Because I was silly enough to ask “Did you catch one?” When HE was holding the glue mousetrap out in my direction. And instead of just answering me, he waves the thing closer! *screams*
The boys gathered about it to stare, while Hannah ran running and screaming to hide behind me!
Abigail decided to go another route “It’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen!”
right
“It’s not so cute when it’s in the house!” screams I.

Oh, how I hope it was a lonely little mouse in my house…