This is the fourth day of advent. Yesterday we missed reading in our book. We went to Awana and by the time we get home, it is too late. A quick snack and its off to bed the kids go. Hence today we read two days. The book talked about the evergreen tree. When we look at our Christmas tree we can think of the tree God created in the Garden of Eden. The tree of Life. How special that tree was and he placed in the garden. We also read about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the big mistake of Adam and Eve. We talked about how we make mistakes too and how those mistakes affect us. All this leads up to Christ's Birth. There would be no Christmas had it not started in the Garden of Eden.

December has come. Tomorrow is my mother's birthday. Happy Birthday Mom! Every year I seem to get a little depressed around this time of year. I think that I feel pressured to do everything, be crafty, have fun, remember the reason for the season, please people that I get overwhelmed. This year I am going to try to stay calm. If we can't do everything, that is going to be ok. I really want this time to be fun for the kids. While in Montana, I thought I'd get a jump start on Christmas cards. The kids and I stamped and colored about 20 cards. I picked up some prefolded and cut cards from Michaels when they were 40% off. I was able to get a 50 pack. They are in groups of five with 10 different colors. Before leaving for Montana, I cut Christmas paper into 4" x 4" squares and then cut little squares or circles for each group of cards. Then I stamped an image on one square or circle for each group. All the kids had to do was stamp the other paper with the same stamp, color it in, and glue it to the cards. Tonight Lona and I did about 30 more cards. I now need to order pictures and place addresses on the envelopes. Maybe by next week we'll mail them off. I also wanted to make an advent calendar to count down the days to Christmas. I looked on the web and there were so many advent calendars. Some where really lame and others were so elaborate that there was no way I could make it. I like the ones that have little things for the kids to eat or play with but with three kids that was out of the question cost wise. Also today is December 1st. I finally found one that I could down load and place my own pictures behind the windows. The kids were so excited to open a window and when all it showed was a picture they were very disappointed. Go figure. Maybe next year I'll list an activity to do behind each window. We are again reading an advent book. Each year we try to do all 31 days in December and how God planned for Christmas from before the beginning of time. This book also has an activity for each day. Today is the December journal day. Now that all the kids are writing, maybe we'll be able to write in our journals each day. Tomorrow we are going to cover votive holders with tissue paper to remind us that God created light, Jesus is the light, and God sent a star when Jesus was born. I really like this book. It shows that God does not make mistakes, he knew that all this would happen even before He created this earth. We never make it through the book. Maybe this year. This December is full of maybes.
Can anyone answer this question for Job. What do you call it when you only say words with 5 syllables? My answer was "What?" On the way to Montana he asked, "How far does the earth turn when it turns?" Good question. 360 degrees every day. I never thought of things like that when I was 8.