1 day ago
Confession: I am currently recovering from a MAJOR reading rut.
Fortunately, the New Year is a great time to come out of a reading rut - there are so many fun reading challenges that start in January, and I am refocusing what I want out of my reading life and setting some reading goals for the New Year. Let's forget about what's behind and press on, yes?
My Reading Goals
In 2022 I would like to have more discipline in my reading, particularly in practicing self-control and not starting so many books at once. I am not going to make myself start and finish one book at a time, because I have found that is a good way to get myself into a reading rut (because if I'm not enjoying the book, I won't read at all), but I also get myself into ruts when I start too many books at once (decision fatigue). I think that generally, having around 3-4 books going at once would be a good balance - a nonfiction and fiction on audio, and a nonfiction and fiction in physical format.
My other goals involve diving deeper into history topics I am interested in, reading books that will be edifying in serving my family, and not wasting my time on books that are not working for me. I would also like to start to whittle down my unread bookshelf by reading more of the books that I already own.
With those goals in mind, I chose one primary reading challenge, and a possibly secondary challenge to attempt in 2022!
5x5 Reading Challenge
I am part of the Schole Sisters group on Mighty Networks, and I occasionally listen to the podcast. Last January I heard about the 5x5 challenge, so this will be my second attempt at completing it. The idea is to pick five categories for your reading, and then read five books within each of those categories over the course of the year, for a total of 25 books.
I love the idea of this because I have set my own personal study projects in the past anyway, and it's amazing how much you learn when you decide to intentionally read several books on the same topic. However, this challenge was also intimidating for me last year, because I filled in my categories with meatier books - and then when my brain was just tired, or I was having an emotional week (as happened often last year), I just couldn't handle heavy, serious reading. I am going to attempt to keep some of my book picks easier this year, so I don't lose steam.
Here are my categories and tentative picks so far - I will fill in the rest of my books as I go.
World War One - Yes, I am still reading about World War One! I read hardly any WW1 books last year, so I wanted to continue this category and get to some of the books I never finished.
-Dead Wake by Erik Larson - A story about the sinking of the Lusitania, a tragedy which contributed to American interest in possible involvement in WW1.
-The Myth Of The Great War by John Mosier - This one looks interesting because of his semi-controversial idea that the war was mismanaged, and it was a good thing the Americans came in and ended it. I'm curious to see how he supports his arguments.
-The Guns Of August by Barbara Tuchman - Everyone says this one is a must read.
-A World Undone by G. J. Meyer - A WW1 book that I never finished because it's such a heavy read, but it's also the best play-by-play of WW1 I've found.
-The Unknowns by Patrick K. O'Donnel - A book about the men that were pallbearers for the "Unknown Soldier".
Winston Churchill - I think Churchill is a really fascinating character, and I've become particularly interested in leaders who were under-appreciated in their time, but whose contributions to history are seen more clearly in retrospect. Churchill is one of those.
-Darkest Hour by Anthony McCarton - The movie was so good, why not try the book?
-The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson - Larson writes such great nonfiction, I knew I had to read this one.
-The Great Republic by Winston Churchill - This is a history of America written by Churchill himself, which I thought would be an interesting angle on this category.
-Never Give In! The Best Of Winston Churchill's Speeches - This is a book which will probably be read in snatches throughout the course of the year.
-Churchill and Orwell by Thomas E. Ricks - A side-by-side biography of these two contemporaries.
Homemaking - I'm excited about this category for encouragement to make our home a happy and peaceful place.
-The Life-Giving Home by Sally and Sarah Clarkson - Confession: I tried to read this book years ago, and I couldn't get through it. I know everyone loves it so much, but I have a very hard time getting through Sarah Clarkson's writing! Sally is okay, but Sarah...it's hard to explain. I am going to attempt it again though.
-For The Family's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay - I've heard good things.
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Other picks to be determined.
Classics - I have an ongoing quest to read classics that I've never read. There are just so many classic books, aren't there?
-The Grapes Of Wrath by John Steinbeck - I loved East Of Eden, I'm curious if I'll like The Grapes Of Wrath (I feel like alot of people don't).
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I have no other solid picks for this category, I'll just fill them in as the mood strikes me.
Biographies - I've toyed with whether to keep this category to biographies in general, or missionary biographies in particular - I think I'll just see how my reading year shapes up. For now, it's a general category.
- A Chance To Die by Elisabeth Elliot - A biography of Amy Carmichael. I already started this one, and it's so well done. I can't wait to finish it!
-Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand - This one has been on my list for a while.
-The Autobiography of Theodore Roosevelt - Very curious to read this one - Teddy Roosevelt was such an interesting president.
-As Always, Julia by Joan Reardon - This is somewhat biographical - it's about the letters Julia Child wrote to her lifelong penpal, Avis.
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Other book possibilities to be determined.
I'm really hoping I can finish the challenge this year! Typically I read 45-60 books each year, so including these 25 books shouldn't be a problem, but I have always had troubles with "to-be-read" lists. I'm a chronic mood reader, but the idea is to develop some discipline and be intentional with my reading. I will try to post occasional updates on how my challenge is going!
My Secondary Challenge, And A Fiction TBR
The other reading challenge I am toying with attempting is the G3 reading challenge. I just came across this one last week, and I liked the categories, some of which would overlap with my 5x5 challenge anyway. So while I'm not picking specific books for this challenge, it's in the back of my mind.
Of course I have a ton of Christian Living/devotional books on my TBR shelf, and I expect to read several in 2022, but I won't list those here since I am not picking those based on any sort of category.
And just for fun, these are some of the fiction books I hope to get to this year! Most of these are books that have been on my shelf for a while, and they need to get read!
Finish the Wingfeather Saga.
Finish the Penderwick Series.
Have you read any of these books? Are you doing any reading challenges in 2022?
My life has been taken over by photo books.
I had grand plans for this week, to spend a bunch time reading and planning for the new year. I was going to sort out my personal goals, and get organized for an amazing start to the spring semester of our homeschool.
I just had that one little photo project to do first. Should be able to get it done in a day, clean up my Christmas decorations the next day, and then have the rest of the week to let my inner planning nerd out!
Well, that is not how it's gone. Instead, I've been staring at my computer screen for 8 hours every day this week. I have bloodshot eyes - literally, there was a big bloody spot in the corner of my eye when I woke up this morning - and I still have to finalize the books today before I can get them ordered. I severely underestimated how much time it would take to put together even basic photo books for five kids.
So if you need me, I'll just be over here, hyped up on coffee, eyes drooping, promising myself that this year I'm going to add photos to the kids' photo books at the end of each month, instead of killing myself sorting through a year's worth of photos all at once. At least his experience has led to a solid New Year's resolution.
But before I get back to the grind and make my eyes bleed more, a chatty blog post is in order.
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The girls are going to Grandma's house for birthday fun tonight (for Gwen's birthday - she just turned 9! Remember when I had her in an ambulance?). Whenever some of the kids are gone doing something fun, we try to have a movie night or go out to dinner with the other kids, so I'm trying to think of a movie the boys would like to watch.
We just finished watching Star Wars with our big kids on New Year's Eve, and I'm happy to report that they seemed to like it. Derek could care less whether the kids like Star Wars, but I have some big Star Wars fans on my side of the family, so I decided we needed to watch the movies with the kids at some point. I was completely thrown for a loop, because they kids were not bothered at all by the parts I thought would disturb them, but we had some emotions over scenes that I wouldn't have thought twice about. Movies are kind of a minefield for this current age group. At least for us. I never quite know what things are going to bother the kids and what things won't.
We also rung in the New Year with about 8 inches of snow, which was so badly needed. We actually had a couple grass fires last week, before the snow. Fires in December. That never happens around here, but we've had a winter drought for months now, to the point where we now have to be worried about fires. So it was a relief to finally get some moisture!
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Going back a little further, our Christmas was lovely, and I got some really interesting gifts this year. My whole family really tried to think outside the box, and I love the things they picked! The kids got me a variety of candy, notebooks, pens, and embroidery floss (I'm finally getting into embroidery after procrastinating for two years). And Derek got me a great planner, books, a cross stitch kit, and a carved candle - which is so cool, but hard to explain - see above photo. I'm too scared to burn it! And of course, my favorite gift:
The first rule of the Sweet Baby Gang is that we don't talk about the Sweet Baby Gang.
Everyone else seemed to like their gifts too - Derek's big gift was a Kindle Paperwhite. This gift was possibly a little self-serving on my part, because this way when Derek reads at night, I don't have to cover my head with a pillow to block the light.
We also got the little girls Calico Critters. We tried getting Gwen Calico Critter when she was 4 or 5, but she really didn't get into them at all. I was heartbroken...that may be a little dramatic, but I was bummed anyway....because I thought they were so incredibly cute! Somewhere along the way we gave away her un-played-with Critters, and I forgot about them until I realized I needed to even out the Christmas presents for the little girls, and Calico Critters fit the bill. This time I sat down and played Critters with the girls for a while, and lo and behold, they spent the rest of Christmas week playing with them! I guess they just needed me to show them how.
Thankfully the week after Christmas was much more peaceful than the week after New Year's so I worked halfway through this book then. The Wingfeather Saga really is a good series, and fantasy series are always so cozy for winter. I'm enjoying it so much.
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A couple nights ago I went out to dinner with someone at church, and it started to snow. With the lights in town, it was so pretty and peaceful. I'm telling you all this basically just so I can show you the photos - it was so Christmas-y, and technically I guess it was still part of the Christmas season if we're looking at the traditional church calendar.
Next week the kids' Awana group starts back up, and I'm looking forward to resuming date nights with Derek. We've had hardly any time to just hang out together lately, so getting back to routines in January will be a good thing.
Speaking of routines, I need to go finish this cursed photo project so I can get back to my own routines. I have plans to do a quick grocery shopping trip this weekend, and to finally sit down and at least do the bare minimum of homeschool planning before we start back up again - but none of that will happen if I don't get these photo books ordered! I have my eyedrops and my coffee at the ready. Wish me luck.
How was your New Year's? Have you had time for New Year planning yet?
Happy New Year, friends! Every year I do one of these recaps, and it's always a good exercise for me to see our whole year laid out like this. There are always so many things I forget about until I'm sitting down to write about it.
This year, overall, was happy, and it wasn't because all was right with the world. This year's news cycle was almost as stressful as 2020, when I sit down and think about it objectively. I didn't even avoid the news, but it was a peaceful year internally all the same.
I think with more time on my hands, I spent more time this year pondering my own tasks, the things the Lord has given me. To raise my kids. To love my husband. To run my household well, to be an encouragement to my friends and family, to honor the Lord with everything I'm doing. I've faced my own selfishness this year in a way I haven't in the past, and while it was painful in some ways to consider past mistakes, the Lord's grace to me was ever more evident. He's been working hard on me this year, readjusting my priorities, and even when it hurt a little, it's been sweet.
January
-I gave up social media, with the intention of it being a long-term thing. This ended up being a really great thing for me all through 2021, and especially in January with the hectic state of things in the nation.
-I took a reader survey from you all, and you gave me some amazing ideas of topics to tackle! At the time, my emotions were too raw from 2020 to get into any sticky topics, but I might have to revisit that survey again for ideas.
-I started organizing photo projects, my kids' drawings, and a home organizer planner. Maybe I'll do a post soon about how that all went.
-My parents started to get into snowmobiling, and we got to try out snowmobiles for the first time at their house!
-We spent alot of time at home and with family in January, and it was lovely.
On The Blog: A Happy Review Of A Rough Year
February
-Wyatt turned 10 years old! We did a special Nerf war party for him.
-We let Wyatt get his first pet, a betta fish.
-We had a sweet Valentine's Day with the kids, and I prepared little goody bags for them.
-I tried doing monthly book recap videos, but I didn't really make that stick. I may try videos again in the future, but I kind of hate watching myself on video, even though I recognize I could use the speaking practice.
-Rush Limbaugh died, and I honestly found myself missing his take on all the news events of 2021.
-We made tie-dye shirts for neon night at Awana.
-I had friends over for a brunch and tie-dye project of our own, and it was really fun to do a craft project together.
-We went snowmobiling on a mountain pass with my parents, and it was so much fun!
-I started reading up on frugality, which was an interesting project until it was quickly foiled by my books being due back at the library.
On The Blog: What's Changed Since I Quit Instagram, What I Learned From Rush About Living Well
March
-We started using latch hook kits during our read-alouds, and it was a great way to keep the kids' hands busy.
-Gwen became very interested in reading about Annie Oakley, and it was fun to find books about her!
-I started teaching the kids a bit of Shakespeare, and they caught on quicker than I thought. I also planned a Resurrection Day unit study that was a highlight of the homeschool year.
-We had some good snows in March, including one two-foot storm, and we took a homeschool snow day. I also started reading The Wingfeather Saga during a snowstorm in March. We also had some beautiful, warm days too.
-I started organizing a homeschool park/hiking group with some of my friends, and we got together multiple times a month all year!
-We got a nasty cold, which was not Covid, proving that people do still get regular old colds which are no big deal.
-The kids built a wooden car (Wyatt), and cardboard box cars for an Awana derby night. It was really fun! Gwen won a prize for her adorable car design.
-I patched the kids jeans for the first time, part of my quest to be more frugal.
On The Blog: How I Manage A Typical Homeschool Day
April
-We visited my childhood friends who own a ranch, and it was a wonderful time as always. It was also a particularly beautiful spring day, which got me in the mood for summer!
-Clyde turned 7 years old! He lost his first upper tooth.
-I got very introspective without social media to distract me.
-We did all the Easter activities - coloring eggs, resurrection rolls, paper "stained glass" crosses - before celebrating Resurrection Day with family!
-We had a "decades night" at Awana - the girls dressed up like the '80's, and the boys did a '50's look.
-Derek's brother and sister-in-law came to visit from out east, and we went out for hiking and dinner!
-Derek got a new job! Still in accounting, and still working from home, but the new environment and new challenges were a blessing.
-More much-needed snow!
On The Blog: What to Consider Before Joining A Homeschool Co-op
May
-At the end of April and in May, our school subjects slowed down quite a bit as we finished lessons for the year, so we worked on some special studies, including joining an online nature art club. We also did a state history study that was enjoyable for all of us.
-We celebrated a rainy, quiet Mother's Day, which ended up being just what I needed.
-We had Derek's mom over to show us some of the kids' genealogy on his side - it was so interesting for them, and I hope we can do it again this year!
-We did a "homeschool field day" and my mom's house to finish out the homeschool year!
-They lifted the mask mandate in our area, and I put away our masks mostly for good! Happy to report that I haven't worn one hardly anywhere since (except the doctor's office, because they won't let me in without one, and that's one place we do have to go).
-We celebrated my mom's birthday at Chuck E. Cheese, which is an arcade and pizza place that the kids love!
-We also took a weekend field trip with the kids as our last field trip of the year, to a local historic fort. The kids loved it way more than I thought they would!
-On Memorial Day weekend, we took a last-minute road trip to visit some of the National Parks in Utah. It was really beautiful and memorable!
-Our poor old dog got another tumor on his leg, and we had to take him for surgery to get it removed. He is such a puppy about going to the vet, and it made me so sad. I don't think we ever found out if it was malignant, but he seems to be doing fine now.
On The Blog: Why We Keep A Traditional School Schedule
June
-In June we went on a camping trip with my family, at a KOA with a huge slide! We also visited my grandpa in the same weekend, and it was really fun for all of us.
-We had a family campfire on Father's Day!
-I started buying flowers to plant in front of our house again.
-We did some grammar review for Wyatt's 4th grade standardized testing, which proved mostly useless since it wasn't on the test anyway. He did quite well, for the record. I didn't need to be worried.
-We enjoyed hiking and fishing at a nearby state park (a couple different times).
-We celebrated my birthday, and I went to our state's homeschool conference with my sister!
-We enjoyed more park days and splash pads with family and homeschool friends.
On The Blog: Why You Should Go To A Homeschool Conference
July
-We had a quiet few weeks in June and July, and it was really pretty restful overall.
-We celebrated the 4th of July starting on the 3rd, with a trip to the zoo, and then we met up with my family for fireworks. On the actual 4th, we had hamburgers at my house with the family, and we listened to a bunch of stories of my dad's childhood, and told a few of our own. Then we let the kids do sparklers outside, because for the first time in years there was no fire ban on the 4th! It was a really great celebration this year.
-I had a bit of an epiphany about forgiveness, and it really changed a relationship situation I was struggling with.
-Derek and I went on an anniversary overnight trip, and it was a really nice getaway for us.
-The wildflowers were in full force, and I started thinking ahead to the start of the school year.
-We did more hiking and campfires and fishing! We also started making plans for a fall trip with friends.
On The Blog: My Beauty Favorites For Summer, Life Without Instagram - Six Month Update, Visiting Utah National Parks With Kids
August
-We went swimming a few times, once with my sister, with friends, and just as a family! The kids are getting so much better at swimming this year.
-The two little girls got their first haircut! I decided to trim a few of Georgie's curls that had grown out unevenly, and Clarice and Gwen insisted I trim their hair too. It was especially scary for me to trim Clarice's hair, because it's grown out so perfectly and I didn't want to mess up her curls! But it turned out alright.
-We visited my grandma's mountain cabin for a weekend, after having to postpone it from our original June plan. We went fishing and played card games - it was a refreshing and sweet visit!
-The kids had a cousins sleepover at Grandma's house, and they had a great time feeding the horses and hiking to a rope swing up on the mountain.
-We took the kids out to a movie, which is a rare enough occurrence that it's worth noting. We saw the Paw Patrol movie! It was cute.
-As a last hoorah before school started, we took the kids to a local amusement park! Since it's a smaller park, we were able to ride so many rides. Derek and I might have got a little sick, but we all had a wonderful time!
-I put some serious effort into organizing a couple year's worth of photos - it felt so good to get it done! I hope I can be better about getting our albums caught up in 2022.
-Some friends and I decided to re-read Jane Eyre, and I created a Pinterest board for inspiration.
-We started school, trying to get a couple weeks of work in before our September trip.
-My pastor's wife asked me earlier in the summer to help start a homeschool support group at our church, and we had our first meeting in August!
On The Blog: A Minimalist Approach To Morning Time
September
-We took a trip to the Ark Encounter in Kentucky! We had asked some of our good friends if they would be interested in going out there with us, since I would have to drive out alone and Derek would fly to meet us. We were so excited that they were able to make it work! It was a fantastic trip, and a wonderful memory with our dear friends.
-As soon as we returned from Kentucky, we came down with a cold-like illness, and soon enough tested positive for C-19. In retrospect, I have some doubts about the accuracy of the test. But regardless, we hunkered down at home for a couple weeks, and I'm glad it's over with.
-The three big kids started soccer, and I could really tell how much they're skills have grown by the end of the season.
-Derek and I spent a weekend chopping up a big tree that fell over the river on my parent's property - free firewood! We also got our wood stove problems figured out. We were having problems with smoke filling the house whenever we tried to light a fire, and it was because the air wasn't drawing properly - having a proper wood stove is more technical than I originally guessed. But we added additional pipe to the top of the chimney, and it is now fully usable this winter.
-We celebrated Clarice's birthday at the end of September! We went to the zoo on her actual birthday, and accidentally discovered that if you come to the zoo on your birthday, you get a coupon for an impressively big ice cream cone - for free! So now all the kids want to go to the zoo on their birthdays.
On The Blog: Lived In
October
-I took on a huge project in October and decided to attempt, again, a 31 Day Blogging Challenge. I am happy to report that for the first time, I completed it! I blogged every day in October, and there are lots of good posts from that month - you can click here to read them all!
-We went to the pumpkin patch and corn maze twice, once with our homeschool friend group, and once by ourselves! It was fun both times. The kids loved competing to see who could find their way through the maze first.
-The big kids continued on with their soccer games, and the grandparents were able to watch their games or practices!
-We went on a gorgeous leaf hike with our good friends, and took a bunch of leaf-pile pictures.
-We were able to finally enjoy Awana nights again, after missing much of September. Derek and I resumed our weekly Awana night dates!
-We had a field trip to a historical farm and museum with our homeschool friends!
-I got a Reformation Day unit study guide, and the kids and I had a ton of Reformation Day fun.
-We celebrated Georgiana's 4th birthday! We took another trip to the zoo for more ice cream.
On The Blog: 31 Days Of Blogging (All Posts), Searching For A Signature Dish, What We're Doing For Reformation Day This Year, What I've Learned Homeschooling Multiple Kids
November
-November started with hunting season, and Derek got a deer! That's more meat for our freezer.
-I started a "Thanksgiving tree" with our kids to focus on gratitude in November. We all loved it! We also read a ton of Thanksgiving picture books.
-Wyatt and Gwen participated in a unique field trip where they "ran the world" for a day. I volunteered and was assigned to consult for the delegates from Russia. Gwen worked in Canada selling pop and snacks, and Wyatt worked as a manufacturer in China. It was so interesting for them to learn a little about economics from a global perspective, especially with supply chain issues in the news.
-As the big kids finished soccer, the little girls started ballet. They loved it while it lasted! We had to drop out of the class a little early, but I loved getting the chance to see them in their sweet outfits.
-Derek's brother and sister in law came back in town briefly for a family funeral, so it was nice to see them while they were here.
-We started reading 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea with the kids, after watching the movie. The language is so difficult, but they were really enjoying it before our break! I promised them an under-the-sea party if we finish it, so we'll start it up again in January.
-We got lots of great visits in with friends - a fall party with our homeschool group, a zoo day, and a chance to babysit for my friend that turned into a fun playdate for the kids!
-We enjoyed Thanksgiving with my family - we were actually sick, but it turns out everyone in my extended family was sick at the same time, so we figured it couldn't hurt to go ahead with Thanksgiving!
-The weekend after Thanksgiving we set up our Christmas tree!
On The Blog: Our Thanksgiving Tree, Thanksgiving Picture Books We Love
December
-December started off with lots of parties! We went miniature golfing with Derek's coworkers for a Christmas party of sorts.
-We went to a "trail of lights" with my family for my dad's 60th birthday! It was truly a perfect night for it, with warm enough weather that we didn't even have to wear our snow clothes. We went out for pie afterward.
-We had a Christmas party for our Sunday school class that was a ton of fun, as always, and a "secret sister" Christmas exchange with the ladies in our class.
-My grandpa turned 85 years old, and we went to a wonderful birthday party that my Grandma Juanita threw for him! It was a perfect visit, I thought.
-We had Christmas with my mom's side of the family at my grandma's house, and I finally got to meet my new little second-cousin, and found out another cousin is having a baby next year!
-It finally snowed! December is awfully late for a first snow around here, and it wasn't much, but my kids made the most of it.
-I took photos of our Christmas decorations, for the first time in this "new" house.
-We went on Christmas break, Georgiana got an ear infection, and I had to do a last minute Christmas shopping trip for things I forgot. It put a damper on our baking week - but somehow we squeezed it all in!
-We had Christmas Eve with both sides of the family, and it was lovely!
-Christmas morning was relaxing and magical. The kids loved their presents, and played with their toys all day. My parents stopped by for lunch!
-We celebrated Gwen and Derek's birthday, and it was Derek's 40th! We will have a party for him in January, but of course we spent their actual birthday at the zoo. More ice cream! We also decided, on the spur of the moment, to go to a movie, and we saw Encanto in the theater. There was alot of fairytale magic in it, which I'm generally okay with - there was one part that seemed a little too much like a magic spell, but other than that, it was really cute!
-We celebrated New Year's Eve by watching Star Wars with the big kids! This is their first time seeing the original trilogy. They were unsure with Episode 4, but by Episode 6 they were into it!
On The Blog: Christmas Picture Books We Love, Spicy Mocha Recipe - A Caribou Coffee Dupe, Hope (Some Christmas Thoughts)
A year of personal peace was badly needed with all the turmoil going on in the world, and I think the Lord was gracious enough to give me that. I'm so thankful for everything we were able to do together this year, for the memories we made, and the lessons I learned along the way. I can't wait to see what 2022 has in store - and whether good or bad, it's ever a comfort to know we are right in His hands.
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!
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