Celebrating Christmas, now

I think the number one best thing about having a month of Advent, is that all the crazy, get-ready-for-Christmas stuff, doesn't rule our lives. I was thinking today, in church as we sang my favorite carols, that most people have left Christmas behind. Who else sang carols today in service? We've just begun! It's only the fourth day of Christmas! Rejoice....celebrate...He is born! This will continue until January 5th when we celebrate 12th night, a symbolic arrival of the three kings. We won't even have our Christmas pageant until then.

We spent the last month, in preparation. Advent is the season of preparing for Christ's birth, and we read the bible verses that anticipate the birth of Christ...Isaiah, Judges, Malachi, Numbers. Joseph Bottum says "the disappearance of Advent seems especially disturbing—for it’s injured even the secular Christmas season: opening a hole, from Thanksgiving on, that can be filled only with fiercer, madder, and wilder attempts to anticipate Christmas." By using Advent, we were able to focus our energy on the reason, the meaning behind Christmas. 

Now, while everyone we know heaves a sigh of relief that this crazy season is over (back to life), our little family, our little parish, is letting go of Advent, and able to celebrate Christmas. We're able to celebrate the annunciation, we can focus on Mary sacrificing her life's choices to follow the will of the Lord. We can focus on Joseph, who as he accepted the ridicule and shame of his friends as he also followed God's will, as he accepted his pregnant bride.  We can worship a Lord who was willing to send Jesus to earth, to suffer as a human, to teach us all the way, the truth and the light. 

Merry Christmas to all!

Christmas in Oklahoma...warm enough for steaks

The great thing about the weather in Ok, even if we don't usually get snow, we can grill out. Ava and I bundled up and joined dh, because hey, it was pretty chilly. We'll be pretty busy the next few days...but hey, if you're in the neighborhood, the Norman Christmas Dinner can always use some volunteers, at the high school on Main Street.

Beef, it's what's for dinner!

Breanna did think we were crazy, she stayed inside.

Merry Christmas, however you celebrate! 

More holiday crafts...

Because everyone loves a kissmoose....

A moose with a footprint for a face, and hands for antlers, what's not to love?

Sam's moose even has two gingerbread tattoos lol!

Emily and Dan decided, no moose for them

And Rachel didn't even go with a typical banner, but made a huge stocking.

No moose. 

We just used leftover fabric and supplies from our overabundant crafty stuff.

Google eyes and pompom noses really seal the deal, don't you think?

What to do on a chilly day....

paper dolls, courtesy of granpa

St Nicholas Tag!

After Avari's birthday, we had a St Nick's dinner

The girls got new Hannah dresses, which they wore to church.

Boys got flannel dress shirts, which Dan wore with his 'spy tie' (a bow tie I happened to find at Target! Club Penguin is our friend!)

At church, we were surprised by a 'bishop' named St Nick, and the kids gathered around him at the front to hear the story of who Saint Nicholas really was...I wish I'd had my camera, Ava's face was so full of glorious rapture. He did look rather fancy in his gold and cream vestments and miter. He had a shepherd's crook, and told the story of the first candy cane. Fun fun fun!

Christmas lights....

Tree? What tree?

Obviously what we have here is a new Jedi weapon. Boys!

But the girls worked hard...

very very hard for such short people

And put an entire seven foot match-the-color tree together!

Everyone got to decorate...

and we get by with a little help from our friends!

And of course, one star, up on top.

Advent begins...

Our homemade wreath...Emily spraypainted our pizza sheet, and made the candle holder from blue and green clay. You can't really see how great it is. She wants to do 'more' with it, but she's taking her time to decide what that more will be. Maybe evergreen? Maybe pinecones? Strings of berry?

Our Advent calendar, from the church. Yesterday was the first day, it says to talk about what the light of Jesus is, and where we saw it today. Avari saw it in the bright candle light, but the older kids talked about seeing the light in their siblings as they worked together to put the tree up. :-O