Advent By the Numbers

I've been on a bit of a dry spell. Not because I didn't have anything to blog about, but because I hadn't the time in which to get it done and accomplish all that needed doing. I feel so behind that I don't even think I could back log it all. Here's the solution. Advent by the numbers:

1 Advent workshop attended with many ornaments and an Advent wreath made

Cavett's Girlfriend at school, Sophia

6 volunteered hours at Cavett's school

1 gingerbread house made and much candy eaten

3 BSF lessons taught

2 Children's Sunday School lessons and 1 Adult lesson taught

1 family consisting of a 9, 7, 3 year old helped

6 Doctor visits

2 surgeries (yes, I even got in on the action and had a biopsy done on a concerning skin spot)

3 concerts, 1 ballet and 1 pageant attended with a very cute Christmas cow

6 friend dinners/parties

12 loaves of Christmas bread made and 11 given away

5 neighbors caroled to with Oreo Cookie Balls given


2 batches of gingerbread cookies made

2 parties at our house-1 for the Office and the other for Amber's graduation

7 overnight guests

1 Birthday Dinner for Mom at Rick's

an ungodly amount of dirty underwear changed (you don't want a picture of this one!)

countless gifts bought and wrapped

5 candles lit

1 Christ Child worshipped

 

Even though the list is long and all of these didn't have to be done. I was able to do it, only because I centered on putting Jesus first and giving my day over to Him to prioritize. The glory is all His and that is what this season is all about as well. Advent may be coming to an end, but my Advent will continue through the year as I look forward to His second coming.

The Granmother Gifts

We made stepping stones as gifts for our grandmother's today. It was a beautiful warm 70 degrees and we enjoyed playing on our playset again. It's only been 5 months....

Crystal Christmas Tree, Take 2

We finally found some ammonia in an off brand of Windex at Target. It wasn't pure, so we used a little extra. Our tree was already cut and ready to go. Cavett mixed up the solution of water, ammonia, salt and blueing and we waited. By the time we got home from Christmas travels it was a fully covered tree and then some. Way cool!!!!

After 3 days:

After 5 days:

Brrrrrrrrr...............

We tried to head to the Gaylord in Grapevine to see ice sculptures from the Grinch, but evidentally it is very popular. We arrived around 3:30 and they were selling tickets for the 7:30 viewing. So, we looked at their beautiful decorations and trains, as well as rode the escalators. After dinner, we drove around old El Dorado in McKinney and looked at some fun Christmas light displays.

Reindeer Visit

We are really trying to down play Santa Claus, but seeing the sights around Allen includes a trip to see Santa's real live reindeer. Really, they are just animals that we typically don't see in a zoo. Interesting hooves they have....

Giving and Christmas Parties

Today we gave Christmas presents to the kids teachers. We gave them, what else but, Christmas Bread! It was also Cavett's school party which I helped with. The first picture is Cavett with his favorite girlfriend, Bella. In the second are his teachers and he is holding up the star ornament we made.

While Cavett was at school, Kendrick and I enjoyed making a batch of Congo Bars.

Sharing and Caring

Advent day #17- Read a Christmas book to a friend and call your Nana.

Nana's birthday was today so we called and sang "Happy Birthday!"

It wasn't a Christmas book, but Cavett did read 5 Silly Monkeys to his brother this morning.

We had Stephen's Office Christmas Party this evening so a new favorite babysitter, Jessica, better known as "LunaMoon" came over. She is a sweet girl who the boys fell in love with at the 24 Hour Fintess Day Care Center. Cavett began calling her by this name and she also called him the same. One day about 4 months later we finally figured out what he really meant by the name. He had been watching Authur and D.W. was talking about tin soldiers, but hers was actually aluminum--or "a loonamoon." We got a good laugh out of that one!

Crystal Christmas Trees

We were supposed to do another fun activity from Family Fun magazine today-growing crystal Christmas Trees. However, I lacked the necessary ingredient of ammonia, so instead the kids painted the annual picture ornament.

Wrapping

Advent day #15- Wrap a present for your brother.

Last week I took Cavett shopping, while Stephen and Kendrick took Grandmama back home. He picked out a toy for his brother and also one for his Daddy. Today we wrapped, although after the first few strips of tape, he was pretty much done with this job.

Preparing and Setting the Scene

Moday's activity was reading Luke 1. We concentrated on the verses where Mary is visited by the angel Gabriel and Mary goes to be with Elizabeth and John the Baptist leaps in her womb. We talked alot about cousins and how this story is Cavett's cousin, Anna Grace's, favorite story and loves to act it out, hoping that it would take on more meaning.

But, what I hope hit home the most was later when we did the science experiment that emphasized that nothing is impossible with God.

"The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:35-37


The experiment was actually in his Bible along side the story.

1. Fill a drinking glass almost to the top with water.

2. Drop a small cork into the glass and make the cork float in the center of the water without touching the glass.


What happens? The cork keeps floating off to the side. It seems impossible to keep it in the center! Now try this!




3. Slowly pour water into the glass until the water rises just above the rim without spilling. The cork will move to where the water is the highest--the center. It wasn't impossible when you knew what to do.








So, when we have God directing out lives and telling us his will, nothing is impossible!

Gingerbread House

I don't make gingerbread houses on my own. I tend to find a place that is hosting and supplying everything we need and that will also clean up the mess after we have destroyed the place with sticky, gloppy sugary stuff. So, when I was flipping through the cooking school brochure at Market Street in McKinney, I found the perfect class.

Surprise!

Advent Day #12- Something fun is happening tonight, wait and see!

It's a party! It's a sleep-over! It's fun! This evening we hosted the first annual "DFW Centenary College Choir Young-ish Alumni Christmas Party" for alumni graduating from 1990-2009. The turn out wasn't as big as I had hoped, but we got to see some of our dearest friends. Cavett got to have his best friend Walker spend the night. He has been asking about this for months now. A dream come true!

Show Kindness and Give Glory

Advent Day #11- "Show kindness to someone at school today and give Him glory." We talked about what this could mean: letting someone go ahead of you in line, sharing your apples in your lunch, etc and how this pleases God. Evidentally none of these things were kosher with Cavett's teacher. At least we tried. He still gave glory to God during the Christmas program this morning though. He wasn't Joseph as he had earlier told me, but he was a great shepherd who knew all of the words to every song. Proud Mom right here!

This would have posted earlier, but I have been having trouble posting the video. I'll keep trying though.

This would have posted earlier, but I just can't seem to upload videos anymore. I'll keep trying though.

Ice Skating

Advent Day#10. We picked Gramdmama up from the airport and went ice skating!