Advent

December 1st - Advent

Definition #3 - the period before Christmas, observed in commemoration of the coming of Christ into the world.

Advent calendars were popular with immigrant families.  They usually are comprised of little windows or houses with flaps to be opened each day of the month of December up to and including, Christmas day.  Behind these flaps was a poem, scripture, fortune or piece of chocolate candy.  Each day this would be a ritual to open the little door for that particular date and receive a reward or verse.  Children relished this wonderful tradition, and families still celebrate the twenty-five days leading to Christmas with advent calendars to this very day.

Pulling the first tree off our new advent calendar

Bree still isn't fully recovered from the flu so much so that Daddy opened her advent gift.

Instead of a small piece of chocolate a day, we got semi-large chocolate Santas to eat.  A little bit each day of course. 

 

Thanksgiving Weekend Recap

The Beginning:

The Middle:

"Do you think there is room for the Angel, Clark?"

The End:

All his school pictures are going to look like this, aren't they??

As for me and my house...

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We will root for the Buckeyes!!

Kilroy Jr.

Happy Thanksgiving

We all look on with anxious eyes

When Father carves the duck

And mother almost always sighs

When Father carves the duck

Then all of us prepare to rise

And hold our bibs before our eyes

And be prepared for some surprise

When Father carves the duck.

He braces up and grabs a fork

Whene’er he carves a duck

And won’t allow a soul to talk

Until he’s carved the duck.

The fork is jabbed into the sides

Across the breast the knife he slide

While every careful person hides

From flying chips of duck.

The platter’s always sure to slip

When Father carves a duck.

And how it makes the dishes skip!

Potatoes fly amuck!

The squash and cabbage leap in space

We get some gravy in our face

And Father mutters Hindu grace

Whene’er he carves a duck.

We then have learned to walk around

the dining room and pluck

From off the windowsills and walls

Our share of Father’s duck

While Father growls and blows and jaws

And swears the knife was full of flaws

And Mother laughs at him because

He couldn’t carve a duck.

Birthday Review - Part 2

The Birthday Girl:

The Guests:

The Dessert (thanks to a fellow blogger that I met at just the right time for this idea):

The Gifts:

(Dora Calendar)

(Dora Ball)

(Dora bathdoll)



The Aftermath:

Which I have to say is eerily similar to last year's after party crash.:

Birthday Review - Part 1

The setting:  Dora, Dora everywhere

The Food:  BBQ meatloaf muffins and cheesey potatoes



The cake: More Dora and polka dots (to match the polka dotted shirt)

The presents:  More polka dots (are you seeing a pattern of favorite things??)

The favorite gift:  Hungry, hungry hippos.  Classic.

One content three year old.



Bree's blog

The following photographs are the work of Miss Gabrielle Elizabeth Dominique.  Enjoy!

1. The inside of the box of parts we were working on.

2. Jacob's blanket

3.  Shall we call this 'A Few of Bree's favorite things?' or 'Mommy's dirty carpet?'

4.  Mommy's Knee

5.  Yoshi's tush

6.  Mommy's messy morning hair

7.  Our fireplace cover that I've been meaning to change the material on for five years now

8.  Not a clue

9.  Definately not a clue

10.  More favorite things or another messy floor?

This was not the first time that Bree has got ahold of my camera but hopefully will be the last.  A bug has been put into Santa's ear to bring her one of these:

Two years old going on Fourteen

Its hard to imagine that in just a few short years, she'll be laying in that exact same position, talking on her cell phone to her best friend about boys, the cutest new singer to hit the scene and how lame and old fashioned her parents are.



Thankful -adjective to be appreciative
I am THANKFUL for the ease of which we can capture precious moments in time with pictures, cell phones, video cameras and more.
Grateful-adjective pleasing to the mind or senses

I am GRATEFUL for the innocense of youth

Has Winter Come?

The picture has nothing to do with the post.  It was just too cute to not share.

Because the summer-esque weather has now been replaced with frigid temperatures...

"Come with us, now. We're going to get ready."


"Ready for what?" asked the children.


"Ready for winter" said mother. "Ready for warm toasty fires, and baked apples and long, deep nights."




Thankful -adjective to be appreciative



I am THANKFUL for answered prayers.


Grateful-adjective pleasing to the mind or senses


I am GRATEFUL for chirpy, well-rested children in the morning.

Proof

That I have not forgotten about Thanksgiving.

However, just around the corner in the living room is our newest and probably most favorite Christmas decoration.  It came from the wonderful website http://www.personalcreations.com/.  I highly recommend you pay this site a visit.

Thankful -adjective to be appreciative

I am THANKFUL for my home, its clutter and the financial descions that I am fortunate enough to make, no matter how stressful. 

Grateful-adjective pleasing to the mind or senses

I am GRATEFUL for mildly warm November days that we can walk out to the mail box in our warm fuzzy flannel pajamas...and bare feet!!