Merry Christmas

Hope you're having a wonderful day celebrating our Lord's birth!

We are so thankful for His wonderful grace and mercies poured out on us daily. Thankful the King of Heaven was willing to humble Himself, to come and rescue us from our sin!

The Snowy Day

Ezra Jack Keats totally wrote that book from a man's perspective. It doesn't show the mother spending an hour before searching for mittens that hadn't been seen since the previous year, the melt down that Peter's little brother had while waiting for said mittens to be found, or the fact that If you give a Mouse a Cookie makes an appearance in the middle of just prepping to go outside because said mittens are behind the dryer and if you're going to move the dryer then you are most definitely going to pull out the vacuum cleaner and spend half an hour putting all the things that have gone missing behind the dryer away.

Oh yeah, and if you're going to vacuum behind the dryer then you might as well move the washing machine and vacuum behind it as well! Phew!

Two hours later, we're finally ready to go outside... perhaps most of the snow was melted by this point. I went out for a short period because, if you're going to clean the house for an hour and a half and put on all those clothes on three bodies for the next half hour then you're most-definitely taking pictures to commemorate the day.

Then, back inside to warm up soup, hot cocoa, and grill cheese sandwiches while they play for a short while... and hold the crying, neglected baby. With a strict warning to not play in the playhouse and tramp through the muddy spots.

Twenty minutes later, pounding on the back door. Cruz has fallen trying to get up the stairs to the playhouse. (He's okay... apparently you don't get hurt when you're that padded.) And Eliana is covered in mud. Hooray! More cleaning to do.

But for now, hot chocolate, soup, and sandwiches. That is our grace for the day. A time to refresh. Get a clear head and remember just how much God has blessed us. Blessed us with 3 big kids that make messes. Blessed that we have mittens that are hidden behind our blessing of a dryer. Blessed that there's snow. Blessed that we have coats that need washing. Blessed that we have warm food and happy hearts as we get ready for nap/rest time.

Hello, 3 Months!

You're almost gone already... just a few more days until she's four months! Whoops... life's been super busy! But that means I'll have lots to talk about in a few days when you are 4 months:

Rio, at 3 months, you love to coo and you are in love with your siblings. All except Cruz, who you're still not sure about. Often you cry when he comes too close but that may be because you're smart and know that he's not always the most gentle of creatures! You're holding your head up like a champ and are very alert! You love to smile and I think you're the most smiley of all of my babies! You are pretty easy going and are pretty content as long as you're fed! What a blessing you are to the family!

See Rio at 1 Month and 2 Months!

Watching

I've been watching the kids sleep a lot this weekend. The flu bug hit our house (so much for vaccinations)... they've been camping out on the living room floor. It's easier than me trying to run back and forth between bedrooms and hardwood floors are ever-so-much easier to clean.

(My one healthy one-- who has been a tremendous help this weekend!)

But I'm thankful. Thankful I've been blessed to be able to home school and can be with them on a regular basis. Thankful for friends, family, and a church who reminds me to preach the gospel to my little ones. Who remind me of the blessing my kids are--even on hard days.

The events of Friday help me to be thankful that my kids are sleeping on the floor in piles of blankets. Thankful for the messes. Thankful for the crazy-huge amount of laundry these little ones create. Thankful that they are safe today. In our home. Sleeping away. And that I can hold them.

Praying for those who can't hold their little ones any longer. And hoping they'll be reminded that they have a Savior who will hold them!

Visual Reminders of the Season

Today, I wanted to share some resources for kid-friendly Nativity sets.

Fisher Price makes this one... my parents have a set and the kids love spending hours playing with it. It's totally great for toddlers!

My kids opened this playmobil set from their grandparents earlier today... great for a slightly older child. There's a larger set here. And wise men here, too!

I love this Kokeshi set.

And I just saw that Jami Nato is having a giveaway right now where you can enter to a completely cute peg nativity set! (I totally entered to win it already!) 

Preparing Little Hearts (And Yours!)

As mothers, we must always be in the mindset of preparing little hearts for the Lord. But honestly, I often fail at this. Sometimes, I can't see past the messy kitchen, the toys scattered everywhere, the bickering, the hungry tummies that need to be fed... whatever. There are a hundred million things that can easily distract us from our greatest calling as parents. To make disciples of the little ones God has entrusted us with. 

One of my favorite things about the Christmas season is the visual reminders this season affords as I decorate the house. I wrote about this over here a few days ago. But as much as it's a reminder for my kids, it's also a reminder for myself. The Christmas music that we play, is an auditory reminder of what I am to be about. As much as I am supposed to be about preparing hearts for the Lord through out the year, this time is a great reminder (a reset button) for me to be ever preaching the gospel to my kids. And ever preaching the gospel to myself.

Last year, I shared some of my favorite books for kids here. I've also shared about my love of Sally Lloyd-Jones and have shared about The Jesus Storybook Bible here.  This year, I hope to soon add this one to our Christmas book collection. I can't wait to read it... she has such a great manner of getting the heart of the gospel into kid language.

Okay, to wrap this all up... here's what I want to say... as much as you're reminding your kids about Christ during Christmas. Remind yourself as well! As you are trying to prepare little hearts for the Lord, prepare your own! Don't get so caught up in all the to-dos of the season that you forget to slow down and seek the face of your Maker, Who humbled Himself to come down and be born for you! If you preach it to yourself, then it'll become a natural flow out of your heart to your kids. More like a bubbling spring and less like the almost-dry well that your heart becomes when you aren't seeking the Lord! With that in mind, here's a resource for you-- and it's free, so no excuses! Okay?

Have a great weekend! And I hope you have a wonderful start to Advent season!