advent fun…being crafty…

I made most of my Christmas gift this year. Which doesn’t mean I spent any less money…and certainly not less time…but somehow it was meant more — to me — to give something I had put time into. The hardest part? Finishing a few weeks early and having to WAIT to give it to them. And show people that I learned how to sew!

here’s one set of placemats I made…contrast stitching on one side, print fabric on other…

set #2 — contrast stitching on both sides

set #3…

the cup I made on cafepress.com for Brian…it features something he actually said…and he LOVED it, he even told someone else about it!

the princess crown for my niece

the bag for my sister….of course, I had to test the self-made pattern on one for myself first…

inside the bag…fabric selection made by Jams

advent fun…or something like that…

Sometimes things don’t go quite like you plan. ‘Specially with weather being so out of my control and stuff. ‘Specially when you have kids.

So we’ve spent the week sick, taking turns of course, so it lasts longer. We started on Monday night and, if current trends continue, should finish up Saturday or Sunday. So it’s been tiring and pretty much nothing this week went how I pictured it would. But it wasn’t the worst week of my life, either. That’s always nice. I’m sad I didn’t really get to spend as much time with family as I wanted, but…there’s always next year. (When we’ll come down with another bug…) And Advent was definitely less “meaningful” when you’re getting fevered stares while you’re talking. Or cleaning up puke. Sunday night, after a foiled attempt to attend the candlelight service, we exchanged gifts with each other — well, each person got a little something for someone else — it was pretty fun. The kids really enjoyed getting gifts for each other.

the snow was a fun surprise. mostly fun, anyway. for most of us.

and here is our very own Snow Mountain

Jams preferred sledding on a non-moving sled

Here’s Zabe and Jams takin’ a ride in our backyard

wheee!

Kar does not like snow. But she does like hot cocoa.

Jams got nail polish from Kar. Sick though she was, her happiness was uncontainable.

Kar got markers from Zabe. Which is good since she ate the ones we used to have.

Just as suspected, Jams could not keep secret what she bought for Zabe. She was just too excited to give it to him.

Here’s Zabe w/ Dave ‘n’ Jamie….

And even though she was sick, Kar was weirdly excited to get this tunic dress…

Here’s Jams doing the “Hooray, I found temporary relief from my three day illness thanks to a nice bath” dance.

rejoice: Hallelujah, the Lord is come!

Isaiah 61.10-11

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD;
   my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
   he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
    and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
   and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,
so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise
   to sprout up before all the nations.

Have a Merry Christmas, everyone!

rejoice: transformation brings joy

So to kinda wrap up this Re-Advent concept, the transformation Jesus brings — the rescue, the renewal, the rest — naturally result in rejoicing. You can help but be grateful and amazed and overwhelmed with God’s favor and power and goodness. Isaiah 35 is still probably my favorite “transformation song”, but here are a few others…isn’t God amazing that he can do these things?!?

Isaiah 51:3

For the LORD comforts Zion;
   he comforts all her waste places
and makes her wilderness like Eden,
   her desert like the garden of the LORD;
joy and gladness will be found in her,
   thanksgiving and the voice of song.

Isaiah 42:9-10

Behold, the former things have come to pass,
    and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth
   I tell you of them.” 
Sing to the LORD a new song,
   his praise from the end of the earth,
you who go down to the sea, and all that fills it,
    the coastlands and their inhabitants.

Isaiah 55.12-13

 ”For you shall go out in joy
   and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
   shall break forth into singing,
   and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
   instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the LORD,
   an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

rejoice: reasons for today

I am rejoicing today because…

…I got to cuddle with my kids
…they are just sick with something annoying and not something serious
…they got to celebrate “Christmas Eve” (OK, a little early) with my family in spite of being sick — I would have been so sad to do it without them
…I have a DVR. And PBS. And a Veggie Tale movie from the library.
…my bed has an electric blanket. Which makes me feel like an old lady. But a very warm old lady.
…my son is kind and sensitive and he loves Jesus and I like being with him
…chiles rellanos exist. And my mother knows how to make them
…there are so many good stories in the world and enough good storytellers
…I have snow tires. And “StabiliTrak”. Whatever that is
…my family is great and we like each other and they make me laugh and that is a wonderful thing
…someone invented washable markers
…God gives us joy even when we try to look for it in other places