Advent

Because we came home after Thanksgiving so Jim could go to work the next day, the kids and I spent Black Friday at home. It was perfect. We started with cinnamon rolls for breakfast.

The we started decorating the tree and the house.

On December 1st, we started our Advent calendar. This year I am using The Truth in the Tinsel and I just love it. For $7.99, I got a day-by-day guide for scripture reading, discussion questions, and a craft project for an ornament. For an additional $3.99, I got printable ornaments for the days we are crazy busy or I just don’t have the supplies for the craft. The book comes with printable templates for the crafts, a shopping list, a day-by-day supply list, and printable cards for an advent calendar or chain. My kind of project.

We start each day after breakfast by drawing a card from the calendar. The kids take turns. 

Then we read the clue word on the card. JT has been trying to read them and between basic phonics and the picture he does a pretty good job.

I read the scripture and they listen for the clue word. When they hear the clue, they raise their hand. This is met with great enthusiasm by Haley. 🙂 Then we make the ornaments that go with the clue and talk about the discussion topics while we work.

The kids hang them on the tree in our front room when they’re done. This is just day one… I am tempted to take pictures every day because I love this process and I love the ornaments and I love my kids. But really, one day is plenty.

Finally, we end by opening the day on the Nativity advent calendar from Aunt Gena. We read the verse inside (which has been amazingly the same as the verses above, almost every day).

We have been enjoying starting our days like this. It is a great way to make sure we’re focused on the right things this season. Tonight we’re headed to a living nativity. I am super bummed they are also offering Santa pictures, but it gives us a good chance to talk (again) about what other people do for Christmas and why we don’t choose to follow that tradition.