Prayer Appreciated!


This is MY lighting responsibility. It's not going well. I'm about to simplify us right out of having a tree. I DID skip it the year Mike was deployed. ::snort::

Poor Mike and the boys are wrestling with the outside lights. All I have to do is string these. They all lit BEFORE I put them on the tree. Zander is WAITING (and has been for days) none to patiently to decorate the TREE.....and I have to get these puppies on their first.

To think I worried Nolan would miss decorating the tree because of Nutcracker practice. ::snort:: At this rate, he'll be here to help string the LIGHTS on the thing.

Back to work. It really is quite a funny photo. Doesn't it look sort of like the hippo in Fantasia....of course the skirt is slipping. ::snort::

©2008 D.R.G.

Advent Madness

Last year we added a gift every Sunday night of Advent as we continued with our other Advent traditions. I got this idea from Linda. We loved it. The gifts were mostly things I would have bought anyway - but they were saved for these special nights....calendars, family game, t-shirts...

For years I've seen some do "Advent Calendars". Last year we tried the play mobile one and it didn't work for us.... We are not fond of cheap candy (can't do the flavors, dyes and preservatives) but I remembered that Kathy does this with small gifts....and I saw those cute calendars at Target...you know THAT story. Becki suggested some ideas in the comment section of that entry. Becki, the idea to put clues in the little boxes and still use ONE calendar for ALL the children makes this doable for us.

I have gone online and searched "Advent Calendars" - DON'T DO IT!!!! ::snort:: I quickly realized the need for extreme caught to avoid the extras adding up to a budget busting holiday. I went to Rainbow Resource and bought a few things I've been planning to get for school. The kids will like them and I'll give them on some day from the calendar box. Mike is teasing that I should plan a full blown scavenger hunt each day of the month. ::snort::

Another idea that I found in my searching is to make an Advent ACTIVITY calendar. We'll make one today. I've not decided if we'll use my stash of TP tubes...or scrapbook paper. I'm leaning to paper as we may YET make that Greek Temple and need the TP tubes. ANYWAY, the idea is that you jot down a family activity for each day of the month. I love this idea....and would probably have not bought the present calendar if I'd done the google search first. This is a post with a ton of Advent Calendar ideas that I found on Kathy's aforementioned blog. This post on Paper Envelopes made me think I could really do this in a day. I'm going to merge several ideas.....Now, go ahead and do that google search if you must, but I DID warn you. ::snort::

Here's what I need from YOU!!!! I*D*E*A*S* please. December 1st will be here in no time.

What are some fun gifts for Advent Calendars that your children have particularly loved? I'm going to have the little things from Rainbow, I know candy one day, hot chocolate, coins, coupons for future outing with Mom and/or Dad....more ideas?

Here is my STARTING list of Activities for the Advent Activity Calendar. Can you think of more? PLEASE COMMENT! ::snort:: I need these to make my Activity Calendar.

1. Take a toy to Toy for Tots


2. Walk to visit the deer


3. Go star gazing


4. Decorate an outside tree for animals - read book by Eve or Eva Hunt


5. Indoor picnic by the light of tree


6. Dance like Crazy to Christmas music (yeah - we're not Baptist ::snort::)


7. Make ice cream Sundaes (but we sort of do this weekly anyway)


8. Picnic at the Lake


9. Play tickle little kids, mom photographs


10. Take older ones to see Concho lights


11. Go for a neighborhood walk at night and enjoy the lights


12. Make paper snowflakes and decorate the house.


13. Family game night (plan several)


14. Candlelit bubble bath (I can dream)


15. Paint our toes (boys say NO WAY)


16. Bake Christmas goodies


17. Bake Christmas goodies again and take to neighbors

PLEASE COMMENT!
©2008 D.R.G.

Giving Thanks!

~I'm thankful for pink and purple duck tape.

~I'm thankful for the help of Jared, Arielle and Nolan today.

~I'm thankful we finally found the box with the Christmas books, movies and music.

~I'm thankful for old traditions (we watched Muppet Christmas Carol after decorating) and new traditions (our new Advent calendar).

©2008 D.R.G.

Black Friday (the title that won't show as a title ::snort::)

Does anyone find it ironic that we celebrate contentment and thankfulness on Thursday and literally trample others to get into the stores on Friday? ::snort::

No, I am not a 4 a.m. Black Friday Celebrant. Josiah and Jamin, however, understand the significance of this day for retailers. I can't wait to hear how big of a day they had today at the restaurant. ::snort::

I did a bit of shopping today. I discovered the very things I had briefly considered getting up early to fight for, were available online with free shipping. I took care of several family members that way.

It is not in our budget this year to buy PJ's for 12 folks. I compromised and bought some cute t-shirts. I decided to check at a store that usually has some cute ones and they were on sale....so I bought those.

I also went out to buy DUCK TAPE! Why? So we could decorate! We've come a long way since the days when we refused to put up any Christmas decorations. LOL

Wow - it takes MUCH longer to decorate, when the older four are not around to help. The ones at home really pitched in....but our work force is greatly reduced as the older ones leave home and/or get a job that requires working on Black Friday.

As always, we had two missing boxes, and so we didn't finish everything today. ::snort:: There is still tomorrow.

This is part of the pile of decorations we found in the attic last night.

First we had to take down fall decor...

Mike put this new Nativity up first thing...I knew the lighting wasn't going to work at high noon in TEXAS...but I couldn't miss this photo. Stacia was introducing herself, "Hello, Jesus, I'm Stacia."

The Light Crew was busy - we're about 1/2 done.



Are you wondering why it is taking so long this year? Besides the fact that the two older boys aren't home to help? Mike bought this thing that all the lights will hook into...it plays MUSIC and pulsates the lights in rhythm to the music.....

Sweet Stacia was so good and so quiet for so long. I went to take some things to the kids room and noticed marker on a wall. . . then a door...then another door....then I said loudly, "Oh, NO, no...no...no..." and heard, "I'm SOOO sorry, Mommy" from the closed door. Oy vey. She had drawn all over the boys' room. All over it, with a Sharpie. Here she tries her hand with a magic eraser...but this is not the room that she covered.

Wed night in the Fellowship Hall she discovered the big dry erase board and markers. She played for about an hour. Miss Joyce suggested we get a board for Christmas. I was thinking about it. I guess she really does like to draw. ::sigh:: This is the same girl that painted our fence and patio red in the summer.

She cracked me up when we told her it was naughty to draw on the wall....she picked up her phone and said, "Bre, I need to talk to David!" Later in the evening she was talking in her phone and said, "My mommy, really, really loves me." She DOES feel remorse over drawing on all the walls...

Jamin should be home shortly - I hope from a long day of work. That's our day.

©2008 D.R.G.

Glimpses from the Day!

We had a wonderful day. Mike spent some time up at the Dining Facility. None of our invited guests could make it. That turned out to be great. It was the first Thanksgiving in forever that we were "family only"; we liked it.

Due to the reported turkey emergency the whole day was a bit different - and we enjoyed ourselves. We missed the girls. We now have memories tucked away and Christmas decor stacked in the living room.

I couldn't help wondering if Josiah and Jamin would be with us next Thanksgiving. It seems unlikely that both would be. Jamin will be with us if we get a "good assignment". LOL

Make a Smilebox slideshow

©2008 D.R.G.

Blog Question

I've been trying to figure out why my blogs don't have a title in google reader or any reader that I can tell. I am not sure where to check reader settings and what they should read...does someone know what I'm talking about? ::snort::

©2008 D.R.G.

Giving Thanks

I'm thankful for family fun, text messages and phone calls.

I'm thankful that Mike made it home from the base right as the lasagna was ready.

I'm thankful that we were able to make contact with most our family today.

©2008 D.R.G.