My heart's burstin!

I love this next set of pictures enough that it needed it's own blog post.  Very often Chris and I will awake to giggling.  I happen to believe that it is one of the greatest rewards as a parent.  On this particular morning we found the kids lying on Madeline's bed while she read to Gavin.  I pleaded with Chris to not disturb them until I could capture a picture of them together.  You can definitely see when I got caught!

There is no word to describe the love within my heart!

The wirlwind also known as December...

So, December flew by and January starts tomorrow.  I am so excited for 2012 but before I get into all that, I didn't get to put all of our family traditions on the blog and wanted to share a few. The first few are activities from our Advent Calendar that I talked about here.  We had a lot of fun with an activity every day. 


Here the kids are reading a story about the meaning of Christmas.  Gavin chose a traditional Christmas story and then also chose "The Tale of the Three Trees" which is one of my absolute favorite stories about Jesus.  Madeline read about Jesus in Luke 2.


We also had "Fancy Family Dinner" where we all had to dress up.  Madeline and I wore dresses and the boys wore ties.  I'm not sure we'd have qualified as stylish at all but both kids thought it was really fun. 

So proud of their snowflakes

We spent a night making paper snowflakes that we used to decorate our patio doors and another night making pine cone garland covered in glitter.  

There were also nights of Wii, Christmas Poems, Christmas lights and a host of other fun things.  

Glitter projects happen in the basement at our house

Madeline was also in the Christmas musical at school as Pink Beard the Pirate. 

It's a Pirate Christmas

 

Even Santa and Mrs. Claus were there

That sure is a pretty Piratess in the front!

She did a fantastic job!

And we haven't even celebrated Christmas yet! 

Rejection

The bitter sting of rejection leaves us stunned and confused. Later, after we've awakened we contemplate the events leading up to and following the rejection. the pain and confusion remain. We were hurt and we forgave. We were betrayed and we forgave. We were discarded and we forgave... and yet... 

 REJECTION... 

ugly, shocking, unprovoked 

rejection.  

Pain and confusion fill our minds and our souls. Conversations and circumstances are replayed and over analyzed.  At best, it seems that the pain and confusion may dull into a numbness and a counterfeit contentedness... 

We can only hope that step after step we will move on... 

              bearing the invisible scar of rejection... 

                                                                                 Again.

 

We all fall. We all fail. We all make decisions that, at times, hurt those that we love. Sometimes we are the ones that are hurt.  Sometimes we soar and succeed and other times we find ourselves walking out of the fire blistered, feeling branded by the pain... happy for our mere survival. 


It is in those moments, after we realize we've made it out of the fire that we have a decision to make. As we look back over the time in the furnace... and we should look it over, it is healthy to look back and review... we can choose anger and bitterness for those who threw us in or we can choose to see the blessings that carried us through, the answered prayers, the friends who stepped up and proved true, and the seemingly coincidental happenings that lifted our chins allowing our eyes to peer at the Heavens to see the Savior who already paid for it all and not only never took His eyes off of us but never saw us as anything but his beloved. 

There is one who will never reject us. He promised to never leave us... and though I haven't always been able to feel or hear Him, I know as I look back over the ashes and charred remains in the furnace... 

I KNOW that He was, in fact, always there.  

The Village People- Tradition #3

Seriously, I started this blog post a week ago... literally, a full week ago.  Needless to say, it's been a little crazy this week... but on to Tradition #3:

No, there are no Native Americans, carpenters, cowboys or any other disco-loving men in this tradition but it's still one we love.  I remember as a little girl going to friend's houses and some had these tiny houses with people inside.  Some of the people were having dinner as a family.  Others were singing in a church.

A few years ago my mother-in-law gifted me with a church.... a small country-looking glass church with people inside singing Christmas carols... or at least that's what I think they're doing!  She, Madeline and I went that year and also picked out a house to go with it.  The next year we picked out a bakery and the next year we chose Toy Town.  Every Christmas we put out the village and all the village people.  The kids kneel and stare into the houses as if on that day the people inside would be doing something new.

Without further delay, welcome to our village...

Is it not the perfect little country church?

Our "Home"

Complete with our mailman and puppy

We even have a dog walker

Our Bakery

This is exactly what our real snow men look like

 

This is everyone's favorite. 

Toy World is a personal favorite because it reminds me of my childhood.  My mom used to tell us a story when we were kids about us, in an imaginary world, where we went to a place called "Toy World."  While at Toy World we saw and got to play with whatever we wanted.  My "Toy World" would look totally different these days but I still think it sounds like a fun place to be!

Journey to Bethlehem

I'm totally getting out of order here but if only one family sees this and makes the time to go see Journey to Bethlehem, then it's worth getting out of order... besides, no one knows but me anyway.  :)


Last night Chris and I took the kids to what will be a yearly trip to Bethlehem.  Oh, how I wish we were really able to go to Israel each year but we got a little taste of it last night!  Every year a local church practices, rehearses, sacrifices to put on a free... YES, I SAID FREE... event to remind us of the real reason for Christmas.  Well, no one actually told me that that is the reason but it seems pretty obvious. 

When you arrive, you will receive a ticket with your new Jewish name on it.  I was Hannah.  Madeline was Eve,  Chris and Gavin were both John.  On the paper was the meaning of your name and your family lineage.  We were all of the line of King David.  

We were taken to an auditorium where an enactment of Mary and Joseph preparing for their trip to Bethlehem was shown along with some other short but sweet dramas and some Christmas singing.  From there we began our journey by meeting Bartholomew, our "family member" and guide for the journey. 

Bartholomew led us down the Roman streets where we encountered several cranky Roman soldiers.  Now, I say "cranky" because they were fabulously in character.  It was so funny to see the kids faces when they heard those stern voices asking for their papers and what their names were.  We also encountered several other "Jewish" families who had just left Bethlehem.  


Each family was kind to share the warmth of their fire and a little bit of Jewish history with us.  

 

There were some wise men who had journeyed far from their homeland and they told us of the star that they had followed. 

Everywhere we went... Everyone we met with spoke of their hope in the coming Messiah... No one had much in the way of possessions... well, except the wise men... but they all held on to this same hope that their God would send a savior... If you let yourself, you could literally feel the hope rising inside of you too!

While we were speaking with some very common shepherds the most amazing thing happened... from out of no where an angel appeared and told us the messiah had been born.  Then there was a host of them singing praises to God. 

It seems so strange because I've heard this countless times in my life but for the first time I wept and FELT just a little of how those shepherds must have felt. hope had been fulfilled and who were we to hear it?

After hearing the amazing news from the shepherds we ran all the way to Bethlehem where we encountered more cranky Roman soldiers.  One little girl, about three years old, showed that she is bold in spirit when she told them "YOU'RE MEAN!"  We all laughed but the soldiers didn't break character for a moment.  Our papers were stamped and we were able to go into the market at Bethlehem.  There were people selling chickens, fish, bread and a host of things.  We danced and celebrated before we went to find a place to stay for the night.  Even in this Bethlehem, there was no room in any inn.  

Finally, the innkeepers told us of a young couple that they had allowed to sleep in their stable... the young woman great with child... and Bartholomew asked the hopeful question "Could that be the Messiah that the angel told us about?"  and we were serenaded as we walked into the stable to see our King.  

He was tiny and fragile.  His parents looked deeply into his face.  While he looked incredibly ordinary... wrapped in a simple blanket, we were reminded that...

 

this baby would grow up to die for each one of us...  

so that we can have a relationship with God in Heaven.   

If you have to move, rearrange, or even skip something else, I absolutely recommend you taking the 
Journey to Bethlehem. 

Jesus Tree Download

Here's the link to the list of names to make your very own Jesus Tree:

Jesus Tree Download PDF

Jesus Tree Download WORD DOC




Gotta warn you though, don't go to the MIchael's in Chesterfield for the lantern ornament.  I bought every last one and am just HOPING to have one for myself!

The Jesus Tree

He's the "reason for the season!"  

Seriously, we've heard it so many times I wonder if we actually think about who "He" is.  In the midst of the hustle and bustle of Black Friday shopping... that has now turned into Thanksgiving-night-shopping-because-Friday-isn't-soon-enough.... to the do-I-say-happy-holidays-or-merry-christmas... to the counting and wrapping of the gifts... oh wait!   did I get the same number of gifts for this child as I did that child and was it the same amount of money?  I sometimes stop to ask myself, do we even know who's birth we celebrate? 

As much as I love to give AND receive gifts, I get a little turned off by all "I want" business at Christmas... and sometimes it's my own "I wants" that turn me off the most.  Sad, I know.  That's just one reason I was so excited to start a new tradition with my family last year that more than acknowledges

WHY WE HAVE CHRISTMAS 

but 

WHO-WE-ARE-CELEBRATING!  

Before I begin, I must give credit where credit is due.  I did not think of this wonderful idea on my own.  I am not generally an idea person.  My dear friend, Jana, and her husband, who is the Children's Ministry Pastor at our wonderful church came up with this idea and shared it with me.  They have a tree that they do at their house like this and they provided me with a list that I needed to do it.  They are totally the brains behind this business and I'm so grateful to them for sharing with me!

Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce my Jesus Tree:

I found the actual tree this week at Michael's... on sale for just $35 when it was normally $89.  Gotta love that!  Despite the fabulous bargain, that's not my favorite part, however.  It's the journey we are taking to find just the right ornaments to place on this tree.   You see, not just any ornament will due.  Each ornament must in some way symbolize a name for Jesus from scripture. 


For example, in Romans 6:23 it says:

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

So this ornament in the shape of a gift is to remind us that our eternal life was not earned by us, nor do we deserve it but it is a gift from God.  

In Acts 4:12, we learn that Jesus is the key to being saved:

There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.

In Revelation 22:16, Jesus calls himself the "Bright Morning Star"

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne. 

I am the bright morning star.”

 

In John 10:9, Jesus said:

I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved.

I couldn't find a door but decided that the opening of the lock would suffice until I found an actual door.

As I was looking over my list, I know that I will add at least two additional ornaments to the tree this year.  There is the cutest red lantern at Michael's that has caught my eye several times (yes, I've been there several times just this week!) and I will use it to represent Psalms 118:14:

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.

I also have an old grapevine wreath in the basement that I am planning to take apart to use as garland, just like Jana has on hers, to represent John 15:1:

I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener.

 

Last year I also found some cute tin ornaments that looked like presents and gave them to the kids' teachers with a list of names that Jana gave me and an explanation of the "Treasure Hunt" involved in this tradition.  They were both so excited!

 

Aside from the obvious learning about who Jesus is that I love about this tradition, I also love that it's not going to be complete for a while.  Each year we can take our list to the store and find something new.  It kind of reminds me about reading the bible.  I can read a passage that I've read a hundred times before and find something totally new.  We won't find every ornament this year but we'll keep looking and as we do, we'll begin to see the pretty ornaments of the tree as symbols of WHO we worship. 

So there it is.  Tradition #2 for the Peyton Family.  If you're interested in making your very own Jesus Tree, leave a comment and I'm happy to get the list to you!

I crafted!

I did it!  I really  did it.  I crafted!  Ok.  I'm sure that using "crafted" in that sense would totally send an english teacher over the edge but I'm celebrating my contribution to my family's Christmas celebration today!

I saw an awesome idea via Facebook to make an unconventional Advent calendar to countdown the days until Christmas and I just loved it.  If you're less crazy than me, you can totally just BUY it here.  I had specific colors in mind so I made mine.  It wound up taking me right at three hours... though if I were to do it again, I'm sure I could do it much quicker as I had to hunt down some old Creative Memories tools.

Yesterday I took the kids (plus one) to Michaels to find the paper and supplies that I needed for this and a few other crafts that we'll do in the near future.   I found the perfect blue and red paper.

Aren't they lovely?

So, I laid all my supplies on the table... except the additional Creative Memories cutting tools I decided to track down after I got started.

Here's what I had:

            25 white envelopes
            6 sheets of two sided coordinating paper
            10 sheets white cardstock
            2  28ft tape runner
            hemp twine
            tiny clothespins
            black pen
            number stencil

Step 1:  Cut pretty paper to fit on envelopes.  I did 6" x 3.5" and it left a nice white border on the edge.
Step 2:  Use tape runner to attach to envelopes.  (I know.  This is totally rocket science and you're totally impressed by me so far but just wait!)  ;)

Step 3:  I decided I wanted the numbers to be on circles so I drug out the CM stuff (aka- drug out what I could find and then went to Eileen's to get what I couldn't find) and made circles with the white cardstock.

Step 4:  I used a complimentary "Pretty Paper" to make a strip on each circle for accent.

Step 5:  Attach to envelopes via rocket science discussed in step 2.

Step 6:  Stencil numbers onto circles.  Here's where I've gotta give CM markers total props.  I have not had my scrapbooking stuff out in AT LEAST five years and this marker still worked perfectly!  It's the small things... right?

Step 7:  Hang hemp twine and attach fabulous envelopes with adorable clips.

Ok.  You're not actually finished at this point but the cuteness is up and that alone makes you feel good!

Step 8:  Make a list of Advent Activities that suit your family.
Step 9:  Put them into a word document and print.
Step 10:  Cut the cards to a size that will fit into your envelopes.
Step 11:  Print your family calendar.
Step 12:  Taking into consideration your family calendar, put the cards into the appropriate envelope.

That's it!  Now you can begin making family memories! 

Isn't it so cute!  I love it already and cannot wait to see the fun family memories that happen because I took one afternoon to do this!  Tomorrow on the blog is the Christmas tradition we added last year... the Jesus Tree!