Christmas a Week Away!

We have enjoyed so many fun things this past week, I haven't had any time to post any pictures or write about them! Tonight we were able to get some fun teacher gifts made - we made these for the men teachers.

 We purchased a gift card for each teacher to Starbucks, printed these cute cards, added a coffee holder and twine, and finished! We wrapped them in matching gift bags that almost even look like they could be from Starbucks!

The instructions and printable card can be found here: Printable Thanks-a-Latte!

Countdown to Christmas Continues!

We have had lots of fun this past week with different activities celebrating the season. One of our favorite new traditions this year has been reading the Advent story "Jotham's Journey." This engaging story has everyone eager to read the next chapter each evening. I love the focus on the coming of Christ as our Messiah, Immanuel, God with us! It has certainly helped me keep my heart more focused on the Who of Christmas this year.

This week we are lighting two purple candles. The second one is the "Bethlehem candle" or "hope candle" reminding us of the hope we have because of the baby born in Bethlehem. Caleb blew out the candle after we read our story tonight! I think it was the first candle he has blown out by himself!

Other fun activities we have enjoyed this past week:

 I made a "Hot Cocoa Bar" in one corner of the kitchen, so we have enjoyed hot chocolate several times this week, complete with marshmallows, Andes mints, and candy canes!

 Of course, we have enjoyed relaxing with some Christmas specials such as "Frosty, the 'Noman'"!

 

 We celebrated Cliff's 41st birthday at Red Robin and then enjoyed the lighting of the Silver Lake Gazebo that evening!

 

Of course, cherry pie was a must!

It was even from the Upper Krust in Watertown, WI!

 The kids all bundled up for Christmas singing at the Gazebo lighting!

 Sunday afternoon, the kids worked on a Lego holiday challenge -- build a Christmas tree!

 Alyssa finished the task! Here's her cute, creative tree!

Andof course, we've enjoyed lots of Christmas snuggles!



Countdown Day 3: December 3

Today was green day in memory of our nephew, Jonathon, who passed away a year ago today. He loved the color green. We hung his ornament on the tree today, too, and have been using green wrapping paper for our gifts this year!

Countdown Day 2: December 2

Today was Sunday, so after lunch, we headed downstairs for today's Christmas activity. The kids decorated their little Christmas tree!

After church tonight, we started a new family tradition. We began to read a book called "Jotham's Journey." It is historical fiction, set around the time of Christ's birth. We will read a chapter each night leading up to Christmas Day. In conjunction with this, we have Advent candles this year to help remind us of the coming of Christ for us in the past, His future coming, and His presence with us in the present. There is a short family devotional at the end of each chapter, so I am hoping that this will be a sweet time of family worship that will help us keep our hearts more focused on Him this month!

(Jotham's Journey can be found here.)

Our Christmas Countdown has Begun! Day 1: December 1, 2012

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around our house! We have started a daily countdown to Christmas with a different activity each day! The kids look forward to finding out what the activity for the day will be by pulling a tag out of our new Advent calendar.


 

I made the calendar out of corkboard, scrapbook paper, and Christmas stickers, then

used small white tags to write the different activities on.

 

December 1 - Day 1:

Today was Christmas sock day and family gingerbread house decorating day!

I wrapped a new pair of Christmas socks
(.50 - 1.00 socks!) in cute little gift bags.

 Everyone had a new pair of socks to wear all day!

I even wrapped a pair for my hubby! (Although I tried not to get him such cutesy ones!)





After dinner, we made gingerbread houses out of graham crackers! Everyone was involved and had lots of fun! Chad even said, "Mom, this is one of the best nights ever!"

 

I think Caleb ate more candy than actually helping!

 

 

 The finished products were all so creative and cute!

Instructions for making these can be found here.

 

 



 

In Everything Give Thanks!

I have had lots of fun preparing for Thanksgiving this year. Thanks to some fun printables, I was able to make most of our decorations.

 

I made a "Give Thanks" jar and printed out slips of paper that say things like "I love . . . ", or ".... makes me smile." or "Thanksgiving is great because . . . ." We have each been writing something down at dinner at night and putting them in the jar. We will read them on Thanksgiving!

You can find the printable for this here: A Jar Full of Gratitude

I absolutely loved this set of printables and made several things using it.

This set can be found here: Dimple Prints Thanksgiving Printables

I simply printed the "Happy Turkey Day" sign and put it in a $3 frame from Walmart!

Next, using the round cupcake toppers, I made tags for "Indian corn" treat bags!

I simply filled a small treat bag with Reese's Pieces, added raffia in the top to look

like the end of the corn husk, then tied on the label with jute!

I also printed the treat sign about 1/16th smaller and tied it to the basket!

 



 

I put some fall puzzles in the bottom of the table for some after dinner fun

on Thanksgiving Day!

I used a dark brown tablecloth for the table setting and napkins with
Thanksgiving Scripture on
them for a finishing touch!




I printed out the "Happy Thanksgving" banners at half the size and hung them with jute across my large windows!

 

 

I also printed out the Kids Table sign and framed it in an old frame that I had in storage!

The kids made the pumpkins at Patch Club at church. They are so cute, and so easy!

They are made with a roll of toilet paper, a square of fall fabric,

brown paper bag, leaves, and pipe cleaner!

The instructions for these can be found here: Easy Pumpkin Project

 

Next to each child's plate is a checklist for what they ate for Thanksgiving dinner.

The printable for this can be found here: Thanksgiving Celebration printables

 

Another picture of our Indian Corn treat bags!

 



 

I printed out water bottle wrappers and glued them to water bottles!

I printed some from the same set as above and also some from this set:

Amanda's Parties To Go

This is a great blog with lots of fun party ideas!!

 



 

I also printed out these cute Mayflower treat holders! (This was also from the Amanda set.)

Instead of using treat cups, I baked pumpkin muffins using a can of Libby's pumpkin pie and

a vanilla cake mix. Simply mix the two together, fill muffin cups,

and bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes!

Delicious!!

 

Now I just hope everyone enjoys the day as much as I enjoyed planning and putting it all together!

Stationery Card

Pattern Of Snowflakes Holiday Invitation

Turn family photos into holiday cards at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

Comfort Food!

Because we are leaving for vacation in a couple of days, I was trying to make a whole chicken stretch into two meals. I came up with a simple chicken pot pie using crescent rolls and everyone loved it! The best part -- it was so quick and easy!!

Here's how I made it:

2 cups cooked chicken
2 cans cream of chicken soup
Approximately 1 cup chicken broth from the roasted chicken
1 cup corn
1/2 tsp. marjoram
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. dill
or season to taste
1 package Pillsbury crescent rolls

In medium-sized bowl, combine chicken, soup, broth and spices. Spread mixture in a 13x9" baking dish. Unroll crescent rolls and place in rectangles on top of the mixture to form a top crust.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes until crust is nicely browned.

Gentleness in Parenting

Galatians 5:22-24

 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

 gentleness, 

self-control; against such things there is no law.  

And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."

I found some very helpful posts on gentleness in my parenting from womenlivingwell.org today. This is an area in which I definitely need to grow!

The links in the series are below. This was a 4-week challenge on Gentleness!
Week 1 - Yelling at A Bud Won't Make it Bloom
Week 2 - Replacing Old Habits with New
Week 3 - Anger Management
Week 4 - A Role Model for Gentleness

With your help Lord, help me to cultivate the fruit of gentleness, especially in the way I speak to my children.

Proverbs 15:1 “A gentle answer turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

Alyssa's 13th Birthday! July 20, 2012

Alyssa turned 13 on Friday, July 20! We had a fun day celebrating her becoming a teenager!

First, we put a candle in her birthday pancakes and sang "Happy Birthday" first thing in the morning!

Next was a girls trip to the mall to get her ears pierced!

The Birthday Girl with Pierced Ears!

After she got her ears pierced, her sweet sister, Bethany, bought her some new earrings!










Daddy and the boys met us for a birthday lunch at Red Robin where Alyssa got her free birthday burger! Yum!

 And of course, a free ice cream sundae!

Sharing with Caleb!

In the evening, several friends came over for a birthday sleepover and "Molly Mystery Party!" We had fun with the 1940's theme.

 I fixed grilled cheese and tomato soup (a typical 1940's dinner!) and splurged on Retro Coke bottles for the girls for our dinner!

After dinner, the girls played "Clue", a typical game enjoyed by children in the 1940's.

Then we played the Molly Mystery Party Game! Everyone was given a character to play, complete with scripts. I had hidden clues around the house to help them solve the mystery of missing Halloween candy!

Alyssa played the part of Molly, Bethany was her big sister, Jill, and Chad played the pesky 12-year old brother, Ricky!

Great fun was had by all! (I think!!)

After the mystery game, we had cake and ice cream! We had a beautiful little cake that looked like a present that we ordered from a local bakery. It was chocolate with chocolate mousse filling. Delicious!

All the "Characters" in the Molly Mystery!

The Cake!

Alyssa, once again, blew out all the candles with just a little puff!

Caleb enjoyed the cake, too!

After cake, it was time for presents!

A LIME GREEN Bible cover from Aunt Anne!

After presents, the girls enjoyed snacks, and settled down to watch "Molly, An American Girl!"

The next morning, everyone enjoyed a typical 1940's breakfast of Cheerios, Corn Flakes, scrambled eggs, toast, and orange juice!

A fun, successful 13th birthday party!!

We enjoyed making several things for the party. We made our own water bottle labels for all the girls to take home. We used scrapbook paper and printed everything on it from the computer!

We also made snack jars with labels:

and treat bags for everyone to take home with typical 1940's candy to take home including M&M's, Jr. Mints (which we made individual bags and tags), and Tootsie Rolls!

I also made these cute little banners out of scrapbook paper and simply stuck them in the back of the basket with the plates, napkins, and scripts!

We had green polka dot balloons to decorate with, too. On Sunday morning, the 22nd, Alyssa wrote a message on one of the balloons in memory of her cousin, Jonathon, and we let one of the balloons go!

Caleb wanted to help let it go!

Happy Birthday, Alyssa!!