It's all about the Baby J, y'all. Our Christmas Advent Activities.

 

I decided to post this since I had a few people ask me about it... but I'm a little afraid of how much crazy I'll be showing the world. I'm really crazy. Oh well.

I did an advent with my then-2.5-year-old last year and she loved it! I think there was something about getting a present every day that was really fun for her obviously, and I liked that we were spending time together every day on a focused activity-I'm really type A like that. So here’s my advent for this year. Some of these are ideas I saw around on the internet, some are things I do every year, and some are just fun little crafts I want to try. It’s a hodge podge. Also, don’t sue me if I stole an idea from you. This was one of my favorite lists: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/253468285251491028/

If your kids are older, or you’re just not feelin’ it the way I am, pick a few favorite activities and start with a 12 days of Christmas advent, or 4 or 5. Whatever floats your boat or finds your lost remote. You can just print out these ideas and use the slips of paper to stick in your calendar, or you can include a little “clue” for what the activity will be.

Deuteronomy 6:7-9 tells us to talk about the things of God with our children while we go about our everyday lives. Some of these things on this list are things that I would do during the Christmas season anyway, but I will hope to make them fun for Audrey and use them to teach her more about the things of God.

Another reason I’m doing this advent is that I want to show Audrey how fun Jesus is. I haven't ever really been a fan of Santa, and I read blog here that really put it into I words for me:

“Because honestly? For a five-year-old, how can Jesus compete with Santa? Our children don't have spiritual perspective; when faced with the choice of allegiance, they have a baby in a manger, or they can get a jolly, twinkling, flying character who will bring them presents. This is going to be an easy choice for them.” http://jenhatmaker.com/blog/2011/11/29/the-christmas-conundrum

I want to make learning about Jesus just as much fun as Santa. This advent may be pretty cheesy, and the clip art DEFINETLY is (email me for the pdf), but hopefully our Advent activities, getting to open a little present/clue every day, spending family time together, and the conversations that will be tied to the activities will do that for her. I want to help Audrey to be in love with Jesus because: y'all, Jesus is awesome.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Parade

John 12:12-17
Read the story of Palm Sunday and talk about how excited everyone was when Jesus was in the parade. We won't see Jesus at this parade, but we can be excited just like the Jewish people were to have him as their king. Talk about the difference between the king of a country and Jesus being the king of our hearts and lives. List of local Chattanooga Parades- They sure do look like fun!! I can’t wait!

http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/23963905/christmas-2013-parades-and-festivals
Clue: Small piece of candy

Bethlehem Dinner

Serve a Greek or Mediterranean style menu with roasted fish, Greek salad, and hummus and talk about Jesus' daily life. I have a neat little section in the back of my “The Picture Bible” (GET ONE FOR YOUR KID! It’s the bible in comic book form. I owe my love of scripture to my early years of being obsessed with that bible.) You might have to google some factoids.
Clue: dinner napkin or menorah candle

 

 

Decorate a Door

Rev 3:20
Use colored paper to make a snowman on a white door or on your refrigerator. This one really doesn’t have much to do with Jesus, but I always thought they were cute. It’s a stretch, but you can talk about how Jesus is always knocking on the door of our hearts, and always seeking us out. He’s always after our hearts. Christmas was just part of his plan to get to us. I just love that Divine obsession. Clue: Black paper cut into circles for those two eyes made out of coal

 

 

Nativity Servants

Matt 20:28

Talk about how Jesus came to serve and how he humbled himself and taught us to put others first. A lot of times Jesus would tell people to keep quiet about the miracles he performed for them. Have your family take turns doing an act of service in secret for another family member and leaving the baby Jesus from the nativity behind. Ex: make a bed, leave baby Jesus on the pillow; put away dishes, leave baby Jesus in the silverware drawer. When one member finds the figurine, it is their turn to do an act of service for someone else.
Clue: baby Jesus printable or the figurine from your nativity scene.

 

Gingerbread Nativity

Luke 2:9-14

Make a "gingerbread" nativity instead of a gingerbread house. Use graham crackers for the stable, coconut flakes for hay, marshmallows and licorice sticks to make sheep, sour patch kids and various colored icing for Mary, Joseph, etc. talk about each character's part in the story, why they had to stay in a stable, how that was humble of God to come down to us. Clue: one of the decorating candies

 

 

Treat Someone

Luke 12:14-21

Make a treat for someone you don't know: the cashier at the grocery store or the gas station, someone at the next table in a restaurant, in line in front of you, etc.  Ask your child to find a toy from their own toys to include (you can lead by example and include something from your stash or wallet too) and talk about sacrificing our extras to help others know that they are valued and loved. God gives us our blessings so that we can bless others.
clue: small pack of chocolates or another gift to include.

 

Dad’s Gift

1John 4:7

Make a gift for dad. Handmade gifts are always fun, meaningful and precious-I can't tell you what we're doing here, because I'm afraid I'll ruin his surprise, but browse the internet or Pinterest for handmade card or keepsake ideas or a new recipe that has bacon in it.

 

Grandparent Gifts

John 13:34-35

Make grandparent gifts
Same idea...

 

 

Nutcracker Night

Jer 31:13, Ex 35:31-32

Take your children to see the Nutcracker or another Christmas play. Our local community college has a free or very cheap Christmas play every year.  Talk about dancing before the Lord, how Jesus gives us all different talents and skills and enables us to do them.  Jesus himself was a skilled carpenter and craftsman.
Clue: a small nut

 

Bubbles and Water

Matt 14:22-33

Bundle up and head outside. Play with bubbles, they'll freeze as you blow them if it's under 32. Fill balloons with water and food coloring, leave outside to freeze, and in the morning cut the balloon off to see some big colored "marbles" in your yard. This might be another stretch, but that’s ok! Remember, it’s the everyday things that we’re supposed to be using to talk about God with our kids. Talk about how God has control over all the seasons and how He gives us winter so the earth can rest and to remind us to rest too. His grace allows us to rest and not have to work for our salvation by "being a good person" Ah, that just gets me excited! How great is that?!
Clue: balloons

 

 

Reading Time

Audrey loves reading, so I put this on our list a couple of times. Snuggle up as a family and read a CHRISTmas book. One of my favorites is "What is Christmas?" By: Michelle Adams

 

Reading Fun

Give Thanks

Thes 5:11

Make Christmas cards for family and thank you notes for after Christmas. We draw names in our family for gifts, but this year we'll be giving everyone in our family a little note of encouragement and appreciation.  Clue: crayon to get yo art on.

 

 

Donate Toys/Write to Linda

Luke 3:11

Sort through toys and pick some to donate. Most kids will enjoy helping with this process if you tell them that they are giving to kids who don't have any toys. Talk about how Jesus only gives us things so that we can share them and that everything we have is given to us. This also makes room for all those Christmas presents that you know the grandparents will be loading up your children with! This is one of those things that will get easier the more you do it and talk about it. I hope it keeps getting easier for our family! This is also a good time to pick out a child to be sponsored through Compassion International or World Vision, it’s only $38/month and it provides so many good things and basic needs for kids who are just like your kids! Or if you already sponsor, to write to your child.
Clue: small toy

http://www.compassion.com/

http://www.worldvision.org/m/sponsor-a-child/?campaign=11935117

 

 

 

Paper Snowflakes

Col 1:16

Talk about how much care Jesus took in creating us and made us as special and different as snowflakes! Encourage your family by naming one special thing God created in them. Clue: A paper snowflake

 

 

Winter Walk

Matt 2:1-2
After dark, take a short family walk, looking at the stars. Tell the story of the Wise men and how they followed the special star a long way to see Jesus. Talk about how beautiful the star was and how far the wise men traveled and how badly they must have wanted to see Jesus.

 

 

 

Candlelight Service

Ps 100:1-2
Attend a church's candlelight service, or have one of your own: light some candles and sing Christmas carols together. Take time to ask your kids if they understand the words and be ready to explain their meaning.

 

 

Burning Bright

Drive around to see the Christmas lights. When you get to a dark area, ask your kids what they see. Remind them of all the lights and point out the contrast. Turn on your headlights or bring some flashlights and tell them that we are called to bring light to dark places. We can do this everywhere we go, when we talk about Jesus to others, we bring the light! This is also when we’ll drive through our local live nativity.
Clue: Christmas light bulb

 

Bake a Blessing

Matt 22:34-39

Get in the kitchen and bake some goodies as a family! Deliver them to your neighbors, take them to a cookie exchange, let your kids take them to their friends at school, or all of the above. Jesus said that loving your neighbor as yourself was one of the most important commandments. When you give unexpected gifts to others, you show the love of Jesus, who always made people feel loved and thought of others above Himself.

 

 

Ornament Making

Ps 139:13

We’ve been making an ornament every year with our family picture. This year, I got a little paintable wooden one in the craft section at wal-mart, but you can do pretty much any ornament craft and still have a good conversation about it. After painting your ornament, talk about how much work you put in to them. Look at your hands and consider how much God put thought, care and intentionality God put into making you.

 

 

 Chocolate Pajamas

 Galatians 5:22

After the kids have pjs on and go through their bedtime routine, surprise them with a trip to Starbucks or to the kitchen for a hot chocolate. Talk about how God gives us joy and gifts and has good plans for us that sometimes we can't see until the end. He always comes through. He is always faithful. Take this opportunity to share with your kids about how much joy you get from them. Clue: $10 bill or a pack of hot choc mix

 

 

Christmas Camping

Acts 2:42-47

Have a family “camping” trip in the living room. Eat finger foods on blankets for a “picnic,” watch a movie, make shadow puppets, light a fire in the fireplace. Talk about how the early church had everything in common and shared everything they had with each other. You could even eat goldfish crackers or fish sticks like they would have eaten together. Clue: small flashlight

 

 

Birthday Bash

Make a red velvet cake (symbolizing Jesus's blood )with white icing (symbolizing our righteousness though salvation) and light candles, have a few simple decorations. You don’t have to go all out: just pull out a different tablecloth and let the kids tape up some streamer. Talk about why we celebrate Christmas and how it was important that God became a man so that he could pay the penalty that man owed for sin. If your kids are little, they might not fully understand, but the more you talk about it, the easier it will be for you to explain and for them to wrap their brains around-and don’t worry, it’s really the holy spirit’s job to help them understand it and get it in their hearts. Clue: strands of streamer

 

 

Lights, Camera, Christmas

Make a blanket tent to act as a stable and make simple costumes out of sheets etc. and act out the nativity story. Video it and let the kids watch it-over and over again. Like they do. Be sure to have a narrator to move the story along. Clue: clothespin to pin up  blankets

 

Dollar Tree Shopping Spree

Mark 12:41-43
Take your kids to the dollar tree toy section and leave $1 bills and little notes that say "Merry Christmas! Treat yourself to an extra toy and enjoy this random act of kindness! Jesus loves you!" Talk about how even inexpensive things can bless others. Remind your kids that Jesus wants us to be like the widow and give all that we can give, not just our money, but our whole lives.
Clue: dollar bills with notes

 

The Best Present

On Christmas morning, explain how Jesus is the best gift that we can receive. The hard part for me will be actually following up with this with my words instead of saying "Hey, look at what I got you!" and sending them the opposite message by putting emphasis on material things. Tricky stuff.

 

Alrighty, those are all my cheesy ideas. Let me know if you guys have any new ideas I can use next year or in any following years-I'd love to hear them! Hope you guys have a very Merry Christmas no matter how you celebrate the season!

 

25 Reasons Kids Are the Best

For the past two nights, I've had to leave some important events early because my kids were seconds away from meltdowns caused by exhaustion and I'm not a bad mom. This is us at my beautiful cousin's rehearsal dinner. 

Tonight I was thinking, "Well that stinks, but it's just part of being a mom." You take care of those other people first. Then I saw that someone posted on Facebook a hilarious list of "27 reasons kids are the worst" and I thought, "Having a kid wicked awesome totally rad rocks in the best kind of way. People just don't know." So, here are my 

25 reasons kids are the best: 

1. They make people randomly smile oh so sweetly at you, hold open doors for you, unload your shopping carts, scoot out of your way, carry things for you, and even sometimes give you free ice cream. 

2. They will make you a better person:  when you hear your two year old say an inappropriate word, you stop saying it; when you hear their frustrated groans over silly little things, you work on taking deep breaths and calming down in front of them; when you think about them at 16, you try not to text and drive. 

3. They teach you how to enjoy the simple things in life, like having a favorite color,  sitting in a rocking chair, seeing the fish at wal mart, or rocks.  

4. They make it a hundred times easier break the ice and to make friends, "Hey, we should get our kids together to play."

5. They prove to you in a new way that God is real. A baby, knit together from two little cells whose heart starts beating for no perceptible reason, and who grows into something that has feelings and jumps and solves puzzles and likes Cheetos is unmistakably the work of His hands. And you get to see it!!

6. They give you a rock solid excuse to get out of anything, especially as newborns. Although, I still have the old standby of "Sorry, I can't. I'm walking my pet unicorn that day."

7. "Sometimes you never know the value of a moment until it's a memory." 

8. They are an expression of your love. Your love for your spouse has come to life. 

9. They will make you fall in love with your spouse in an otherwise unknown dimension. They show you your spouse's integrity (mine has a lot). And there is nothing sexier than my man laying on the floor, happily throwing giggly girls in the air even after a long day of work. 

10.  Sometimes you catch a glimpse of them turning just so or with the light just right and it's more beautiful than a sunset. Seriously cheesy. Seriously true. And then you think, "Dang, does she really look like me like everyone says?" And then you feel really good about yourself and you give your kid a lollipop. 

I'm just kidding, I never did that. 

11. They laugh and smile more freely and contagiously than anyone else. 

12. They give you grace for others. What's important is that parents are just parents who love their kids and make what they think are the best decisions. We're all just trying to do our best and that looks differently for everyone. 

13. They grant you entrance into an elite, super cool parent club, where sometimes we just complain, sometimes we brag, sometimes we feel more "grown up" than people who don't have kids and sometimes we just understand each other. 

14. Tax break! 

15. They open up a whole new world for scrapbooking, decorating, sewing and crafting and give it a new meaning: heirlooms, bonding, or making someone feel loved.

16. They teach you to be non-discriminatory. If any person close to their age or height is within a twenty foot radius, they are automatically friends. Best friends. 

17. They think you know everything and that you're really important. And that's kinda nice to have around. 

18. They will make a reason for a stack of books to be read. All sorts of books on sleep training, breast feeding, playing and learning, developmental stages, strong wills, shepherding their hearts, not to mention email subscriptions to parenting devotionals and developmental factoids and silly little blog posts like this. I heart reading. 

19. They make sneaking little touches and kisses and bow-chicka-bow-wow looks with your spouse pretty fun.

20. They help you understand God and the relationship He wants with us: a nursing baby craves it's parent; a child trusts completely; a caring parent disciplines and guides without loosing their cool. 

21. They give you an excuse to go down the slide, dance in the car, or splash in the parking lot puddles without looking totally idiotic.... Never mind. You'll still look stupid. But it's fun. 

22. They give you real empathy for nearly every news story. 

23. They magically make grumpy cashiers and waitstaff as pleasant as they can be. 

24. They make Christmas and birthdays and Easter baskets and gift shops WAY more fun. It really is better to give than to receive. 

25.  They need you to love them. It's why you love a newborn when they can do absolutely nothing, not even smile at you, in return. Sometimes I think this may be the biggest reason why God loves me. Because I just need him. And oh, how He loves us. 

Which one of these reasons is your favorite? Which reason did I forget to add to the list? 

Addison's Senior Pictures

I haven't blogged about a session in a while because...well, because I'm lazy and I haven't wanted to try to think. 

During this session, however, I saw something beautiful that did made me think. 

I saw a step-dad investing in his family and specifically in his stepson. 

I've known Addison's mom for a while, but I don't really know the ins and out of their family dynamic. But something was clear that day: this family has some love. 

(This one is my favorite!)

If you don't know already, men don't particularly care for my profession. Most of the time, when I have to photograph a man, I add "I'll be torturing you today" to my introduction and the biggest response to that is: "Yeah...I hate taking pictures." All those sweet men join in the family pictures, smile even though they feel silly and wear the uncomfortable clothes their wives picked out for them. 

Even though Paul was only in one picture and wasnt being "tortured," he didn't complain at all about being there (at least, not to me!) It impressed me that he even came to the session when he didn't have to.

On top of that, he happily followed us around, listened and made conversation, and even participated in setting up a few shots by kicking around the soccer ball. He may have been doing all this for his wife, like most of the men I photograph, (its the old "if mama aint happy, aint nobody happy" principle at work), but he was also doing it for his boy. And I could tell. I'm smart like that. 

All this to say that he made me think: about the impact we have on people, and about how investing in our families and small, simple acts of loving support can make a difference. 

Kudos, Paul. 

And congratulations, Addison! Be thankful for this influence in your life! 

The things I'm learning:

The things I'm learning: 

My home has been an idol. I've dressed it up and thought more about matching and accenting and decorating and cleaning it than I have paid attention to my true god and given priority to my family. 

I love things that cannot love me back. 

All of these things I love will fade, crack, fall apart, wear out and break eventually. Most of them are already showing the signs of aging. They are earthly. I must set my mind on things above. 

I can't take anything with me when I die. I cannot build up store houses here. I must invest in His kingdom. 

Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell everything he had and to give the money to the poor. He didn't tell everyone that. He probably only told me because I'm greedy and rotten and it was the only way to fix it. 

I think I may not make a difference and I may not be able to give much in comparison to others, but I can do something rather than nothing. It will make a difference when I get to heaven. It make a difference to someone. 

I am the hands and feet of Christ. I am acting on his behalf. He cares about the people I know about and ignore. He hears the cries of his children even when I/His hands are not obedient to help or serve or give. 

I have much, and I must share it. "Anyone who has two shirts should share with someone who has none." I have over 50 shirts. 

Hairbows on little girls don't really matter.

Fine clothes and jewelry don't make a woman beautiful. 

I won't miss things as much as I think I will. I will forget them. Trends will come and go and my tastes will change. 

Sometimes I am over emotional. Unfortunately, I often make decisions based on emotion. God can use that. 

I imagine that I have needs that are not needs at all. 

I have everything I will ever need to survive and thrive in my life. 

I have been numbed to my luxury and didn't even know how grossly and  opulently I live. 

It is hard for a rich man to go to heaven. 

It's easy to justify any greed or selfishness. 

I actually like having less options. It's cleansing and freeing and less stressful. My house feels bigger with less stuff in it. 

I'm not ready to let go of my curtains. 

I might be crazy to sell everything. But then again, it's probably crazy to love curtains so much. 

I am definitely crazy.