Merry Christmas Week!

Fashion Designers

We have some budding fashion designers in the house. Here are the hottest trends of the season: For Clay, it's anything "armored." Monkey wears a cape and carries a sword, Mousey dons the helmet and green cape, and Doggie has armor that actually fits over his tail! Emma designed Piglet's armored "paper plate" skirt. Lovely.

The kids play with their creations and make new ones for hours on end. I never know what they'll come up with. Makes me smile.

Snowflakes and sugar cookies

Pajama Night Out

Last year we started a tradition and the kids won't let us forget it! We tuck them into bed one evening in December, and then after about 10 minutes Jeff turns on their light and says, "All aboard! Tickets please!" (Like the Polar Express conductor.) Then we whisk them away in their jammies and Santa hats to drive around and look at lights. We end up downtown at the Circle, and finish the night with some Chocolate LaSalle, the amazing mint hot chocolate at the South Bend Chocolate Factory. This has become such a fun time for all of us!

Candy Land

We have a yearly tradition of making a gingerbread house and having it as our centerpiece throughout the Christmas season. So, the other night, we got out all of our old Halloween candy to use as decorations. It's a good way to use up the candy and not eat it all!

I was the baker, Jeff was the frosting extraordinaire, and the kids were the decorators. I liked their lampost lollipop, peanut cobblestone path, and corn chex roof. For the grand finale, we dusted it with powdered sugar snow. Now our creation sits in the middle of our table, and every once in a while I catch the kids trying to take a little nibble... Clay and Em decided they would LOVE to live in a real house like this one!

Smile.

A friend of ours, Kristin, took some photos for us recently. Here are some of my favorites...

It's beginning to look a lot like . . .

Christmas!

I enjoy decorating for Christmas, using "natural" and old-looking things. Here's our front porch with a vintage sled and some skates. Some jingle bells and old books sit on the fireplace mantel. I love faded colors, silver, and a little bit of shimmer. An old apron hangs on the door by the kitchen, ready to be worn for an afternoon baking cookies.

And our hutch in the dining room, with garland strung across the top.

I tried to keep the decorating simple this year. With so much begging for our attention during this season, I really want the focus to be Jesus, not the presents, or the stuff, or the food, or the stores. I want our kids to remember a happy, but peaceful home for the holidays.

May you find Jesus to be real, present, and bright in your life this Christmas season.