First (and second) Day of Advent

We've done a few types of Advent countdowns in the past: candle countdown (we can't burn candles  per our lease),  activities for each day; scavenger hunts with small gifts for each day. Click the colored words to read past posts.  We are SIMPLIFYING this year. We are doing Names of Jesus and not Jesse Tree, one simple devotional and not three,  etc. We wanted one advent countdown. I was leaning towards ACTIVITY....the kids and Michael were leaning towards SCAVENGER HUNTS/GIFTS.  I took the challenge to Let.It.Go.  and easily gave in. 

Sunday afternoon found Michael running errands and Arielle and I in the BX looking for 25 gifts. The key is small. In year's past we've gotten each child something. In a God-given moment of inspiration Arielle and I focused on gifts which the family could then USE TOGETHER...gifts which would provide some fun family memories and activities. When I shared this with Michael he was thinking along the same lines. I learned again letting it go isn't terrible.  This will be much easier than trying to keep with 25 activities and we'll still be making fun memories. The kids love the hunts. 

Michael wrote clues. Arielle and I wrapped and wrapped....and then we were ready to really kick off our advent season.

Um...first we had ANOTHER instance where I did not fare so well in Letting.It.Go. It just seemed to me the hints needed to be IN the calendar, behind closed doors, eagerly anticipated and waiting to be revealed. I loved the symbolism and parallels to waiting for Christ to be revealed, while discovering the clues and hunting for him. Michael had another plan. He did it my way. The in-focus-full-face-photo reveals the tension this caused so we'll go with this Christmas perfect photo. ::snort::

Finally, the kids gathered in the living room with us and we were ready to KICK OFF. We can't find Jotham or any of his cohorts this year. We are focusing on the names of Jesus. 

FIRST I had to apologize to Michael and I did. I am trying hard to learn. All was forgiven and the festivities continued. Four of the six of us had covered our Advent Devo verses together in Sunday School - so we brought the other two up to speed on "Hope". 

We read a verse, discussed what it means that God is WITH us, and sang O Come, O Come Emmanuel....it was epic. We need Bre to make sing-alongs really fly; but we certainly have lots of laughter trying.

Clue number one - picked by Stacia, read by Zander, "I LOVE MY DUCKY." I prepared for the onslaught as they processed...they were either going to go find our UofO stuff or head for the bathrooms.  Either way they would be coming up the stairs...They went BOTH directions at the top of the stairs...making photo taking difficult. ::snort:: 

Finally, someone asked if they could enter our room. ::snort:: It may have helped when I began to hum..."Rubber Ducky you're the one, You make bath-time so much fun...." They'd already checked THEIR bathroom. 

A ball better suited to four square and dodge ball than our basketball! 

Since this was DECEMBER 2nd - we did Clue number 2...."A THERMAL DEPLETION CHAMBER"

The girls googled "thermal"  ::snort::

Great idea Zander - but what about "depletion" 

Nolan's on it! 

Yuuki insists on getting in on the fun. 

We also began discussing how to "Light em Up" - which will be great fun for us this year. We're looking for intentional ways to Light Up our community with Jesus' light. 

We are currently reading Cooper Kids #4 - Trapped at the Bottom of the Sea (Yokota AB is in this one) -  and read a couple of chapters. I promptly fell asleep and do not remember this nor the prayer - but I've been told I was there. 

It's off - the start of our family Advent 2012 celebrations. 

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...