Merry Christmas. Please Pray!

Update: Prayers were answered! Our extended family member received the Christmas miracle of stepping down from ICU during the 12 Days of Christmas and, more recently, was able to go home with oxygen and a walker. Praise be to God!

We still have other family that is quite sick and also have friends in ICU, so please keep the prayers coming.

May you and yours have a most blessed 12 Days of Christmas!

And, as you celebrate, would you - in charity - offer prayers for all who need healing.

As so many folks do, we have several extended family members and friends down with sickness right now, and one was trasnferred to ICU last night. It was not the best news to receive on Christmas night, but we trust that our Lord will make good of the situation one way or another.

We have many local friends and family praying and ask you to pray, too.  We believe in Christmas miracles!

Get a FREE No-Rehearsals-Needed Christmas and Epiphany Play Script

Oh what blessings and fun we had celebrating the Epiphany.

Mass. A reception. Picking saints for the year. Carols. A blessing of chalk and water so we can continue the Epiphany tradition of chalking our doors... And a partially narrated-partially improvised play.

The play was especially fun this year.

Some local priests asked me if I would lead a play, but, given everyone's Christmastime commitments and other hurdles, doing a traditional pageant with rehearsals was not going to work. Plus, we wanted to include anyone who showed up for the reception and wanted to participate.

So, I wrote a a no-rehearsals-needed script which took the form of a narration that could be used as a base for improvised scenes. Then, I simply laid out costume pieces and simple props in a "backstage" area, invited anyone who wanted to participate to come close to the stage area, and began.

Children and adults alike joined in on stage with quick readings from cue cards and improvised pantomime and dialogue.

The entire audience joined in at times with background pantomime and dialogue as well as song.

And the play was a wonderful success with everyone's good-natured participation.

In case you ever have a need for such a play for your family, classroom, or community, I am sharing a free copy of the narration I wrote for it here. I pray this Christmas and Epiphany Narrated and Improvised Play script can bring you delight.

Have a wonderfully blessed Epiphany!

A Free Printable Family Game for Christmas!

Are you looking for a silly way to spend a family game night during the 12 Days of Christmas?

Perhaps the FREE Christmas Word Puzzle Cards my daughter and I just made can help you!

{Some links which follow are affiliate ones.}

The cards are modeled after the game Mad Gab from Mattel.

To use them, simply print the first sheet of cards and cut them out.

Then, break your family into two teams. Flip a timer, have a player from Team One draw and read a card, for example: "Egg Wrist Mask Herald".

Then, have the rest of the players on Team One guess what Christmas related word or phrase the card is giving a clue to (A Christmas Carol).

If the team guesses correctly before the timer runs out, they keep the card, score a point, and go again, continuing until the timer runs out. 

When the timer runs out, the other team can have one chance to guess an unguessed card, stealing the card/point. Then, the other team goes.

Whichever team has the most cards/points at the end wins, much like in the Mattel game Mad Gab, which I remembered from my younger years and told my kids about today.

After I did so, my daughter wanted to see more about the game, so we watched a Youtube video of people playing it.

We then decided it would be fun to make and try out our own cards using a Christmas theme.

So, we set to work and think you will enjoy the fruits of our fun labor and be able to solve the puzzles cards we created.

Just in case you cannot, though, we included a second sheet of cards with the solutions to each puzzle.

Have a blessed and merry Christmas and a fun family time playing!

It's Time to Get the Donuts... for Our Donut Stable Christmas Tradition

"Donuts!"

That was my youngest son's answer when I asked my children what one food each of them would like to see on the table on Christmas day.

His answer made me smile.

For I had asked my question thinking about how different our 2020 Christmas will be in comparison to Christmases past - with so many traditions on pause since COVID-crazy will prevent us from having our usual extended family gathering, and my son had answered, unexpectedly, with one thing that could remain traditional: donuts!

Yes. Donuts.

When my children were quite young, I used to make a cake on Christmas morning - a birthday cake for baby Jesus.

We would gather, sing happy birthday to Jesus, and blow out a candle. 

Then, one year, the cake changed to a stable. (I think it was because one year I did not have the time to make a cake, so grabbed GFCF donuts I had hidden in the freezer as a treat and made a donut stable.

Ever since, my children have eagerly looked forward to donut stables on Christmas and Epiphany...

And a corresponding open tomb on Easter.

Simple. Traditional (for us). And the first thing that came to my youngest's mind when thinking about our table at Christmas.

A donut stable, there will be!

And a warm, happy heart there is inside of me. What a delight for a tradition to hold up even in the COVID-crazy of 2020.

Does your family have a unique-to-you tradition that helps you celebrate the joy of Christmas morning, too?

An Idea for Celebrating 12 Days of Christmas Community

Winter walks...

Surprise parties for friends...

Creating artworks...

Hikes in the woods...

... and more.

All of these joys of community were a part of our 12 Days of Christmas Gatherings last year when, after prayer one day, five things came together to prompt me to suggest an idea to our local homeschool group.  

What 5 Considerations Led to Our 12 Days of Christmas Gatherings Initiative


Basically, between the beginning and middle of Advent last year, five things came to my mind...

1. 'Tis a Season for Celebration

A number of folks in our local homeschool group mentioned to me that they wished they could connect with other people more often, but that their regular scheduled commitments prevented them from doing so. Thus, Christmastide - with its vacation from regularly schedule activities - seemed a great time to reconnect.

2. Some Seek New Gifts of Friendship

A few of the newer folks in our local group also told me that they would welcome more opportunities to meet and befriend others. They sought the gift of new friendships - and what better time is there for gift giving than Christmastide?

3. Some Mommas Just Cannot Get Out
Around the same time, other members of our homeschool group members had become relatively homebound due to one-car family needs, new babies, seasonal depression, and more. Some of these Mommas mentioned that they would welcome social opportunities, but just could not get out.

4. Pre-Christmas Customs Inspire Christmastide GatheringsAs I thought about all these folks in our local homeschool group that sought community, I happened to read a picture book to my children about the pre-Christmas custom Las Posadas and was struck with the how beautiful the idea of community celebrating together in the book sounded.

5. Ideas from Others Inspire
Around about the same time, someone in an online group that I am in mentioned how her church community offers 12 nights of potlucks over the 12 days of Christmas.

When praying one day, all of these thoughts converged and the idea of celebrating 12 Days of Christmas Gatherings came to my mind.


How Did Our Group Organize our 12 Days of Christmas Gatherings?

Once the idea of 12 Days of Christmas Gatherings formed in my head, I simply threw the idea out on our homeschool's Facebook page, stating:

12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS IDEA - WHO'S IN?
I had an idea this morning that I want to share to see if anyone wants to try it: How about if we have 12 Days of Christmas Gatherings among friends this year? Anyone who wants to can post an event at a time and location of their choice between December 26 and January 6, inviting all other friends to join in. If you'd like to do this, comment on this post and/or just go ahead and make an event for the group. 

You could simply invite folks over to your home for a playdate. You could ask people to come over to lend a hand or hold a baby while you get to something. You could put together a tea time. You could host a small service project or craft time. You could do a potluck. Day or night.  Whatever works.

If your home is not a place guests can come, you could post a library met up, a playground meet up, a sledding meet up, (if we get snow), a service meet up, a free community event meet up, or whatever.

Or, team up with another family to host something!

You could also get clever and do something around the symbol of whatever day of Christmas it is - partridges, maids a milking, and what not.

The idea is simply to have 12 days of opportunities for friends to get together to celebrate the season and the blessings of friendships - new and old - among our community!

Anyone in? Anyone want to try this? Anyone want to help me see that every day (or as many as possible) between December 26 and January 6, one friend or another will post/host an event that other friends could join in one, hopefully, building community and blessings among us and providing casual opportunities for those who may be new to the group, unable to get out during non-vacation times of the year, blue due to the dark/wet of the seasons, too busy at other times of year, or whatever to meet/get together? If so, pick a date and we'll post an event! 

Immediately, some people commented on the posts, and, so, I created a running list of who offered to host on which days, and, also added separate detailed event posts accordingly.

In the end, some of our hosts had to cancel or postpone gatherings due to unexpected sickness, etc., so our group did not end up with an actual 12 day string of opportunities to gather. However, we did have quite a few, and all were enjoyed!

We are thinking about trying our 12 Days of Christmas Gatherings againn as a low-key way for friends - old and new - to (re)connect over Christmastide.

If your local homeschool group, church group, or network of family and friends seeks opportunities to connect as a community, I encourage you to try a similar initiative. Doing so is not hard and brings extra blessings to the season.

May your Christmastide be filled with blessings, beauty, and connected community!

Happy Christmas season!

We had a lovely Christmas and pray you did, too.

Now, on this sixth day of Christmas, I had hoped to celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family with food and family time much like we did last year.

Celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family

Instead, I've been sequestered in my bedroom in an effort to keep a surprise bug that hit me last night from infecting anyone else in our home while I (hopefully) make a quick recovery from it.

So, time together?  Nope.

Feasting together?  Not happening.

Yet, being grateful for the healthy, whole-food smoothies and lemon-ginger tea that my daughter and husband have kindly been bringing me?  Most certainly!

Delighted by my youngest popping in to give me a quick, hearty hug and sweet smile because he is missing me and, later, being silly with a stealth belly crawl to come in to check on me again?  Absolutely!

Giving thanks that my family is enjoying a simple, slow day at home after my husband got everyone out to Mass?  You bet! 

There is testimony in my husband and kids stepping in to prep meals... 

in the aroma of my daughter's baking experiments... 

in the clap of the front door as children go in and out play and to care for our chickens... 

in the cold and soothing hand a child placed on my head when checking on me after coming in... 

in the rhythm of a the sewing machine as a child teaches herself to sew... 

in the groans and cheers of my husband and boys as they watch their favorite football team... 

in the boisterous moments, the purposeful moments, and the quiet moments of my family living life.

Caring. Creativity. Kindness. Love. Relationship.

All are present.

All are blessings.

Today, I give thanks, once again, for my family, and pray that all families model themselves after the love and faith of the Holy Family.

I marvel at the blessing and the responsibility given to my husband and me in our three children, and I pray for the strength and grace to parent them well.

I also pray the Holy Family Prayer as found on at Missionaries of the Holy Family:

JESUS, Son of God and Son of Mary, bless our family. Graciously inspire in us the unity, peace, and mutual love that you found in your own family in the little town of Nazareth. 

MARY, Mother of Jesus and Our Mother, nourish our family with your faith and your love. Keep us close to your Son, Jesus, in all our sorrows and joys. 

JOSEPH, Foster-father to Jesus, guardian and spouse of Mary, keep our family safe from harm. Help us in all times of discouragement or anxiety. 

HOLY FAMILY OF NAZARETH, make our family one with you. Help us to be instruments of peace. Grant that love, strengthened by grace, may prove mightier than all the weaknesses and trials through which our families sometimes pass. May we always have God at the center of our hearts and homes until we are all one family, happy and at peace in our true home with you. Amen.

I pray for your family, too.  On this Feast of the Holy Family, may all families - large or small, together or apart - live with peace, love, and faith, strengthened by grace.

Not Ready? It's Okay. Jesus Comes Anyway!

If you, too, are finding yourself woefully behind where you'd hoped to be closing out this third week of Advent, may you be able to pause in a quiet moment to remember what really matters, as I did this morning, and have written about in poetic form here.

'Tis three days until Christmas.
We don't have a tree!
Someone was sick on Guadete Sunday.  
That someone was me.

A belly bug hit
And threw Advent prep askew,
Leaving us now
With far too much to do.

So many traditions never happened.
So many preparations are left undone.
And the house? Disaster in every room.
Seriously, each and every one. 

So, what shall we do? Shall we make a huge final push?
Nope.  For if we did,
My brain would be utter mush.

With task list in hand,
And "let's do this" on my lips,
I'd have us running so crazy...
No, we just must come to grips.

It's okay if this year is different,
If many things are amiss.
Because one thing is just right
And that one thing is this:

Jesus comes anyway.
He comes in His time.
To bless us with His presence -
So joy-filled and sublime.

He made a mere manger wondrous.
He turned despair to hope.
He transformed sinners,
Lost souls, and misanthropes.

He came to us humbly
as a baby born in a stable.
And He comes daily through grace
To those who are able

To simply say, "Yes.
Let His will be done"
Today and every day until
Once again to earth He comes. 

So decorations, traditions,
gifts, cleaning, and baking,
All the things we typically do
To prepare for merry making,

All we usually partake in
As we wait in joyful anticipation
Truly, they can be set aside
For there still is jubilation:

A Savior was born.
Let. that. sink. in.
Joy comes not from tasks completed.
It comes from Him.

Wherever you are at this moment, may your Christmas be filled with joy!

Just About Christmas...

Joseph, Mary, and their donkey have found shelter in the stable...

It is nearly time to celebrate the birth of our Lord.

On this fourth Sunday of Advent and Christmas Eve, we wish you a most blessed Christmastide!  

May your hearts and homes have been well-prepared these past Advent days and may you truly rejoice in every encounter you have with Christ!

And, for fun, we also a share some snapshots of our Christmas Eve day...

From baking final Christmas cookies...

...to going out to deliver them to neighbors, singing some carols as we did, the morning and day were filled with merriment.

Our afternoon brought a choir concert, before Mass with Grammy and Grampy -- a true blessing!

Then, it was finally  time to decorate the Christmas tree.

The children had been waiting and waiting all day - okay, all of Advent - to do just that!

One child eagerly anticipated the return of Ben to our living room and decided he must go at one of the topmost places on our tree. 

 

Another child, whose turn it was to put our traditional tinfoil star atop our tree this tree, decided to do it all by himself.  No Mom or Dad to lift a child this year.

That may have made someone get a little teary.  Luckily, a third child quickly stepped in for an impromptu dance to Christmas songs.

Then, the crazy broke out!

Jungle Gym Dad!  (No wonder he sometimes has back issues!?!?)

Then, back to decorating and laying gifts under the tree before a goofy prerequisite self-timer shot...

a call to Papa...

writing letters to Santa and putting out his treats...

hanging stockings...

and noticing one link left on our chain: the Christmas morning one!

Then, noticing the book pile and digging into it...

...finishing the night with candles, cookies, Christmas tree lights and a long read together, before all the children went off to bed (and popped up again, and went off to bed, and popped up again, and went off to bed...) eager to celebrate the Birth of Christ tomorrow.

May Christmas bring great joy and peace to one and all, with Christ's love evident in every encounter!

Preparing to Prepare: A Commitment to Spend Time Each Month Preparing for Advent and Christmas

 

I know.  I know.  You have just read the title of this post and are thinking, "Christmas?  Why is she talking about Advent and Christmas?  That time of year is months away."

Well, let me assure you, I have a sound reason to be thinking about Advent and Christmas.  For, I admit it: I am not the most organized housekeeper and a mere day or two before turning the calendar page to February, Advent and Christmas items were still exploding throughout my home.

Now, I know some of you, like me, purposefully leave certain decorations out until Candlemas.  however, I am not talking about having an intentional Nativity set or two still out.  No, I am ashamed to admit that my family and I had been slaloming through Advent and Christmas bins in my hallway, wading through stacks of Advent and Christmas books, separating our homemade12 Days of Christmas ornaments from other ornaments that we took down after Epiphany and finally wrapping them up, and more until I made huge push this past weekend to get the Advent/Christmas chaos under control.

Yes, with humility, I admit I am not a gifted housekeeper, and, I often let tasks literally stack up.  Yet, with hope, I plan to change that.

One of my goals for this year is to finally break the cycle of disorganization that has plagued me (my children, my husband, and our home) for years.  And, one of the ways I have decided to work on that goal is to invest time up front to prevent seasonal explosions from derailing the rest of the year.

Thus it is that I have determined that I will NOT spend late November and early December of this year pushing to prepare for this year's Advent and Christmas seasons and, likewise, I will not still be tucking away the majority of our Advent and Christmas items away as February nears next year. Rather, - God-willing - this November will find my family and I peacefully prepared for Advent when it rolls around in early December this year, and, then, equally able to slide right into a joyous Christmas, before heading into an organized Ordinary Time with a smiles on our faces and but few intentional Christmastide about the house.

Great intentions, right?

Indeed.  But, they are only as good as the effort behind them.

So it is that, as of today, I am committing to doing extra preparation and organization each month this year in an effort to make my family's next Advent and Christmas among our most organized and peaceful ever.

My first step has been an easy one:  Creating an Advent and Christmas Corner.  

Out of Sight, But Not Out of Mind
 I re-delegated a portion of my attic to storing 18-gallon totes with our:

• Advent and Christmas Books
• Jesse Tree Ornaments and other Advent Decor
• Nativity Scene Figurines
• Christmas Ornaments and Lights
• Christmas Eve through the End-of-Christmastide Decorations
• Christmas Gift Storage
• Christmas Craft Items

Then, I began the process of sorting, purging, organizing, and cataloging items - as well as carefully labeling bins - so as to ensure that I know exactly what was in each bin stored in our attic and how those things may be used intentionally in the years to come.  (This is actually something I hope to do with ALL of the things in our  home - sort, purge, organize, catalog, and label. Wish my luck!)

I have finished that process with all of our items except our nativity sets (which I leave out until Candlemas) and our picture books, which are sorted, but not catalogued and tucked away yet. 

So it is, the process continues


Your Invited to Follow My Progress - and Prompt Me to Keep Going

Once I get our nativity sets and picture books tucked away until this year's Advent and Christmas seasons, I do not intend to stop the organization process.  Rather, I plan to do a little each month so that I am not scrambling to prepare on December 1st of this year. 

Yes, since Advent begins this year on December 3rd, I have decided to give myself interim deadlines of the 2nd of each month to make further progress on preparing to prepare, and I plan to share about my progress as I go.

So, please continue to pop on over on the 2nd of of each month to hear how I have been moving along with my next steps of preparations or to prompt me - please! - to progress if need be, and if find yourself scrambling to prepare lessons, heart, and home just before Advent each year, join me in parallel efforts at your own home.  Maybe what I share can inspire your efforts.

May we each be disciplined in getting through tedious tasks in order to better prepare our hearts and homes!

May Your Christmastide Be Blessed

May your Christmas be blessed and beautiful.
May you be filled with His love and peace.
May gifts of joy be yours.
And may gratitude never cease.

Wishing one and all a blessed Christmastide!

Star from Afar : A New Christmas (or Epiphany) Tradition with GIVEAWAY and DISCOUNT CODE

Special thanks to The Christmas Star from Afar  for providing "St. Nicholas" a kit for my children to enjoy and another for me to offer one lucky reader here as a giveaway.

Happy St. Nicholas Day!

This morning, my children were surprised to find a gift alongside their treat-filled shoes.  In fact, they were delighted to discover The Christmas Star from Afar, a lovely wooden nativity set and game that celebrates the TRUE meaning of Christmas. 

Truth be told, I am happy, too.  I have long wanted a beautiful, yet simply designed wooden nativity playset for my children and Star from Afar is just that and more!
What Is Star from Afar?

Star from Afar is a nativity set and book that helps families create new Advent and Christmastide traditions that place the focus on Christ through a fun hide-and-seek game.  The idea is for you to set up the single-sided wooden nativity scene, sans its star and wise men.  Then, you hide the star a distance from the nativity scene and, ask your children to find it.  When they do, they can place the wise men near the star. 


Then, the next day, you hide the star somewhere new, each day, hiding the star closer and closer to the manger, until finally, you place the star atop the manger scene, reminding your children of the true meaning of Christmas: Christ being born!

As a bonus, you may also want to add Bible verses to the daily hide-n-seek game.  In the companion book are daily verses that you can copy and place near the star or may simply read once your children find the star.



It's Flexible and Fun (Plus Ties in Well with Learning!)

Of course, though, you need not use Star from Afar exactly as suggested.  In fact, one thing I love about the gift set is how flexible it is!  The pieces of the nativity set are sturdy and perfectly sized for young children to play with.  The Bible verses quoted in the book are dated with one for each day of December through Christmas, but, really, they can be used anytime.  The hide-n-seek game is meant to be played as a countdown to Christmas, but could be used equally well between Christmas and Epiphany. Truly, you can make Star from Afar your own, adapting it to your family's needs and traditions. Here, we are doing just that this year. 

As regular readers know, our family already has a Works of Mercy Wise Men tradition that helps us focus on one way we prepare our hearts and home for Jesus: service!  The Star from Afar could easily be layered into that tradition and, indeed, may be in years to come.  However, this year, we have decided to use the star in a different way.

For, while our hearts are already becoming more and more prepared for Christ this Advent season, our home remains in a less-than welcoming condition.  Daily, we make efforts to clean, declutter, and organize some of the mess we've let accrue.  However, there is just so much to be squared away that we are beginning to feel  discouraged. Thus, I suggested to my children that we focus our   Star from Afar game before Christmas this year on literally readying our home for the celebration of Christ's coming to earth.  Then, from Christmas through Epiphany, we can play the game the way others typically play it, helping our wise men journey towards Jesus.

My children agreed to this idea, so our plan is that throughout the rest of Advent, instead of having ME hide our star daily, any one of us who notes a mess that could be taken care of in 15 minutes or less may take the star and hide it within the mess.  Then, as soon as another of us finds the star, we will all take a break from our lessons and activities to set a timer and see if we can beat the clock in cleaning up the mess to make a safe spot for our wise men to hunker down in until they are ready to continue on their journey. 

If we succeed in beating our timer, we can take a break until the timer goes off.   If we don't, then we shall simply persevere, hopefully, making a bit more headway on our home before Christmas and having fun along the way.

Then, from Christmas through Epiphany, we can simply enjoy hiding the star, celebrating Christmas, and knowing we have a home that is, literally, a bit more ready to welcome others!

We also have a plan for the book that comes with with set. 

When we read the story and noted the Bible verses, we realized how easy the list of verses could make our copywork and studied dictation efforts this month and next.  Each week, the children are responsible for picking a passage o use for copywork and one for studied dictation.  We've all decided that the Star from Afar verses will make a great go-to list for choosing this season's handwriting and spelling work. 

Yippee!  I just love it when a fun product can dovetail into existing goals and lesson plans, acting both as a tool for fun and one for greater independence.  I am delighted that both the nativity set and book in The Star from Afar gift set are quality items we can easily use and enjoy right away and for years to come.
 
Enter a Giveaway!

If you would like to help your children reconnect with the true meaning of Christmas using The Star from Afar, today might be your lucky day! 

We're hosting a GIVEAWAY* and I am making entry easy:

On your honor, pop on over to The Star from Afar website to watch a video about the kit or to get more ideas for using it. Then, before 6:00 p.m. on Friday, December 9, leave a comment on this post telling what you already do to point your children to the true meaning of Christmas and how you envision The Star from Afar playing into your Christmas and Epiphany traditions.  Be sure to leave a way for me to contact you in case you win, too.  For we will be selecting and notifying a random winner on Friday night, and, if the winner does not respond within 24 hours, we will pass the opportunity onto a new random winner.

*Note:  This giveaway is open to U.S residents only, ages 18 and older, with no purchase necessary.

Good luck!

Take Advantage of a Discount Code

Even if you do not win, you can still enjoy The Star from Afar using a discount code.  Simply order The Star from Afar by December 25, 2016 using  FOLLOWTHESTAR as a discount code for 10% off. 

Learn More

As you can see, The Star from Afar is more than just another nativity set to add to your collection. Rather, it is a beautiful boxed set that includes a child-friendly nativity playset with a companion story book/Bible verse list. The set can be ordered in Spanish, and you can also choose a set with characters that have light or dark skin tones. Add-on stable animals and Scripture cards can be purchased, too.

If you'd like to get social with The Star from Afar, find them on Facebook,  Twitter,  Pinterest, and Instagram.

My children are excited to follow the star throughout Advent and Christmastide.  I bet yours would enjoy doing similarly!

This is a sponsored post in that we received a product in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.