Gifts from Above - Lessons Macyn has taught me

Macyn Heather

Baby number five has been full of LOTS of lessons for me.  Some, I learned easily.  Some, I learned the hard way.  Some, I have yet to learn.  I am a bit strong willed at times.  Not sure why I am shocked by my children. 

I was 39 weeks and five days when I went into labor with Macyn.  I woke up in the morning with contractions but they were spotty, just like they had been days and days previous.  I had a feeling that it might be the day, but I did not want to get my hopes up.  Or my fear up.  I was delivering Macyn naturally and to say that I was anxious about it would be an understatement. 

If you know me, you probably already know that I delivered Ryen naturally and it was awful and great all at the same time.  The problem started with the misconception I had that my epidurals for my previous two births had not worked at all.  The births of Evynn & Kailyn WERE painful, but NOTHING compared to Ryen.  So prior to Ryen, we decided “Forget the drugs, let’s just do it the way God intended!”  We prepared for this by reading and practicing the Bradley Method and I walked into labor feeling VERY confident.  My husband will say that I did a great job but there was some serious panic moments topped with me trying to climb out of the bed and yelling at the doctor when he sauntered in just in time to catch Ryen before she hit the floor.  I was not proud of how it went.  I knew I would do better now that I understood the reality of what it would feel like with no medication at all.  But I was scared.  Our lives were crazier this time around and we did not have near enough time to practice the way we had with Ryen. 

As the date grew closer, I tried to find times to lay and practice relaxing but could never get to the point where I felt like I had it under control.  During the rounds of “warm up” labor, I was left feeling like I was going to fall short again.  But God is faithful and He tells us to seek Him in all things so I started praying.  I started praying for a short delivery.  I started praying in groanings that only the Holy Spirit could understand. 

So as that day progressed and I started to realize that she was going to make her big entrance, my God answered my prayers in ways I could not have understood prior to it all.  I worked through the early labor in the couch in our living room, watching March Madness and trying to get a few things done between contractions.  Ryen was all over me and when (at about 5:30) she put her fingers in my mouth while I was having a rather large contraction, I decided it was time to head to the hospital.  They were still not coming with any regularity (three three minutes apart and then 15 minutes with none) but I decided I rather go to the hospital and be sent home than to have more fingers in my mouth at moment.  

Keith and I left the crazies with my mother and headed for the hospital.  I was still filled with anxiousness and trying to relax through the contractions.  I called my dearest friends, Jennifer and Dena, and told them if they wanted to be there – it was time.  I had not more doubts.  She was coming and I knew that I was completely unprepared. 

We got into a room quickly and the contractions kicked up a notch as I got in a gown and got on the bed.  I struggled to find a position that I felt work at all.  My anxiety level was climbing.  I knew the worse was yet to come and I was not in a place to be able to handle it well.   My incredible husband was helping me through each contraction and listening to me as I told him what did and did not help.   But still, I did not see how I was going to make it through the delivery any better than I had with Ryen.  Keith went to put on the Christian music I had wanted to listen to but I quickly told him that I did not want to hear it.   

About this time, they decided to put in an IV.  I have horrible veins that are hard to find, smallish and tend to roll.  As the nurses stuck the needle into my arm and continued to move it around, trying to find a vein, the anxiety got worse.  They pulled it out and stuck me again.  There was talk that maybe Dr. Wyatt would not care about the IV since it was a natural delivery.  Then they moved to my right arm.  It was at this moment, this moment of pure panic  - they were going to continue to stick, me, I was going to continue to labor with out any ability to relax and ride the waves of contractions that my gracious, loving God answered my prayers.

Upon rolling onto my back so that they could reach my right arm, I hit the position that just felt right.  Had they found the vein in my left arm, I might not have rolled over because the book suggested laying on that side as the best position – it was the way I always practiced.  But here I was, on my back and suddenly things seemed better.  Dr. Wyatt arrived (on his day off I might add) and confirmed that I did not need the IV so the poking stopped.  My anxiety started to drop.  My breathing began to even out. 

Then I heard the little voice.

Focus on Me.

I asked Keith to turn the music on and I suddenly slipped into some marvelous, God induced zone where I knew, I KNEW in my heart I would be able to deliver this baby in a way that would not be disappointing.  I lay, with my eyes closed, breathing through the ever-increasing contractions.  I could hear the strong, loving voice of Keith leading me through each wave.  I could feel the calming presence of Dr. Wyatt.  I knew, not far from my side, were my two dearest friends, ready to welcome my precious girl into the world.

But inside, where my eyes were closed, it was just me and Him.  He reminded me gently, through each contraction to keep my eyes focused on Him.  That each one would come to an end.  That each one, no matter how painful, had a purpose and they were bringing me closer to the end result.  He reminded me to live with the end in mind, this was all just temporary. 

Do not get me wrong, it hurt.  It hurt A LOT.  But I was not in the middle of it somehow.  I knew that if I kept my eyes on Him, if I trusted His promises that He would lead me through. 

Almost as quickly as it started, it was over and she was here!  We had left for the hospital around 5:30pm and she was delivered at 7:41pm.  It seems so short when I think about it in retrospect, because it was.  It was an answer to that prayer. 

As I lay in my hospital bed that night, unable to sleep from the adrenaline running through my body, I was in awe of how God had worked through the whole thing.  He took my anxious, fearful prayers and showed me that no matter what is going on, no matter how painful or overwhelming, if I look ONLY at Him – if I can keep my eyes focused solely upon Him, there is nothing I cannot get through.  But that is the trick, I have to only look at Him.  I cannot get side tracked by what people say is the “best” way to do something, or thrown off course by those painful pricks that come in life.  In some ways, doing this through labor was a lot easier than doing this in life.  I was able to keep my eyes closed and focused on Him through the delivery.  But here, now, in the real world, it is not very practical to run around with my eyes closed! 

And the best memory of that night?  Hearing the song “Jesus Paid It All” ringing through my mind as my precious daughter Macyn made her way into the world! 

There are not enough words to express the love I have for this precious new girl!  She is amazing and I will always be grateful for all that God has taught me through her pregnancy and delivery and I am excited to see how He will grow and stretch me through her life!!! 

38 weeks...

So here I am, 38 weeks!  Wow, this little one will be here any day now.  I have generally delivered about three days early and usually on a Friday (which I hate, seems like I waste the weekend that Keith would have been home anyways!) so that would put her coming on on Friday, march 18th.  Not a bad day, as Isaiah Wilson's birthday is that day...  the 19th would be fun too since that is cousin Anna's birthday.... Of course, the reality is I have NO CONTROL over this!  And I HATE that. 

The last 38 weeks have been one big lesson in giving up control, recognizing some deep seeded issues with pride and the need to seek our Father for EVERYTHING.  I am a slow learner and I fear the lessons are not fully absorbed...

This has been a trying pregnancy.  I will not say "hard" because there are people out there who are having truly hard pregnancies - bed rest, little support from a husband, no husband, the reality that their little one has little or no chance of survival...  those are issues that I am so grateful that I have not had to deal with.

With that being said though, the last 38 weeks have been long.  Probably pretty long for my husband and my sweet friends too.  But what I have learned is that God is faithful and His is good.

I never dealt with more than one icky issue at a time...  I was not throwing up WHILE I had horrible ligament pain, the ligament pain was gone when I got the horrible respiratory infection...... one issue would pass and another would come... and for that I am so grateful!

Every time I felt like I could not do what needed to be done, there was someone there to help me.  People brought us dinners, babysat for me, watched my children for appointment or a date with Keith...  there were just always people there to help!

When I was feeling overwhelmed with guilt that I had not been writing out my prayers for this sweet child as I had with all the others, God gently reminded me that we do not need to be legalistic about things and I started praying for her each time I felt her move instead.

I could go on and on...  But perhaps the biggest lesson has been about my pride.  I am a horribly prideful.  It is a huge issue.  Not only do I want others to think I have it all together but I can hardly function if I really do not have it all together.  I want my house to be clean and neat.  I want to make good food.  I want to look good all the time.  I want my children to behave well.  I want that Martha Stewart life...  and not just looking like that, I want it to BE that. It is not about putting on a false front for others to believe I was doing everything right, it is a deep seeded desire to do everything right.  I certainly do not want to be fake.  I want to have it all together and when I do not I struggle to cope.

As my housekeeping got worse and worse (especially in the last month) my life got worse and worse.  It was an assault on my sanity.  But there was nothing I could do about it.  I was struggling through an upper respiratory infection that was the worst I have ever had and Keith was out of town, A LOT.   I was using all my energy (and there was not much) to keep the children alive and fed.  I kept my blinds closed and cried, A LOT. 

I am tough, I thought I had it together.  How could one little baby and an illness throw me so far off my game?  And the worse it got, the harder it was for me to be the mother or the loving wife God called me to be.  And it all hit a peak one evening when Keith had a neighborhood association meeting.  We were trying to get the little ones to bed before he had to leave for the meeting - or so I thought.  Then I heard him downstairs vacuuming and I realized the meeting was at our house.  People, my neighbors were going to be in our house in about five minutes.  The floors were dirty, the tables covered in dust.  The playroom was a mess and the kitchen barely cleaned up from dinner.  I WAS MORTIFIED.  How could I have forgotten?  And as I tried to apologize to my neighbors for the mess, it struck my what a prideful person I am...  Keeping the blinds closed so others could not see my mess did not change the fact that the mess was there.  While it did hide the reality from others that I was slowly falling to pieces because I could not do it all, it did not change the reality that I was indeed falling to pieces.  The perfection I so desired was an impossible dream and everyone around me was suffering because I just could not grasp that. 

And the further I fell from perfection in one area, the further I fell in others.  The house was a disaster, so I was frustrated.  My patience waned and I took it out on the children.  My frustration with them increased because I saw them as part of the problem.  If they would just be neater, the house would not be falling to pieces and then I would feel more in control,  if they would just obey then I would not get so cranky, if they would just....  if they would just....  And the irony in this was all it did was draw me further from that "I got it all together mom" that I was trying to be.  I would yell or be short with them and then beat myself up mentally for hours after...  causing me to be even grumpier...  a viscous cycle...


But God is gentle and kind.  He loves me, even those prideful parts!  He used my incredible husband to speak truth into my heart.  He brought me to a place where I could see all that I was striving for was impossible.  He brought me to the foot of the cross, where all that "stuff" had already been paid for.

So 38 weeks.  I am feeling a lot better.  I am still congested.  I think if I had not had the last four weeks of horrible congestion this might feel bad but by comparison, this feels great.  I no longer just "want to get this over with".  Although I hate "not knowing" when Macyn will get here, I am content to wait for her and enjoy this time before she comes.

I do wish I had faced the last 37 weeks a little more valiantly, less whining, more seeking God.  But I also know that long before God planted this little baby in my womb, He knew that this would be a tough time for me.  He knew exactly how each day would go and yet He still chose to give me this gift...  So despite my desperate attempts for control, I will lean on Him and let Him lead the way!

Baby #5

The time has come, as my belly grows and grows, that people have taken it upon themselves to inform me I should stop having children.  Yes, I have been told several times that it is time for Keith and I to be done.  Some family, some friends, some strangers. 

I smile.  I tell them that it is not something we have control over nor something we WANT to have control over.  For those who think that we could have control over it, let me say I have known more people who have gotten pregnant while using the pill (and all other types of chemical contraceptives), gotten pregnant while using the rhythm method, gotten pregnant after husband has vasectomy, gotten pregnant after tubes were tied...  some of these cases are rare but they do happen.  The anxiety that these people have felt upon seeing that double pink line is overwhelming.  Here is the thing - we are never REALLY in control.  No matter how much we want to believe it, it is not true.  Keith and I have never felt anxiety after seeing the double pink line, just joy in knowing our family is growing according to God's plan.

Now, I will say, there IS one way to be sure that pregnancy does not happen - abstinence, and that way has been recommended to me lately as well.  I should just tell my husband "NO!"  Why?  Seriously, why would I tell my husband no?  Besides the fact that the Bible clearly tells both women AND men not to deny their spouses, I really like having sex with my husband!  There, I said it.  I know, I may have offended the two readers that actually look at this blog but the reality is, Keith and I have a good thing going and I am certainly NOT going to say "NO" because I am afraid of getting pregnant.  

This comment really led me to think that perhaps people think that maybe this is all Keith's doing, he is just the "typical man" and he uses the Bible the guilt me into bed.   And just knowing that someone might think this about my incredibly loving, Godly husband really IRKS me!  We have sex because we like it, the fact that it is encouraged by the Bible just makes it even better!  The fact that we can enjoy the marriage bed without the stress and worry of will or will we not get pregnant is an even bigger blessing!

Now that I have put aside the myth that I have been pregnant 6 times in the 8 years of our marriage and will give birth to our fifth child in a few weeks because Keith and the Bible have guilted me into it, let's go back to the control thing.

The main argument I hear  about just letting our family grow according to God's plan is financial.  I am not going to lie, money is an issue in many ways.  Mostly because I am a poor steward of all that God's has blessed us with.  Because I am a poor steward, it causes some stress but I am aware of this problem and am working on it.   However, I am going to address a few of the issues people bring up!

• How will we pay for college for them all?  We are not.  College is a LONG way off and at this point, our goal is to give them a complete education and help them determine what path God has laid before them for their lives.  This may or may not include college.  We will help them as much as we possibly can as they head along the path God has called them.  The truth is, even if we suddenly has unlimited resources, I would have SERIOUS hesitations before I just wrote a check and sent any of my children off to college.  We really believe being responsible for the financial aspect of their education will call them up to being more appreciative of it.  The four years of partying while mommy and daddy foot the bill attitude that is rampant among our nation's universities does not really inspire me.

• Each child REALLY should have their own room.  Why?  Because they want it?  Well, here is the truth in life, we often do not get what we want  and learning that early on is better than later.  Sharing a room is not easy.  I shared one for a long time.  But sharing a room offers many benefits.  Children learn to problem solve, share and work with others.  It is a lot harder for parents when children share rooms but I do not believe our children will be damaged because they did not have their own room.

• How will you provide for them?  As best we can with what God has given us.  Kind of vague, I know, but truly comforting to me.  Here are a few examples.  My oldest daughter was in need of some specific things to complete her winter wardrobe.  I did not make it to the big consignment  sales and was getting ready to head to Target to get her some things when a friend called and said she had girl clothing that she was getting rid of.  When she brought them by the house, they were exactly what we needed to complete Evynn's wardrobe.  We have gotten ENORMOUS amounts of children's clothing from friends and even people we do not know.  God is good!  Another example is our recent stay in the hospital with Bowden.  We have a $10,000 deductible for our insurance (high yes, but we are still grateful to even have insurance).  Bowden's surgery and stay was very expensive and while we were at the hospital the financial counselors met with us and even though we do not qualify for any sort of medicaid or ARKids programs, they offered us a 40-50% discount.  This was totally unexpected and to make it even better, they informed us that the discount will be applied to previous bills.  Again, God providing in ways we did not expect.  So I cannot say HOW God will provide, but I trust that He will.  I could go on and on.  I do trust if we are faithful than God will be faithful, just as He has promised.  

I am not saying that YOU should not control.  I can only tell you that God has brought us along a journey that is amazing.  It is hard.  It is tiring.  It has brought me past anything I EVER thought I could do.  But I am wondering, when did something that was hard and tiring become bad?  Thank goodness the people who explored and settled this country were not afraid of hard work.  Each one of my children is an INCREDIBLE blessing.   This may be our last baby or there could be more.  I have NO IDEA.  And I am okay with that.  I am more than okay with it.  I am at peace with it.  I know, when the time for me to have babies is over, it will God's decision.  There will be no longing and regret at the decision we made based on what the world has told us in acceptable.  It will be God leading us on the path He has laid before us. And that is a good thing!



 

Here is where I am today...

We are home.  Bowden is doing well.  I am grateful beyond words.  I still feel like crying about every five minutes...  those hormones I guess.

I was talking with Keith this morning about the unfortunate reality of having to farm your little ones out to friends for an unexpected hospital stay so close to having a baby - you get a clear picture of what farming your children out to friends when the baby is born is going to be like...  one child REALLY struggled while we were gone, the other two did great.  Upon returning home after two nights at friends, a different child has cried constantly for about an hour and the others have been great.  

I am finding it so easy to get caught up in the worry of the future.  God is pretty clear on what He thinks about worry:  

"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."  Matt. 6:34

There are a lot of verses that sound like this.  But where is the balance between preparing for what we know is to come (I KNOW I am going to give birth some time in the next 8 weeks.  I KNOW that some sweet friends are going to have to watch my children for a couple of days while this happens.) and just getting ourselves worked into an emotional wreck, filled with worry about how it will all work out. 

Some might say it is okay to let my hormones run wild, after all I am pregnant.  But I do not agree with that.  I think that, at times, my hormones will get a little out of control but I do not believe that God calls us to be controlled by those emotions.   God is clear that He does not want us to worry and if those hormones are causing me to freak out with worry then I really do need to seek God to help me get back under control.  And in case we are thinking THAT is impossible, I look to another Scripture: Philippians 4:13 "I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me"

This does not say I can do "some things".  Paul says "ALL THINGS".  Including, but not limited to controlling raging pregnancy hormones.  Hummmm, easier said than done.  Not because Christ has trouble relieving me of these pressures but because I fail to ask Him or fail to trust that He REALLY can help me.

So here I am, still wanting to cry.  Facing a tough choice - do I spend the next 8 weeks worried about what is to come?  Or do I spend the next 8 weeks living in the moment, enjoying the time I have with each of my children & my husband before this newest most wonderful blessing arrives?  Do I choose to trust the God who created all things and loves me beyond comprehension or do I turn my back on all that I know to be true to believe in a world that tells me languishing in worry is how life is supposed to be? 

Deuteronomy 7:9
"Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments"

So here is where I am tonight... Bowden had surgery today.  He had a salivary gland and a lymphnoid removed.  There was a stone in the gland and it was getting infected.  He had the spend the night.  I did not get to stay.  Only one person could stay.  I am 8 months pregnant, Keith and the nurses thought it would be better for me to go home.  I had to leave my baby there.  Very sad about that.

I also got a call from our pediatrician scheduling her test for kidney reflux two weeks from now.  My Itty Bitty has been struggling UTIs for a while now.

I am going to be giving birth in about 8 weeks.  I am big and uncomfortable and my hormones are running high.

Spending any amount of time at Arkansas Children's hospital fills me with an enourmous amount of gratitude that the problems my children are so small.  I am grateful to a God who provides for us in so many ways.  We have loving family.  We have INCREDIBLE friends who help with children, bring us chocolate shakes and pray without ceasing. 

Why then was I just crying as I left the hospital tonight?  I guess it goes back to those hormones.

This is where I am tonight.  Resting in His grace.  Trusting in His plan for our family.  Grateful for all He provides for us!

Repost of "Naughty or Nice" post from last year....

Naughty or Nice

First, before you decide that I am a nut, please understand that I am all about celebrating Christmas with all its' trappings! A blog (http://www.preschoolersandpeace.com/?p=1270) gave the best thoughts on this I have ever read. I am going to paraphrase but I really recommend going to the site and reading it yourself... Christians really should go all out in celebrating Christmas. We understand the truth of what The Gift was all about. That baby brought to earth the gift of salvation and eternal life, the abundant life. As Christians, we should be all about having a great big party to celebrate this. We should decorate, give gifts and have a great feast (the Old Testament is all about feasts!). Throughout it all, we need to be celebrating the The Gift. When we make Christ the center of the celebration, there is nothing wrong with having a big celebration.

With that said though, there is a part of the Christmas celebration that has been weighing heavy on my heart & it is represented in the Elf on the Shelf. I had an elf on my shelf. As I looked at it each day, thoughts just kept pricking at me. Whether you are a follower of Jesus Christ or not, there is something about this elf that creates issues for parents that cannot be denied. It may seem like holiday fun but as he looked at me each day from a new location around my house, I realized he represented deeper issues.

As far as training children, the first and most important thing every parenting expert and layman alike talks about is consistency. If you want your children to obey than you must be consistent. If you say something, than you must follow through. Once the child realizes that mom and dad do not really mean what they say (or that they do not mean it until the third, or fourth, or fifth time...) than any hope for true obedience is lost.

So let's talk about this whole naughty or nice thing. Children hear nothing else from Thanksgiving on other than "be good or Santa will not bring you any presents". And now there is this little elf that sits around the house, ready to let Santa know about any naughtiness that may be going on, ready to make sure naughty little ones will get no gifts.

Really? I mean. REALLY? Have you ever denied your children Christmas presents because he/she was naughty? Sure, I have heard a tale or two of someone getting coal in their stalking. I have never heard of a child getting absolutely nothing due to naughty behavior. And let's be honest - all children are naughty in one way or another & even if we only count the time between Thanksgiving & Christmas, I feel fairly certain most, if not every child, would be gettin' nuthin' for Christmas!

And really, what does naughty mean? Children will take this vague term & run wild with it.

Does pushing brother down count as naughty.... nope. COOL!

Does stealing sister's toys count....nope. Even more cool!

How about speaking rudely to mommy?

Not doing my chores....

Acting out at school....

Little ones will try to get away with as much as we will let them and once they figure out that the naughty/nice thing is not really set in stone, it really offers little behavior control and simply teaches our children that mommy and daddy do not mean what they say. So if you are ready to tell you children exactly what you mean by "naughty" and then enforce it without fail, by all means put that elf on your shelf & enjoy it. I struggle enough on my own enforcing the hard realities of discipline. I certainly do not need to set myself up for the reality that one (or more) of my children will be naughty, forcing me to deny them the joy of Christmas morning in order to abide by the most important principle of parenting - consistency.

This leads me to the bigger issue of the naughty/nice debate if you are a follower of Jesus Christ. As I looked at that elf on my shelf, it dawned on me that everything the elf represents goes against everything this incredible celebration is about -

Romans 5:8 tells us "While we were still sinners, Christ dies for us..."

God did not sit in heaven and say "If you are nice, I will send my Son." If we were nice, we would not have needed His son. He sent the gift of His Son because HE LOVES US. Just like we give Christmas gifts to our children even when they have been naughty BECAUSE WE LOVE THEM.

Naughty & Nice has cluttered up this holiday. And there are a lot of Christian families who have gotten caught up in that clutter. God loves us. Experiencing His love ignites the fire of obedience. Sure, that elf on my shelf may inspire short term obedience from my children but that obedience will last only as long as the desire for the toy lasts. However, it certainly does not teach our children ANYTHING about God's love. As believers, that is what we should be teaching our children during Christmas. It is not about obedience. It is about LOVE.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16

As a parent, I have taken this incredible Gift and used the celebration of it to teach my children bad theology. God's Gift is not about how good we can be... God's Gift came because HE LOVES US, even while we are unlovable. And if I think that this little bit of holiday fun will not shape them and the way they think, I am just lying to myself.

How about I spend this Christmas season telling my children about the MIRACLE that God sent His Son even though no one deserved it?

How about I spend this Christmas season letting my children experience the true joy of anticipating the coming gifts without fear of not getting them because they just weren't good enough?

How about I spend the Christmas season disciplining my children just as I always do, instead of relying on an empty threat seemingly enforced by a little stuffed toy? A read through the Old Testament shows us that God disciplined the Israelites while they waited for the gift of the messiah. There were plenty of consequences for their bad actions, but God never said, "Sorry, you have been too naughty so I am not giving you the gift of the Savior right now." And He NEVER threatened to not send the Gift in order to get the Israelites to obey.

So, I have struggled through the realities of what this little elf has revealed to me. I mean, really, isn't it all in the name of holiday fun? Is it really THAT big of a deal? But then it hit me that YES, it IS that big of a deal. Beyond setting myself up to fail in the area of discipline because I will NEVER wake up Christmas morning & not give my little ones gifts, I am denying my children the opportunity to experience the TRUE JOY of Christmas - celebrating several weeks of anticipating the gifts that are guaranteed to come just because Keith & I love them, just like the Gift of Salvation that God guaranteed would come just because HE LOVES US.

ON THE THRID DAY OF CHRISTMAS

So we have had three days of Advent....  it has been good, it has been crazy.  I have NOT tackeled any crazy crafts or projects yet....  I almost feel like I have to work up to those... if we start off with something too big and it goes badly, I will give up and forget this whole crazy idea.

Our Advent season has been something I have wanted to to since before I had children.  I read, in one of my favorite books by Madeline L'Engle about a family that did something special each day through the Advent season building up to that very special day.  I could not WAIT until I had children and could start doing it with them.  That first year (when Bowden was just five months old) was a little disappointing.  He was not so interested in making cookies!  However, it was A LOT easier to get all sort of baking and decorating done than it is now with four little crazies running around!



As Bowden got older and we added more little ones, I have been able to really develop it into a season of true ADVENTure!  He is six now and this will be our third year of doing something special (craft, decorating, baking, delivering treats or going somewhere special) each day through the month of December.  I will say though, this year, being pregnant with number five, I AM finding it hard to sum up the energy!  However, their anticipation and excitement at what each new day will hold inspires me to get it together!!!

Day 1 started with  finding the WISE MEN.  We have a beautiful Fontanini nativity set that Keith's mother gave us and our wise men spend the month traveling throughout the house.  Each morning the little ones strive to be the first to find them so they can pull the Advent Calendar pocket for that day.  then we were off to make paper chains.  This was easy and super fun for our little ones! 

Day 2 was putting up the "Children's Tree" in the playroom (big thanks to Daddy who did all the hard work).  When we first moved into our house and celebrated our first Christmas, I was a little sad that we spent most of our time in the family room and the tree was in the living room.  Last year, sweet Jennifer gave us her old fake tree so we could have one in the family room to enjoy.  This is the tree we let the little ones put pretty much anything they want on.  The make all sort of things for it.  They COVERED it in silver, green and purple beads this year (thanks again to Jennifer).  We have really enjoyed this new tradition!

 This is our "winter scene", All fall, we had leaves that were changing & falling, pumpkins and even a few bats....  I thought I had a picture of it but could not find it.  You can also see the Children's tree

 Sorry the picture is sideways, I was having trouble downloading from Iphoto tonight.....

 The chain can be seen in the edge of this photo

 Making our snowmen

 He does make such interesting faces..... (you can see in the background that the snow has not fallen on our tree yet....)



Day 3 we made cotton snow men.  Not a hard craft but they certainly loved smothering their little men with lots of cotton!  Then we hung them up on our landscape scene.

We also light an Advent candle each night and our family Bible time is doing an Advent reading and singing Christmas carols instead of regular hymns.  I will try share some of those readings and verses when it is not 11:00 at night! 

I do so love this time of year and I love the excitement my children bring with them, each day!