MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:11
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Four Years
I can't believe this was four years ago!
Happy Anniversary to my dear husband.
This is one of my favorites. Being pronounced Mr. and Mrs. ... and the journey begins!
Happy Anniversary to my dear husband.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Minnie's Apples
Sterling is starting to come up with some interesting stories. I always forget exactly how they go, but I really don't want to forget them. I want to start recording some of them here even if I don't get them exactly word for word. I think they are funny I hope this one gives you a laugh too!
Tonight after we had our family worship time, I was talking to Sterling about each of the ornaments on the advent tree. We were reviewing what the mean.
Sidenote: I was really worried that it would all be over his head this year, but I must say that I was very wrong. Having ornaments that represent the concept we are teaching each night has been such a great help for Sterling. Each night we review all of the ornaments and I am amazed at how much these visual clues help him remember. It is so precious to hear your child see the black heart and say that we disobey God and then see a cross next to it and say Jesus died for our sin and see a lamb and say He was the sacrifice. "No more lamb sacrifice, Jesus is the sacrifice" Thank you Father for beginning to plant these truths in his mind and hopefully in his heart!
Anyway, we were talking about what one of the ornaments meant and Sterling started talking about apples. I was a bit thrown off and curious so I asked him what he was talking about. This is somewhat how the conversation went:
Sterling: Eat the apples
Me: What apples? Did you eat some apples today (I've been gone this afternoon)
S: Eat some apples. Giraffe eat the apples.
Me: The giraffe ate the apples
S: Yes Apples on the tree
Me: What giraffe (I'm pretty sure he has imagined a giraffe eating apples at this point, random) Are there apples on the tree?
S: Yes. points to the Christmas tree
Me: Are there apples on the Christmas tree
S: Yes.
Me: There are? (we have no apples on our Christmas tree) Show me where they are, I can't see them.
S: No, apples on the tree.
Me: (thinking maybe outside) Are there apple on our trees outside?
S: Yes.
S: Minnie's apple tree
Me: Manny's apples? Handy Manny's apples? Does Handy Manny have an apple tree?
S: MINNIE'S apple tree
Me: Oh Minnie Mouse has an apple tree (I am remembering at this point maybe seeing an apple tree on Mickey Mouse one time)
S: Yes! Minnie's apple tree. Giraffe eat the apples.
Me: The giraffe ate the apples off of Minnie's apple tree?
S: Yes.
Me: The giraffe ate the apples off of Minnie's tree, did he get them all?
S: No, eat the apples off of that tree.
Me: What tree? (he points to the advent tree which has felt ornaments that could look like apples to him)
Me: Are there apples on our advent tree?
S: Yes.
Me: Did the giraffe eat the apples off of our advent tree?
S: Yes.
Me: Are they all gone or are there some left?
S: All gone. Giraffe ate all the apples.
S: Minnie has an apple tree.
Me: Does she still have some apples?
S: Yes.
Me: Do you think she would share with us since all of our apples are gone?
S: Yes. Eat Minnie's apples.
What a dizzying mind an almost 2-year-old must have. It is so fun to get to peak inside of it from time to time.
Read on to meet Sterling's dear friend. Or should I say "horse friend"? Was that too cheesy?
Tonight after we had our family worship time, I was talking to Sterling about each of the ornaments on the advent tree. We were reviewing what the mean.
Sidenote: I was really worried that it would all be over his head this year, but I must say that I was very wrong. Having ornaments that represent the concept we are teaching each night has been such a great help for Sterling. Each night we review all of the ornaments and I am amazed at how much these visual clues help him remember. It is so precious to hear your child see the black heart and say that we disobey God and then see a cross next to it and say Jesus died for our sin and see a lamb and say He was the sacrifice. "No more lamb sacrifice, Jesus is the sacrifice" Thank you Father for beginning to plant these truths in his mind and hopefully in his heart!
Anyway, we were talking about what one of the ornaments meant and Sterling started talking about apples. I was a bit thrown off and curious so I asked him what he was talking about. This is somewhat how the conversation went:
Sterling: Eat the apples
Me: What apples? Did you eat some apples today (I've been gone this afternoon)
S: Eat some apples. Giraffe eat the apples.
Me: The giraffe ate the apples
S: Yes Apples on the tree
Me: What giraffe (I'm pretty sure he has imagined a giraffe eating apples at this point, random) Are there apples on the tree?
S: Yes. points to the Christmas tree
Me: Are there apples on the Christmas tree
S: Yes.
Me: There are? (we have no apples on our Christmas tree) Show me where they are, I can't see them.
S: No, apples on the tree.
Me: (thinking maybe outside) Are there apple on our trees outside?
S: Yes.
S: Minnie's apple tree
Me: Manny's apples? Handy Manny's apples? Does Handy Manny have an apple tree?
S: MINNIE'S apple tree
Me: Oh Minnie Mouse has an apple tree (I am remembering at this point maybe seeing an apple tree on Mickey Mouse one time)
S: Yes! Minnie's apple tree. Giraffe eat the apples.
Me: The giraffe ate the apples off of Minnie's apple tree?
S: Yes.
Me: The giraffe ate the apples off of Minnie's tree, did he get them all?
S: No, eat the apples off of that tree.
Me: What tree? (he points to the advent tree which has felt ornaments that could look like apples to him)
Me: Are there apples on our advent tree?
S: Yes.
Me: Did the giraffe eat the apples off of our advent tree?
S: Yes.
Me: Are they all gone or are there some left?
S: All gone. Giraffe ate all the apples.
S: Minnie has an apple tree.
Me: Does she still have some apples?
S: Yes.
Me: Do you think she would share with us since all of our apples are gone?
S: Yes. Eat Minnie's apples.
What a dizzying mind an almost 2-year-old must have. It is so fun to get to peak inside of it from time to time.
Read on to meet Sterling's dear friend. Or should I say "horse friend"? Was that too cheesy?
Cute Pictures and A Best Friend
I had to add this one even though the focus is on the horse. That face is just too funny!
After almost a whole year, Sterling has gone from being terrified of this horse to all of a sudden being best friends with it. He will talk to it and feed it. I have to pretend to pour juice, water, milk, apples, you name it for the horse. He will lay down in the floor and have conversations with the horse - who is sometimes named Ann Elizabeth and most of the time named Jamis. He loves to ride him and give him hugs and kisses. Just do not squeeze the horse's ear. He makes real horse sounds and Sterling reverts back to being petrified of him. He can even be found at times dragging the horse by the handle around the house saying, "Common horse, let's go horse, common horse."
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Advent
I am so excited to be celebrating advent this year. Having a toddler is so much fun and I love that he is able to listen and even interact in our family devotions before bedtime. This year we are using the same advent devotion that the Winters used as kids. The devotions come from the book Family Celebrations by Ann Hibbard which I think is now out of print, but you can order it on amazon.com. It has devotions and crafts for kids for most holidays.
Anyway, you create an advent tree, you can make yours out of poster board or the suggested felt. However, after making three of these advent trees (and having blisters from cutting a bunch of felt with regular scissors instead of fabric ones) I would suggest my favorite, painting the symbols on Christmas ornament balls from Hobby Lobby. Get some craft paint and colored balls and you have some pretty ornaments you can put on your Christmas tree, a special smaller advent tree, or I think this year we are going to hang ours on the garland on the mantle. Of course the draw back of having pretty ornament is that little fingers can't touch them or put them up. Since I already had our felt one done I may just use both.
Each day there is a Bible reading to tell part of the Christmas story beginning where else but in the beginning. The readings take you through the Old Testament to the story of the birth of Christ. There is also a short paragraph to discuss and questions to ask your children about the readings. (These are going to have to be adapted for our one-year-old, but are probably perfect for ages 3+) There is also a Christmas carol or Hymn to sing each night.
There are of course so many other options to use to celebrate Advent. One of which is very similar to this, a Jesse tree. You get a tree or some sort of chart and there are ornaments each day with objects on them to take your family through the Old Testament and family line of Christ. These are traditionally made of felt and embroidery as well, but I have even heard of people finding the objects around the house to put on the tree. If your children are older it would be fun for them each morning to know what object is needed for the tree and have them find something or make something that could go on your tree to represent the story.
Another thing our family does is lighting our own family advent wreath during our devotion times. There are so many things that the wreath represents and if your church does one I'm sure they explain the candles each week. But the basic idea is that we are waiting for the Messiah. We are waiting figuratively for the coming Christ, but we are also waiting literally for the second coming of Christ. Each week as you light more candles the lights get brighter as we approach the coming of the Messiah.
Anyway, you create an advent tree, you can make yours out of poster board or the suggested felt. However, after making three of these advent trees (and having blisters from cutting a bunch of felt with regular scissors instead of fabric ones) I would suggest my favorite, painting the symbols on Christmas ornament balls from Hobby Lobby. Get some craft paint and colored balls and you have some pretty ornaments you can put on your Christmas tree, a special smaller advent tree, or I think this year we are going to hang ours on the garland on the mantle. Of course the draw back of having pretty ornament is that little fingers can't touch them or put them up. Since I already had our felt one done I may just use both.
Each day there is a Bible reading to tell part of the Christmas story beginning where else but in the beginning. The readings take you through the Old Testament to the story of the birth of Christ. There is also a short paragraph to discuss and questions to ask your children about the readings. (These are going to have to be adapted for our one-year-old, but are probably perfect for ages 3+) There is also a Christmas carol or Hymn to sing each night.
There are of course so many other options to use to celebrate Advent. One of which is very similar to this, a Jesse tree. You get a tree or some sort of chart and there are ornaments each day with objects on them to take your family through the Old Testament and family line of Christ. These are traditionally made of felt and embroidery as well, but I have even heard of people finding the objects around the house to put on the tree. If your children are older it would be fun for them each morning to know what object is needed for the tree and have them find something or make something that could go on your tree to represent the story.
Another thing our family does is lighting our own family advent wreath during our devotion times. There are so many things that the wreath represents and if your church does one I'm sure they explain the candles each week. But the basic idea is that we are waiting for the Messiah. We are waiting figuratively for the coming Christ, but we are also waiting literally for the second coming of Christ. Each week as you light more candles the lights get brighter as we approach the coming of the Messiah.
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