Christmas traditions

I really love traditions and have been slowly introducing new ones into our lives ever since we were married (and carrying on old ones too). This year I'm really getting into the whole Advent calendar idea and have come up with something for every day leading up to Christmas day...here's my list:

Our Christmas traditions

1. Set up advent calendar and nativity sets

2. Read ‘The Three Trees’ then set up and decorate our Christmas tree while listening to Christmas carols

3. Make Christmas food: shortbread, rum balls, pudding, cake, meringues etc

4. Drive around and look at the Christmas lights

5. Choosing a charity to support

6. Have a family ‘movie’ afternoon

7. Go for a moonlit walk

8. Take a picnic dinner to the Cotter

9. Write down one thing we’re grateful for every day of December

10. Make mango smoothies

11. Sing Christmas music in the car

12. Dinner by candlelight

13. Make homemade pizza

14. Feed birds on the lake

15. Write down the 10 best memories of the year

16. Play board games

17. Have a ‘prawn night’ for dinner

18. Visit somewhere in Canberra that we’ve never been to before

19. Read the story of Jesus birth from the Bible

20. Find a ‘Carols by candlelight’ to go to or watch

21. Send Christmas cards with ‘Family brochure’

22. Have a birthday party for Jesus – with a cake and all

23. Make cookies to give to friends/teachers/co-workers

24. Host Christmas lunch for family and/or friends

25. Read Christmas story books

I'm really excited!! We're just gonna pick one thing each day and do it. This will be the first year we'll have a tree, and I'm really looking forward to the idea of reading the Three trees book to the kids as kinda saying that's one of the reasons we have a tree.

We set up the little people nativity set today (cause with the wedding on tomorrow we probably won't have time to do anything off our list) and Josh LOVES it. It think it's pretty cool too, and I love the way it opens the door to be able to really explain and show the account of Jesus birth. Josh was playing with it and singing, 'Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so'...LOVE IT! I am thinking of saving to eventually get a really nice nativity set...and a really nice advent calendar (saw one at Koorong and wanted it SOOO bad!! lol!)

Anyway, am off to bed for much needed rest before the wedding tomorrow. I am so looking forward to being matron of honour and having Aaron be best man! YAY!! Will post lots of photo's as soon as i get organised!

yay for today

much better day today! Josh did well at swimming, and then practised in our pool at lunchtime with Nanna and again in the afternoon with Aaron and I. I think he'll be swimming really well by the end of the summer.

Had a great time shopping with Nic all afternoon :o) can't believe her wedding is THIS SATURDAY! YAY Nic!!

So yeah, just generally all round good day. I'm really grateful. And I forgot to mention before that not only did Aaron come home monday night and cook dinner and put Josh to bed etc, he also came home WITH CHOCOLATES!!! Nice gift wrapped Darrel Lea ones that I LOVE.

He spoils me and I LOVE IT!

:o)

a bit too much today

I love my life - honestly! Am so amazed at how God's blessed me...but occasionally everything jumps on me at once and I feel overwhelmed. Today is one of those days...

I've been feeling emotional since yesterday (like Josh and I were singing along to Vegietales 'God made you special' and i wanted to bawl my eyes out! lol) and irritated with everything, and just so grateful for my husband who cooked dinner and who put Josh to bed (he does that every night and it's so special for them). But today, well...nothing in particular, just everything! Ever felt like that?

But I love the way God works...my wonderful friend Nat, has this wonderful mother Eliz, who sent me a forward called One Christmas in 1960. And altho it made me bawl!! it was perfect timing. About time I checked out who is less fortunate than me and give them a hand...?

Thanks for reading my blog and sorry that today was a little bleak :o) since Josh is playing really nicely with his toys I might take my chance and have some prayer time.

thankful and busy and tired and happy

Another monday :o) took Josh to ED Gym again. Nic came along this morning too cause she knows Mel, the lady that does it monday mornings (she used to do ED Gym herself sometime ago). Was nice, cause I've always kinda stood back and not gotten hugely involved in doing things with Josh, more just helping him and making sure he doesn't injure someone else's child! But Nic showed me it was ok to get on the equipment with him! So I did, and it was cool. Thanks Nic :o)

So yeah, life is just moving along like it does - way too fast. Doesn't help that we're heading straight into the crazy time of year. I really love the chance to have nice Christmas - you know, with the big lunch or dinner and all the family...setting the table all nice and starting/continuing cool traditions. Except Aaron's parents are going up north to visit his sister this year and mum is working at some stage. At least my brother's gonna be here! YAY Matt (not that he ever reads my blog wah wah wah!) We'll have time with everyone but not a chance to be ALL TOGETHER. Will have to plan it for next year...

Still struggling with Josh and his 'rest time'. The rest of this new routine thing is going ok (although I'm nowhere near as organised as I wanna be!) but rest time is a major battle EVERYDAY. And even tho it's killing me and I seriously wonder if it's worth it, I know how much he needs it so I'm struggling on. And if it every becomes easy (I'm hoping!) I'll be really thankful that I put in the hard yards...just right now it's definitely HARD.

But I'm thankful anyway because it means I have a son that I'm struggling with. I'd rather that than no son at all. And it shows that he is strong and I'm praying that strength will keep him when he's older and someone tries to lead him in the wrong direction. So regardless of how hard it is, I'm thankful.

Oh, and I'm also thankful that Kai is sleeping peacefully... ;o)