4 hours ago
I love reading other people's family newsletters around Christmas time, and unfortunately not many people send them anymore. I guess I'm bucking the trend away from newsletters, because I decided to send one with our Christmas card for the first time this year. I thought I would share our family newsletter on here as well!
As I type this letter I am sitting with my laptop at corner table, listening to a veteran two tables down telling startling stories from his time in service, and it’s setting into sharp relief our blessings of peace and a relatively quiet year. Our days have been filled with family movie nights and homeschool lessons, craft projects and soccer games, mountain hikes and afternoon snacks. We’ve enjoyed birthday parties, park days, field trips, visits with family, sleepovers at Grandma’s, and game nights with friends. I am thankful for these full and happy days, and for this delightful season with our kids.
Hello Everyone! Did you have a good Christmas?
As you read this, I will be off to the zoo for my brand-new 9 year old's birthday. The zoo has become a birthday tradition for everyone this year, ever since we discovered that the birthday kid gets a coupon for a free Dole pineapple ice cream cone. We always have a great time, extra snacks are packed for the kids who don't get a coveted ice cream cone, and I follow them around the zoo, coffee in hand.
Several years ago, during my fourth pregnancy, Caribou Coffee sold a holiday drink called a spicy mocha. Every year since I have wished they would bring it back! Maybe it didn't sell very well, but I happened to love it. It had just the right amount of actual spice, and I definitely tasted cloves. I have been meaning for years to try to recreate it, and I finally got around to it this December.
This is as close of a reproduction as I can create from just my memory. If you are up for a Christmas/New Year's coffee drink that's a little different, try this one out! I'll probably be carrying this around the zoo with me today.
(Note: There are no actual jalepenos in it, don't be scared. I just put that in the picture for effect.)
Spicy Mocha
1/3 cup of sugar
1/3 cup of cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
Strong coffee
Half and half
Whipped cream
Mix first six ingredients together in a bowl, and hold aside. Make a pot of strong coffee. Scoop two tablespoons of the spicy mocha mix into a cup, then fill with approximately 2/3 cup of coffee. Add half and half and a little more sugar to taste, and whisk everything together. Top with whipped cream if desired.
Enjoy!
As Christmas is approaching this year, I have been thinking alot about the themes of advent candles. Each of the four weeks leading up to advent represents love, joy, peace, and hope. I've been pondering more about how Jesus is the fulfillment of each of those things.
In His great love He left His throne in heaven, and was born as a man, so that He would one day take the punishment for our sins and die in our place.
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
John 15:13
On the third day He rose again, defeating our sin and death, and because of that, He offers us peace. We, the human race, who has been rebelling against God since the Garden, can now have peace with God Himself, because of God's own gift of love in sending Christ.
For He Himself is our peace.
Ephesians 2:14a
Isn't there such joy in knowing we can be reconciled to God? That is the greatest joy there is, and a deeper joy that can last through even hardship and pain.
For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
Romans 5:10-11
...for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Nehemiah 8:10b
And finally hope. This is the one that means the most for me this year. When we don't view things with an eternal perspective, it's easy to put our hope in the wrong things, isn't it? We place our hope in human leaders, we want our governments to take care of us, or we hope in law to protect us from our government. We hope in a well-cushioned bank account, or a promotion, or good insurance. We hope in people, expecting them to be there for us, forgetting that fallen humans will inevitably let us down.
We forget that our biggest problem, the root of all the other problems, has been solved in a Person.
Since the beginning, God has been offering us true hope. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate that fruit, and all seemed lost forever because God told them they would surely die - but right at the most tragic moment in history, the moment that would lead to all other tragedies, God didn't leave them without a hope. Right when despair seemed the only response, He gave them a glimmer of what was to come, a hint of hope to hold on to down through the ages. Matthew Henry notes that "no sooner was the wound given than the remedy was provided and revealed." In Genesis 3:15, God says to the serpent:
"And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.”
The cross references for this passage are so interesting and uplifting, and they point us to their fulfillment in Christ.
Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
Hebrews 2:14-15
Through His death and resurrection, He sets us free.
But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
Galatians 4:4-5
He, the Seed that is born of a woman, referenced in Genesis - He redeems us and adopts us as His children forever.
Do you see the joy?
"Let us rejoice then in the swift mercies of God." - Spurgeon
Humanity deserved swift judgement the moment we fell, but God instead offered us swift mercy, a Hope to look to, one that those of us on the other side of the cross can see fulfilled in Christ Himself.
But God still leaves us hope to look forward to now, in these ages of waiting, doesn't He?
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Romans 5:1-2
I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Colossians 1:24-27
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
Titus 2:11-14
In Christ we have the hope of glory, the hope that someday whether through death or His coming, we will be with Him. We have hope for a future when He will come again, when He will deliver creation itself from the corruption we brought upon it, when the redeemed will see His face and He will wipe away every tear from our eyes (Rev. 21:4). And so now, in the waiting for that someday, we must turn our eyes to Him alone, the only Hope, Jesus our Savior. Everything else will fail, but His promises to us in His word, never will.
If your joy is stale this Christmas, let His joy be your strength. If you are lacking peace, turn off the news for a bit and remember that if you trust in Christ alone for your salvation, you already have peace, between you and God Himself, that the world can't shake. If things seem hopeless, broaden your lens a bit and remember that He fulfilled the hope He gave to Adam and Eve in His first coming, and He will fulfill the hopes for His second coming in His good time. And as you remember His great love and mercy that He has shown to us in the promise of Christ, including His birth which we celebrate now, may you reflect some of His love back to your family and friends this season.
I wish you a truly Merry Christmas, friends, this year and always!
We really leaned into reading Christmas picture books together this year! Some of them I enjoyed more than others, and I wanted to remember which ones were our favorites so I can request them from the library again next year, and so I can possibly add a few to my collection throughout the year, when it's easier to find them used. I thought I'd share in case you plan to add any Christmas books to your collection as well! Otherwise, maybe bookmark this post for next year, because if there are any holds on these at your library, they probably aren't coming in before Christmas, sorry to say.
Classic Christmas Stories & Christmas Fables:
Santa Claus And The Three Bears by Maria Modugno - We love retellings, and this is a sweet Christmas retelling of Goldilocks! My kids enjoyed it.
The Twelve Days Of Christmas by Laurel Long - This version of The Twelve Days Of Christmas is just gorgeous, with each of the gifts hidden in the illustrations on every page! My kids poured over this for a long time after we read it.
Why Christmas Trees Aren’t Perfect by Richard H. Schneider - This is a folk tale about a small pine tree, that sacrifices its perfect beauty in order to help forest animals who are in trouble. I liked how the book tied it back to reflecting Christ’s sacrificial love to others on earth. The whole gospel isn’t here, but it’s a nice reminder for believers at Christmastime.
The Night Before Christmas by Jan Brett - The classic Christmas poem, but with Jan Brett's beautiful illustrations!
The Nutcracker by Niroot Puttapipatt - This version of the Nutcracker story is really fun because of the surprise pop-up page! I also thought it was cute how Clara met Dr. Drosselmeyer's nephew at the end.
Christian Christmas Stories:
For purposes of simplicity, I am including any stories that surround or involve the Nativity story in this category!
The Very First Christmas by Paul L. Maier - In this book, a mother tells her son the true story of Christmas from the book of Luke, and answers his many questions! This book was an accurate telling of the facts of the Nativity story, and all based on the Bible. Very good and beautifully illustrated!
The Advent Of Christmas by Matt Maher - This book introduces the meaning of each of the advent candles in an enjoyable rhyme. My kids have been seeing the candles lit at our church each Sunday, so it was neat for them to get a concise introduction to the meanings!
Small Camel Follows The Star by Rachel W. N. Brown - This tells the story of one of the wise men's camels as they journey to find Baby Jesus. A cute angle on the nativity story!
Hurry, Hurry, Have You Heard? by Laura Krauss Melmed - This is a story of some of the animals coming to see Baby Jesus after he was born, and spreading the word to their animal friends. Cute illustrations in this one!
The Friendly Beasts by Rebecca St. James - The text of this book is just the old Christmas carol itself, but illustrated really nicely. We sang it as we read, and the kids enjoyed it.
The Christmas Miracle Of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wokciechowski - A heart-wrenching story about a grumpy woodcarver who is befriended by two of his customers, and finds the joy of the Christmas season again through their friendship. This is another tear-jerker!
B Is For Bethlehem: A Christmas Alphabet by Isabel Wilner - This is a nativity-focused alphabet book, also in rhyme. A great one for little ones!
Christmas Day In The Morning by Pearl S. Buck - This book legitimately makes me cry every time I read it. So I’m sitting there choking up, and trying not to let the kids hear my voice break while I read! A boy surprises his father by doing all the chores for him on Christmas morning. It doesn’t sound like it would be so emotional, but it is.
The Last Straw by Paula Palangi McDonald - This is a really sweet book about a family that does a Giving Manger-style exchange of acts of kindness. The story is cute, and the illustrations are beautiful. We just got a Giving Manger this year, and I’m reading this book to the kids beforehand for our own version (yes, we are getting a late start on the Giving Manger, but it seemed like a good activity for the week before Christmas).
We Were There: A Nativity Story by Eve Bunting - This is a book about some of the non-traditional animals that may have been present when Jesus was born. If you have a child that likes creeping things, as my Georgiana does, this is a cute one!
The Third Gift by Linda Sue Park - A really neat book about what myrrh is and where it comes from. A boy helps gather myrrh resin with his father, and sells some to three strangers who need a gift for a King. It was neat to learn a little more about myrrh and how it was used!
Room For A Little One by Martin Waddell - A sweet story about the animals welcoming each other into the stable, before welcoming Baby Jesus. I thought the illustrations were so sweet and cozy.
Santa Stories:
I wanted to separate out the Santa stories, for those of you who want to limit the focus on Santa. Other books on this list may mention Santa briefly, but these stories have a larger Santa element.
The Littlest Christmas Elf by Little Golden Book - This is another book from my childhood that I’m fond of. Allistair is the littlest elf, and can’t help with all the elfish tasks. He is worried that Santa will find out his ineptitude and send him away, so he runs and hides in the stable, making a new friend named Nicholas. I think you can guess where it goes from there. Just a cute little story!
Other Christmas Stories:
Bear Stays Up For Christmas by Karma Wilson - We love all the Bear books, and this one is about Bear having a Christmas party with his friends. Very cute illustrations, and the repetitive text is fun for little ones.
Merry Christmas, Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood - We've read this book a couple years in a row, and aside from the bright and rich illustrations, I love how the little mouse feels compassion for the bear even when the narrator is trying to warn him away. A really cute Christmas book.
Red And Lulu by Matt Tavares - This is a really cute story about two cardinals who live in a Norwegian pine tree that is cut down and taken to New York to be the Rockefeller Center tree. My kids remembered this from last year and enjoyed it just as much this year!
Gingerbread Christmas by Jan Brett - Is Christmas really complete without at least one Jan Brett book? Her illustrations are just so gorgeous, and this is a fun play off of the traditional gingerbread man story - but the Gingerbread Baby is not obnoxious and gets away in this one. It also has a surprise pop-up page!
Pick A Pine Tree by Patricia Toht - This is a basic book about the fun of tree decorating, but the illustrations really make this book! They are so colorful and whimsical and festive!
Night Tree by Eve Bunting - This is a story about a family that goes out to the woods to decorate a Christmas tree with popcorn and bird seed balls and fruit, so the woodland animals can celebrate Christmas too. I love this book because we took inspiration from it to decorate our own night tree last year! We will probably do another tree this year too.
A Christmas Sweater For Nina by Cecilia Heikkila - This is a book about a cat whose sweater unravels at Christmas, but it leads her to a new home and a new friend. The coziness factor of this book won me over.
The Poky Little Puppy’s First Christmas by Little Golden Book - I have a special place in my heart for the Poky Little Puppy, ever since I was a toddler watching him on a VHS at my grandma’s house, over and over. This book is about how the Poky Little Puppy learns that it is more blessed to give than to receive.
The Littlest Christmas Tree by R. A. Herman - Classic story of the smallest tree in the lot, wishing he could be a Christmas tree. The illustrations in this one are so cute!
We're still reading some new-to-us books this week leading up to Christmas, so if I have any to add to this list, I might just save them for a follow-up post next year.
Do you have any family favorite Christmas books?
I'll add them to my list of books to check out for next year!
As we were walking around though, I was thinking about how much easier it is to go to the mall these days. Just a few years ago, I had a huge strolled to pack up, baby bags to stuff underneath, a little one snuggled against my chest in a carrier, multiple little hands to hold. Walking around with my elementary kids today was so easy by comparison, but there was a part of me that felt sad. I find as we get farther away from the baby phase, I miss parts of it at unexpected moments.
I also try to remember though, that soon enough I'm going to miss this stage we are in the same way, so I need to enjoy it while I can. I have a blog friend, Maria, with kids in their teens and twenties, and reading her posts reminds me how quickly this elementary school stage is going to be behind me. There are not even that many Christmases left before the first of my kids grows up! That's hard to think about. Life is so fleeting, isn't it?
So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom.Psalm 90:12
I was thinking of this verse today, as I was thinking about how quickly each stage of family life passes by. The context of this verse tells reminds us that though a thousand years is like yesterday to the Lord, our eighty years on this earth are fleeting and full of trouble - trouble that we have brought on ourselves because of our sin. There is wisdom in realizing that death is closer than we all think, and that we deserve God's wrath because of our sin. But for believers in Christ, there is joy and gladness in the mercy that God has showered on us by giving us His Son! Jesus took God's wrath upon Himself so that we do not have to suffer the punishment we deserve.
Return, O Lord!
How long?
And have compassion on Your servants.
14 Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
15 Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us,
The years in which we have seen evil.
16 Let Your work appear to Your servants,
And Your glory to their children.
17 And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands.Psalm 90:13
I love the last few verses of that Psalm. In this church age, verse 13 reminds me that Jesus is coming again, and the next verses remind me of His grace to His children in the meantime. Grace to show us how He is working despite the curse of sin we live with here, grace to allow us to be a part of His work in the world. Grace to shower the beauty of the knowledge of Who He is upon us, and to let us have the chance to pass His glory on to our children. That's really what Christmas is all about, isn't it? Pointing our kids to Him, using our time wisely in teaching them about why He came as a baby on the first Christmas, showing them His glory, which we are reminded of so much this time of year.
This December I have been in a more Christmas-y spirit than I have in years, as I've been pondering the reason for Christmas a little more often! And I've especially been enjoying this season of Christmas with my kids. The last couple weeks have been filled with Christmas movie nights, driving around to look at Christmas lights, multiple Christmas parties, present wrapping. We are still doing a little bit of school this week (a very little bit), but some of that school is going to involve baking and Christmas books. Every night we do Advent, opening the little jars filled by my in-laws, reading a devotional sent by my aunt. This stage with elementary-aged kids is a special one, when all the kids are home, and we can fully enjoy Christmas traditions together as a family...as we seek to turn our eyes to the glory and beauty of the One who satisfies us with His mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad in Him!
So here we are, soaking all of that up this Christmas - the joy of the season, and the sorrow of these fading years, all mixed together into a happy expectation of the Christmases we spend here, while waiting for our Savior to return.
I always think it's fun to see how other people decorate their homes for Christmas. Everyone's home is at it's most beautiful at Christmastime, isn't it? Everything is warm and cozy and bright. It's a chance to get some ideas and soak in all the sparkle of the season.
After seeing the tour on this blog, I thought I'd do a quick Christmas tour of our home too! We don't decorate every room for Christmas, but many of our rooms have one or two Christmasy touches. Not pictured - the kids' little Christmas trees, and the bathrooms. Their rooms were too messy, and I didn't feel like cleaning them before taking these photos, and who really wants to see pictures of the bathroom anyway? On to the photos!
Living Room
We have alot of greens and blues in our living room, so our living room tree has alot of green, blue, and brown ornaments, along with white! We got new tree lights this year that switch from colorful to white, but I like them on the colorful setting best.
Kitchen And School Room
I don't decorate very much in the kitchen or school room, just a table centerpiece, a wreath on the door, and our Thanksgiving-turned-Christmas birch tree. And incidental gingerbread houses.
Front Room/Playroom
The front room (and the master bedroom) have mostly blue-colored furniture/walls, so this is where I bring in the touches of red!
Master Bedroom
I found a few Christmas throw pillows that I loved right after we moved here a few years ago, so now I bring them out each Christmas to add a little bit of Christmas to our room. We also have white lights stringed around the top of the walls in our room, but it's hard to get them in photos. I'm contemplating adding a little tree in our room too, but I'm trying to decide if that's too many decorations for me to manage!
And that's it for the Christmas tour! If you came over to my house for a Christmas party, it would look like this, with a few kid shoes and toys and books thrown around for good measure. If you share any Christmas decorations on your blog, let me know! I want to see!
A Quote
"Feast, Christian, feast! You have a right to feast. Go to the house of feasting tomorrow! Celebrate your Savior's birth. Do not be ashamed to be glad - you have a right to be happy. Solomon says 'Go your way, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God now accepts your works. Let your garments be always white and let your head lack no ointment.' - ' Religion never was designed, To make our pleasure less.' Remember that your Master ate bread and honey. Go your way, rejoice tomorrow, but, in your feasting, think of the Man in Bethlehem - let Him have a place in your hearts, give Him the glory, think of the virgin who conceived Him - but think, most of all, of the Man born, the Child given! I finish by again saying - A Happy Christmas To You All!"
-Charles Spurgeon
Ever since reading this last year in this book, this quote comes to mind when I am anticipating Christmas festivities, especially the part about having every right to be happy. We have every right and reason to celebrate, don't we? We can approach the throne of God with full confidence, knowing He has credited to us the righteousness of Jesus - and it all started with Jesus's birth, God made flesh for us. There is happiness to be found there, in pondering the great truths of His works on our behalf - more happiness than in all the trappings of Christmas!
A Book
Oh, don't ask me about books right now - I'm stuck in the biggest reading rut I've had for years. I've started probably ten books in the last couple months, and nothing is sticking! The only books that are getting read consistently are the ones I read with my devotions, so I'll just mention Worship by John MacArthur. Our church has introduced a "staff recommends" library this year, and there are some good picks in there, so I've been trying to choose one of the recommended books to read after I read my Bible in the mornings. I love the way MacArthur presents worship as something that we do in every aspect of our life - it's not about singing only. One more quote!
"Rather we have been redeemed so that God may receive worship - so that our lives may glorify Him...The sole purpose of our being in heaven is that we might worship God rightly and forever. We, along with the redeemed of all ages, are saved to that glorious and unending end."
-John MacArthur, Worship
We also started our advent with the kids, and we've been reading through Jotham's Journey, which my aunt surprised us with in the mail! It could be a little scary for young or sensitive kids, but my kids have been really riveted to find out if Jotham will be reunited with his family. Each chapter, meant to be read each day of Advent, also ends with an advent devotional that ties in with the story. It's been a really fun addition to our advent time!
A Bit Of Nature
As I came to this prompt and looked through my phone for some nature pictures, I realized how little we have been out in nature this last month! It would be a good time to be outside, because it's been unseasonably warm out. But in a way, I think that's putting a damper on nature exploration for me right now. I want some snow! If I wanted 60 degree weather in December, I'd move to Florida with the rest of the country. We actually need some snow to prevent wildfires next year too, so I hope we get some moisture soon. One advantage to the warm weather is that our yearly Christmas light adventure was much less complicated, and that's the last time we were in nature, so some light-covered nature pictures will have to do.
A Recommendation
I really have to recommend Pam Barnhill's morning time plans. At first I thought they wouldn't be worth the money, but I tried one out, and oh my goodness, they are so rich. Her full morning time plans are especially meaty, and they tie concepts together in different ways by coming at a theme with math, art, music, books, etc. I request the books from the library, and the rest of the activities are usually links to free activities or videos online that go with whatever we are learning about. All the work is done, I just open up the document and follow the plans, and it's added so much enjoyment to our homeschool this fall! I actually joined her membership, because I loved the one set of plans we tried so much, and I'm so looking forward to working through many of the plans in years to come. If you want to try out a mini version of her plans, the Christmas Around The World morning time explorations are free right now. I would say they are good for elementary and up (it might be trickier to use with preschool and kindergarten).
A Moment Of Happiness
My happy moment goes back again to when we went to a local "trail of lights" this last weekend for my dad's 60th birthday. As I mentioned, this year has been weirdly warm outside, so we didn't even need to bundle up in snow clothes like we usually do. We walked through all the lights, and the cousins ran and played, and Georgie kept making her cute four-year-old quips, and I was just so thankful to be able to do something like that with family. Then we all went for pie at a restaurant after the lights, and gave my dad presents, and laughed when the restaurant hostess brought out a pan for the "birthday spanking" (we didn't actually subject my dad to that, but it was funny). It was a lighthearted and cheering evening, a perfect night of just being together.
I have been getting the Home And Haven seasonal bundles this year, just to add a little fun to our homeschool, and one of the winter bundles included a "Thanksgiving" category. One of the worksheets had gratitude conversation starters, and I thought I would borrow a few of the questions and share my answers here, just for some pre-Thanksgiving fun!
What experience in the last year are you most grateful for?
I think the experience I'm most grateful for this year is our trip to the Ark Encounter. It is such an odd distance away, where it would be easier to fly, but flying would make the trip so much more expensive. But it is also far enough away that it feels on the verge of too far to drive. I don't think we would have made it there at all unless our good friends had been game to go with us, and thankfully they were. Traveling together is probably one of the truest tests of a friendship, isn't it? Traveling with these particular friends was a delightful experience and not difficult at all, and I am experienced enough in my life to realize how rare it is to find a friendship like that! I'm really grateful for a meaningful trip and friendship at it's best.
What is your favorite part about your home?
I think my favorite part about our home is our woodstove. I loved our wood stove so much at our last house, that I just had to have one here too. It's adds so much coziness to these colder days, and it makes me not mind the brown ugliness of November. At first I did NOT love the woodstove though, because every time we tried to light a fire in it, smoke would pour into our house. We finally got a specialist out to look at it, and he told us that the builder had installed the top part of the chimney incorrectly. Apparently the pipe of a chimney or stove has to be taller than the tallest point in your house, or the smoke will not go up and out. Something to do with air pressure and suction. Another reminder that building a house correctly is even more scientific than I sometimes realize.
What book are you grateful for?
Aside from the Bible, which is certainly a given, I'm grateful for Christmas At The Vinyl Cafe. My penpal, Felicia, sent me a copy for Christmas last year, and it was so delightful that I fully intend to read it again this year. It's a collection of humorous short stories surrounding the holidays, and it's one of those books that makes me laugh and cry. Sometimes you need something that makes you forget political divisions, that makes you appreciate the common human experience of modern holidays - good, bad, and ugly and glorious. It's a good book.
Who did something nice for you today?
This has been a particularly nice mail week - my sister-in-law sent us a really thoughtful package with cotton plants, which is cool for the kids to see because we do not have cotton plants here! It's interesting for them to see a crop specimen from another part of the country.
I also received an unexpected mystery package in the mail with a copy of Jotham's Journey, which is an advent book I was trying to get from the library to read with the kids this year. I found out it was from my Aunt! She read my mind, and I'm so excited to own a copy and to start it with the kids!
What is a smell you are grateful for?
I'm getting over a cold this week, and I weirdly lost my sense of smell, which almost never happens to me. I miss good smells! Right now I wish I could smell all the wreaths I've been seeing at the stores. Is there anything more Christmasy than the smell of a pine tree? I'm grateful they smell like that.
What memory always makes you smile?
I was thinking yesterday about a childhood tradition we had - every year we kids would go on a shopping day with my dad to find gifts for my mom. We'd start early and be gone all day. We'd always eat at Arby's for lunch, and we would always stop at Best Buy for a new Christmas CD to listen to while we were driving. After we had found all her gifts, we'd end the day with meeting my mom for a movie at the theater. We'd wrap all her presents together too, and my dad would label the gift tags with characters from Christmas movies. I so looked forward to that shopping day every year - it was special to go shopping with just dad.
I also decided to throw in a little Thanksgiving this or that, just for fun - I got the prompts from this article. I looked through a few this or that graphics on image search too, but I found alot of the questions ridiculous. Thanksgiving parade or dog show? I didn't even know dog shows on Thanksgiving were a thing. Turkey or tofurkey? Really? Who in their right mind would choose the latter if they weren't vegetarian/vegan? Honestly.
Anyway, here we go!
Host or attend? I usually love the idea of hosting Thanksgiving, but this year especially I am overwhelmed by the idea of it. It's been a really weird November, and I'm just mentally drained. So attending wins this year.
Turkey or ham? I think I'm going to have to go with turkey. Hams are more of an Easter thing for me.
Travel or stay home? I don't believe I've ever actually traveled for Thanksgiving, not more than a couple hours anyway. I have to pick stay home, because it's really been my only experience of the holiday!
Stuffing or potatoes? Potatoes! Confession: I've never actually liked stuffing. I don't know why I don't.
Large gathering or just a couple of loved ones? Large gatherings are always fun!
Dress up or comfy clothes? I actually like dressing up for Thanksgiving. I don't get that many chances to wear nice clothes, so I take my opportunities where I can get them. However, about an hour after dinner and halfway into my second piece of pie, stretchy pants are nice.
Pumpkin or apple pie? Pumpkin pie all the way, because it's so iconic for Thanksgiving. Apple pies are appropriate any time of year, but you only get pumpkin around the holidays.
In case I don't post again this week - Happy Thanksgiving, friends! I hope you can see the goodness of God to you more clearly than ever this year, and spend some time thanking the Giver of all good gifts.
This year I’ve really been leaning into the Thanksgiving holiday with the kids - mainly with our Thanksgiving tree, gratitude journals, and lots of picture books! We have read so many Thanksgiving picture books so far this year, probably three times as many as I’m including in this post. The ones here are my favorites for the Thanksgiving season. I know it’s a little late to get these from the library now, so maybe just bookmark these for next year!
Just For Thanksgiving Fun
The Night Before Thanksgiving by Natasha Wing - This is a play off of the classic Christmas poem, and I thought it was so cute, especially with the sweet illutrations.
How To Celebrate Thanksgiving by P. K. Hallinan - This is a picture book, in rhyme, that celebrates all the fun of Thanksgiving Day (including eating so much you feel like you might burst). Cute illustrations, fun poem.
Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende and Harry Devlin - This is the first time I've read this one, and the quirky story of Grandma's special cranberry bread recipe and how it's nearly stoled made me laugh.
Thanksgiving In The Woods by Phyllis Allsdurf - This book is based off of a family who celebrates Thaksgiving each year by having dinner in the woods - this is one of those times where the illustrations really make the whole book. This book is so pretty.
A Turkey For Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting - A fun story about Mr. Moose tracking down Turkey for Thanksgiving. My kids where laughing at this one!
Franklin's Thanksgiving by Paulette Bourgeois - My kids love watching Franklin, and this book had the typical mild dilemma that the show often features - Franklin invites too many people to Thanksgiving. It was cute!
Over The River And Through The Wood by Matt Tavares - I'm sure you recognize the first lines to this poem - somehow I never realized it was about Thanksgiving!
Historic Thanksgiving Tie-Ins
Berenstain Bears Thanksgiving Blessings by Mike Berenstain - This obviously isn't serious history, but on the way over to Grandma's House For Thanksgiving Dinner, Papa Bear tells about the Pilgrim bears that came seeking religious freedom.
Squanto And The Miracle Of Thanksgiving by Eric Metaxes - This is a Thanksgiving classic for us, telling the story of Squanto's life and how God used him to help the pilgrims survive.
This Is The Feast by Diane Z. Shore - Another one where the illustrations really shine, telling a little history about the first Thanksgiving.
Meaningful Thanksgiving Books
Sharing The Bread: An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving Story by Pat Zeitlow Miller - This book features a poem with a fun beat to it, all about working together to make Thanksgiving dinner.
A Thanksgiving Turkey by Julian Scheer - This book was slow going at first, but the ending just got me. One of those times when I feel silly tearing up a little as I read to the kids. I think I resonated from this one especially coming from a hunting family.
Thank You For Thanksgiving by Dandi Daley Mackall - It's the classic problem - everyone is going around saying what they are thankful for, and someone else says what you were going to say! I really liked how this one pointed back to being thankful for our Savior too.
Thanksgiving Graces by Mark Kimball Moulton - As Grandma invites more and more people to dinner, the narrator wonders if there will be enough - Grandma talks briefly about the parable of the fishes and reminds her grandson that they can stretch the food to include others. A sweet story about hospitality at Thanksgiving.
Thankful by Eileen Spinelli - A sweet "gratitude list" type of book, but I especially liked this one.
Give Thanks To The Lord by Karma Wilson - Another beautiful Thanksgiving book, this one taking inspiration from Psalm 92.
One Chapter Book
Rush Revere And The Brave Pilgrims by Rush Limbaugh - This is our favorite Thanksgiving historical fiction book - all about the journey of the pilgrims from Holland to the New World, including good history about the first Thanksgiving. It's so imaginative and fun with the time-traveling horse, Liberty! We like it on audio, but the actual book has some wonderful art pieces and fun illustrations too.
That's all I have for now, though I may add a few more titles if we read any other noteworthy ones this week!
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Update: I did add four other books to this list of our favorite books for the Thanksgiving holiday - you can read those here!
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