Tuesday, December 9, 2014

December and Advent and Books

 
Christmas 2014  
 
Christmas 2014  
 
Christmas 2014  
 
Christmas 2014  
 
Christmas 2014  
 
Excited to read through this with my little ones!  
  We've been doing a little decorating. We won't get our tree for a couple more days, but it's still looking pretty festive around here. The kids are super excited. Nearly every day Levi tells me that he can't wait until Christmas. I feel like Advent is more than half the fun, though. We kicked it off with a little party complete with Christmas tree shaped pizza, hot chocolate, and new Christmas books. My brother and sister-in-law sent the kids a nativity set of their very own, and they opened it that same evening. A few days later we celebrated St. Nicholas day with more gifts and cookies (craft supplies and books). This month is full of so much goodness and fun....the tree farm, drive through nativities, Christmas lights, the kids' very first ballet experience: The Nutcracker, parties, hot chocolate, ornament making, and lots and lots of snuggling and reading.
  Each Advent we pick a kiddo devotional to read through, and we add a few books to our growing Christmas book collection. It's always hard for me to choose which new books to buy. All year I add books to an Amazon Christmas book wish list. Then, in November I spend way too much time looking over the list and trying to decide which ones to get. This Advent we chose to read through Ann Voskamp's Unwrapping the Greatest Gift. It is, of course, beautiful and inspiring and has the added benefit of appealing to all ages. Okay, so my two year old isn't very impressed, but that's to be expected. She does like the pictures, at least. The Advent Storybook is another one of our daily reads. It was the very first advent book that I ever read to my little ones. It's not a devotional, but it is a sweet story (broken up into 24 stories) about a little bear traveling to Bethlehem to meet the baby Jesus. It's become a much anticipated tradition, and we read a story from it each evening leading up to Christmas. Legend of the Christmas Stocking was a St. Nicholas Day present. I wanted a book that focused on the generosity of the real man behind the caricature of Santa. This one delivered. I failed at choking back tears when I read it to them. I am a total sap when it comes to Christmas stories. This Is the Stable and  Something for Christmas were also added to our shelves this year. They are both super sweet reads for the younger crowd. So, what are your favorite Christmas reads?

Friday, November 28, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving

 We had a low key but good Thanksgiving. I thought it would be the perfect time for family photos. Hahahahahaha! That just ended up a mess of silliness. It was fun, though.
 
Thanksgiving  
 
Thanksgiving 
 
Thanksgiving  
 
Thanksgiving  
 
Thanksgiving  
 
Thanksgiving  
 
Thanksgiving  
 
Thanksgiving  
 
Thanksgiving  
 
Thanksgiving 
 
Thanksgiving  
 
Thanksgiving  
 
Thanksgiving  
 
Thanksgiving  
 
Thanksgiving  
 

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Happy 7th!

 
Levi's 7th Birthday  
 
Levi's 7th Birthday  
 
Levi's 7th Birthday  
 
Levi's 7th Birthday  
 
Levi's 7th Birthday  
 
Levi's 7th Birthday  
 
Levi's 7th Birthday  
 
Levi's 7th Birthday  
 
Levi's 7th Birthday  
 
Levi's 7th Birthday  
 
Levi's 7th Birthday  
 
Levi's 7th Birthday  
 
Levi's 7th Birthday  
 
Levi's 7th Birthday  
 
Levi's 7th Birthday  
  When Levi was just a couple of years old Stephan gave him a copy of The Encyclopedia of Animals. He has been poring over that book ever since. I cannot tell you how many hours I've spent stumbling through the latin names of all those animals. "Hey, mama, what's this one?" "Hey, mama, will you read me just one page?....Will you read one more?....and, one more?" After years of being dragged around and loved on by a growing boy, that old copy finally could not be duct taped together anymore. It officially bit the dust. Levi cried. I promised him a new one, and so for his birthday he got his wish.
   My sweet itty bitty baby is not so itty bitty anymore. Still sweet, though. Goodness, how has it been 7 whole years since I became a mama? We celebrated his birthday exactly how he wanted it....family, a cake topped with Toothless and Skull Crusher (thank you, Nanno and Aunt Annie, for decorating it), a few gifts, and a drive around the pasture. It was too cold for the originally planned hayride. Thank goodness driving the truck through the pasture makes a good alternative!
  Seven years of parenting down. It's been a wild and beautiful ride. I'm so grateful that it all started with this incredible soul.