Welcome December. I'm not happy about you.

I'm in total denial that it's December.  And I am in no mood at all for Christmas.  No. Mood. At. All.  Not sure why.  I think one reason may be that we've decided to cut waaay back on our Christmas spending this year.  Gifts is my "giving" love language - I spell LOVE "g-i-f-t" - and so to me, less presents = no fun.  But reading books like Jen Hatmaker's Interrupted and Will Davis's Enough have totally messed me up and ruined me forever for the kind of over-the-top gift buying I used to do. Sigh.

Of course, it also doesn't help that the weather around here has been sunny and in the high 70's for the past several weeks.  We've done zero decorating, very little shopping, and I can't even muster up my usual excitement for doing our Jesse Tree or reading Jotham's Journey.  Even going to my friend Katie's annual cookie swap didn't do the trick.  Bah humbug.

But, regardless of whether I'm in the Christmas spirit or not, there are a few things I'm determined to accomplish this month.  First of all, in the spirit of having more than enough of everything we could ever need (ala Will Davis), we are having the Great Family Cleanout of 2012.  Every day in the month of December (doubling up after any days we miss), each person in our family will be choosing 1-3 items to give away or throw away.  Clothes, toys, books, CDs, jewelry, kitchen wares, movies, home decor....everything is fair game. 

At this moment in time, Jacob literally has a closet full of clothes, a dresser full of clothes, and a dirty clothes hamper full of clothes.  That's just ridiculous.  More than enough.  I have a drawer full of (albeit fake) jewelry that I hardly ever wear.  Ridiculous.  Shoes, I must admit, are not my weakness, so I'll probably be keeping what I have.  Same with purses (in fact, I'm not sure I even HAVE any purses other than the one I'm carrying right now).  But I'm quite certain there is a skirt or two or five that someone else should be enjoying.  And Kloe?  Don't even get me started.

Another thing I committed to doing this month is our Candlelight Christmas.  I love this tradition so much, and we only get to do it every other year, on the years when we're home for Christmas.  Maybe we should do it early this year - maybe that would get me more in the Christmas spirit?

Well, here's one thing I'm happy about December for - Downton Abbey reruns!  Even though we've watched seasons 1 and 2 about three times each now, knowing that this rerun of season 2 is leading up to the debut of season 3 just makes me all kinds of happy.  We've waited a whole year for this!  Are you a Downton groupie?

Here's to a more joyful December!

Another Valentine's come and gone.

Our Valentine's started early this year, when the Mister woke me up with this fun surprise on Saturday. :)


Yes, that's the cup that was in there when I found it. :)

Goodness, we've drunk more coffee in the past week than we have probably in the past two months!

And then on Sunday, we woke up to Dippin' Dots falling from the sky. :)

The dippin' dots turned into real snow, and school was cancelled on Monday. It's not often we get a snow day around here.  Talk about excited kids!  The day warmed up, the snow melted, and the kids spent the afternoon outside.  Perfect day!

On Tuesday, we had so much fun!  Our traditional Valentine's scavenger hunt ended with a twist this year....presents!

Jacob running to the mail box for the next clue.

Kloe found the loot in the freezer....and another clue telling them there was more to be found!

Searching the car for presents!

Found 'em!

Tennis rackets for everyone!





Haha - this doesn't look too appetizing, does it?  It actually was delicious!  Our red dinner: chicken parmesan (The Mister like the sauce on top of the cheese...he says the other way makes the chicken breading soggy), red potatoes, and cherry tomatoes. :)

Now this looks much more yummy!

Another very fun Valentine's Day in the books!

Scenes from our Season.

* The Tuesday before Christmas, the Mister set his alarm for 2:00 a.m. and we dragged the kids out of bed to make sure they didn't miss a once-in-400-years event:



This is what a full lunar eclipse looks like. Isn't it awesome? :)



Haha - just kidding. It actually looked more like this from our vantage point, but my camera just doesn't have enough umption to take a picture all the way to the moon. :)




* A Christmas tradition that we love (below) is Candlelight Christmas. (Sorry the picture's so dark....it was, after all, by candlelight.)



We spend the evening in relative darkness, preparing dinner by candlelight, eating by candlelight, and then reading scriptures (by candlelight) that remind us that Jesus is the LIGHT! (some examples: John 1:5,9; John 3:19; John 8:12b; 1 John 1:5b and 1:7a) Afterwards we make hot chocolate to go, then drive around looking at Christmas lights. Oh, how I love this tradition. The kids mostly just love eating by candlelight and then fighting over who gets to blow out the candles, but I'm hoping at least at little TRUTH is sinking into their hearts. God says His Word will not return void! :)


* Decorating glass bead ornaments.






* More scenes from our season....


Guess who got a lump of coal?






* And the gingerbread house kit? Is still in the box.



Maybe next year.

12 Days of Christmas

In my last post I mentioned that our friends the Mosses have a Christmas tradition of secretly blessing families they know with gifts for the Twelve Days of Christmas. We loved the idea and decided to try it this year....but we're only "blessing" one family, not six. :) We chose a family we know from school - and from church - who are having such a really, really hard time financially right now. Our small little gifts certainly won't turn their lives around, but we're praying they will at least bring a little cheer to an otherwise difficult time.

Today was day three, and oh. my. goodness. we are having so much fun!! The first night the kids and I parked across the street from their house, and a few houses down. The three of us got out and snuck (sneaked?) up to the DARK house, left the gift on the porch, then raaaan back to the car trying not to bust out laughing in our excitement.

Last night, we were expecting more of the same, but when we got close to their house we could see that the porch light was on! Aaagh! I stayed in the car to keep it running, while Kloe and Jacob slinked along the front of their garage like spies and set two mini fruit baskets on the porch. From the car I was whisper-screaming, "Noooooo, not BEHIND the screen door!!" The kids raaaan back to the car and when they got in I said, "When they open their glass door, the baskets will be behind it....they might never see them!" Kloe heaved a great sigh, then for a second time bravely faced the danger of being caught, and went back to move the baskets to the other side of the door. :)

TONIGHT....tonight we got home from church late, and so I went alone after the kids were in bed. The porch light was on again! I parked a few houses down, sneaked quietly past their garage, and just as I was about to creep up onto the porch, I could see that the curtains on their front window were open!! Surely they weren't trying to catch their mystery gifter? HaHaHaHa!! :) I love it! (and....I didn't get caught. as far as I know.)

We are having such a blast doing this! The morning after we left the first gift, as we were on our way to school Kloe grinned a huge grin and, in that same voice you use when you can't WAIT for someone to open that PERFECT Christmas present, she squealed, "They're finding their present right now!" We have been giggly and giddy about it for three days. So, so fun!

Dear Moss family, thank you so much for sharing your awesome tradition with us...albeit unintentionally. I'm hoping it will become one of our annual traditions, as well. And we will think of you (and miss you. and give you credit.) every single time we run hysterically through the dark, trying hard not to bust out laughing, secretly delivering Christmas cheer to some unsuspecting family.

Merry Christmas!