advent activities days 1-5

One of our yearly traditions is to open a different numbered box each morning to count down the days until Christmas.  Each morning the box contains a tasty treat for each boy and a piece of paper with an activity written on it.  This is my somewhat organized way to not only have fun but to complete all of our Christmas to dos and traditions without getting super overwhelmed.  This is the fourth year we've been doing this and we all still love it.

On Day 1 the boys wrote their Christmas lists.  Connor will always win for having the most entertaining list.  This year he included a tan chair so he can make himself an office, a black and gray puppy and a tiger striped tablet.  

On Day 2 we made a paper garland for their tree in the playroom and then I let them decorate it all by themselves.  The tree we used is a prelit tree that Zach and I bought our first Christmas together.  This year we I plugged it in the lights did not come on :( In order to save time I wrapped to strings of GIANT LED bulbs around it and Micah thought it was the best thing ever.  Proof that it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful, Thanks Nester!

On Day 3 we made the best Christmas snack ever!  Some people call it puppy chow or muddy buddies but we call it the best Christmas snack ever because it is indeed the best thing ever and we only make it at Christmas.  This was batch number one but I anticipate a couple more being whipped up before the year is over.

On Day 4 we had Christmas movie night and the boys saw Elf for the first time.  They've been quoting it ever since.  Definitely felt like that was a parenting win!

On Day 5 we went to the Covington Christmas Parade with some friends.  I love a parade though I could do without the insane amounts of candy and business cards they came home with and then the dance line who parked themselves in front of little boys eyes and did what they do could have stressed this mama of boys heart out just a wee bit!

tree search

The first available day after Thanksgiving we headed to our traditional spot to find our Christmas tree.  Lowe's may not be as pretty or romantic as a tree farm, but they have the required Frasier Fir that I love and take coupons :)

We found our tree in record time but unfortunately we over estimated the height of our new ceilings so some extra trimming had to be done when we got home.  Some times your eyes are bigger than your stomachs, or ceilings.

Zach did a time lapse of our decorating for the second year in a row and its one of my new favorite traditions.  Logan was naked during the entire lights on the tree process but I made him wear clothes for the ornament parts.  I hope you enjoy!

journeying with Jotham

"Christmas time's a comin'", the song my Dad so lovingly and loudly sings every year has been looping in my brain for a solid week now as well as "It's Christmas, it's Christmas time" my own parody of a flight of the Conchords song.

I love Christmas.  I love the suspense and anticipation.  I love the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas morning and the days full of traditions.  The beginning of last years advent season was frustrating and overwhelming, but lessons were learned, the hard way but learned, and my heart is more prepared for the busyness of these weeks even if I or my calendar may not completely be.  One new thing we are doing this year is reading an advent story I bought during the season last year.  It is called Jotham's journey and each night is the next chapter of the saga of a boy named Jotham on a journey to find his family after his own selfishness and anger separates them.  

The boys love it and there is a groan each night as the chapter ends with a cliffhanger and they have to wait to see what happens next.  I honestly love it too.  I love it because it really is a great story.  I love it because I get to cuddle on the couch with all my fellas each night to see what happens next.  I love it because we all stop and sit and listen and are actively concentrating on the promises that were given and kept so long ago.  I love it because, like all stories of truth, I need to hear it again and again so it becomes a part of me and flows out of me onto everything around.

I constantly think about what I could be doing better.  How can I parent better?  How can I be a better wife?  How can I be a better friend?  I'm more truthfully not really thinking of how I can be better as much as I'm constantly plagued with how I'm not being a better 'insert role here'.  

As we read this story of this boy living out the consequences of his actions, plagued with guilt that had he just done better none of this would have happened, I think about all the lessons he is learning along the way and pray that my lesson this advent season is one of learning and not concentrating on my failures but focused on the opportunities to learn and grow.

keel thanksgiving

For my family gatherings revolve around food, much to the excitement of my tastebuds and the dismay of my waistline.  Sending a girl of little willpower into my mom's kitchen for an extended period of time is a never winning battle that I'll happily suffer for the next week when I'm running a little extra.  

Last week's visit was no different and maybe even amped up a bit due to the gloriousness of Thanksgiving meals.  Our few days there were full of eating obviously but also some fun board game time with my boys and nieces as they learned the art of playing monopoly and clue.  There was also a bit of adult gaming as settlers of catan was played post kiddo bedtime and a few of us ran away to watch Katniss and company kick and be kicked, tears were shed.

We even carved some time out (see what I did there) for a family photoshoot wherein we got a GREAT picture of me and my siblings which has not happened for many a year.  But I can not share those pictures without first showing the traditional skinning of the bird.  In the Keel house roasted turkey skin is a delicacy that will outmatch even the most sophisticated Parisian fare.  I'm more than a little proud to have passed this love on to my son.

campout

Fall Camping in Georgia, even in someone's backyard, is a Southern boy dream.  These boys had been anxiously awaiting this evening for months.  Tents, fire, food, music, lake, and friends sums up the day and night along with LOUD and DIRT as there were five little boys in the mix.  

Unfortunately Logan and I had to miss out on the night festivities due to some nasty side effects to four year old shots, but by the next morning he was in true form and we drove over to Kaden's grandparents house to spend the morning fishing and climbing in dirt mountains in the frigid air of a Saturday in November.  It was good for the heart and soul, as well as the tummy because the food was outstanding. 

 There's a lot of ups and downs in parenting but its moments like these when you see pure joy on faces of filthy boys being who they are with people who love them as they are that you store in your heart to bring smiles to your face on days that need an extra smile or two.  Thankful for new friends and fun memories, dirt covered or not.