Advent, Day 1

The entire month of November went by without any posts.  I think that's the first time I've gone an entire month without posting in almost 8 years!  We had a great Thanksgiving, and James had a great 40th birthday yesterday!  We celebrated the entire day!

 

I'm so excited for December.  Advent is my favorite time of the whole year.  This morning Charlotte opened up door one on our advent house to find that our activity was to go pick out ornaments and candy canes.  So after school, we headed to the store, and then came home and picked out a spot on the tree for each one...

Hunter chose Darth Vader...

Grey chose Mike...

And of course, Char chose Anna...

 

The kids picked out mint chocolate candy canes and each ate one right when we got home...

Then we went upstairs so Hunter could choose an ornament for their tree from our stash of names of Jesus ornaments that we made several years ago.

He chose Emmanuel, and I sang a verse of O Come O Come Emmanuel, one of my favorites...

Then we talked about how Emmanuel means "God with us" in Hebrew and why that would be one of Jesus' names.

Hunter put the ornament on their tree, and then we read our verse for the day.

John 1:1-5, which says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.  The light shines in darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

I love that the kids (H and C at least) are old enough now to really discuss our passages.  Hunter wanted to read the verses, so he did and after he was finished we talked about how Jesus is the Word that the Bible is referring to.  And that He was there before the creation of us or the world and gave light to the world then and when he came to Earth as a baby.

Then we prayed for the two families that have sent us cards so far.  I love hearing words of prayer coming from my children's mouths...

 

What a joyous season this is!  I love the anticipation and excitement of Advent!