Make a List of Dates

Good Thursday morning!

As promised, the Gallery Pic is of Roxie's little tree. We add this and that every year according to her taste. This year she made the tree topper. I bought a few lime green and turquoise mini-ornaments, and she picked out the silver lame' material for the no-sew tree skirt. It's a sassy little tree... much like Miss Roxie.

CHRISTMAS CARD COUNT - I want to start by saying, "Do not be alarmed!" I have 15 Christmas cards, but I've started making my calls and the other 60 should be pouring in over the next few days.

CONTEST! CONTEST! CONTEST! The Contest winners celebrating my 300th post of A Simple Life will be awarded their very own Mystery Bag Party. That's right! We had such a good time in October, I have decided to have another Mystery Bag Party in January... and the six women who will accompany me on this "journey" will be selected from the women who enter the contest.

Just leave your name under my Comment Section, on Facebook or my e-mail with the word "CONTEST" beside it, and I will put your name in the bowl. I will draw SIX NAMES December 18... the day of my 300th post. You have less than two weeks to enter. It will be a very fun party! I've also changed things a little from the first party, so it will be an unique event. I'll be reminding you once a week or so until December 18, so go ahead and get your name in today! A good time will be had by all who win!

CHRISTMAS EVERY DAY IN DECEMBER

DAY 8

11. I've talked about the pre-fab gingerbread houses on the blog before (Christmas AND Halloween). Depending on the number of people in your family (three or four working on each gingerbread house), spend an hour or so making these with your kids. I think this is the most expensive thing I've mentioned. They cost $9 each at Wal-Mart, but they make a great table centerpiece, and it will be an hour or so spent talking and having fun around the table doing something a little different and a lot festive.

JUST ANOTHER THOUGHT - Continuing with my JUST A THOUGHT segment from yesterday, I have a little Austin story to share.

When Roxie was a babe, I began teaching a Christ-Centered Traditions class at our church. It was one of my 68 PASSIONS at the time. I always made sure everyone in class knew my family DID NOT do everything we were going to be discussing. No family could. It would be impossible. But I did try everything I could try, and I adopted some of the traditions for the Faulkner Five.

It was in the midst of this "Tradition-Trying Frenzy" Austin came home from elementary school one day and said, "I made a 95 on my vocabulary test."

"Very good," I said. "Which word did you miss?"

"Tradition," he said, looking out the window.

My mouth fell open. "What do you mean you 'missed' tradition?"

"I got it wrong. I didn't know what it meant. I've never heard the word before."

I pulled into a gas station parking lot. Trying to breathe evenly, I turned around in the seat so I could make and hold eye contact. "What do we do every year the day after Thanksgiving? Where do we go every 4th of July? What do we do when we get there? What do we eat every Christmas Eve for dinner? What do we stick all over your Daddy's truck every Valentine's Eve night? What flavor birthday cake do you have every year?" The questions kept coming.

"Wait! Wait! I know the answer to some of those questions. You're going too fast," he interrupted.

"Those are 'traditions.' Those are events and happenings and celebrations the Faulkner Five 'do' EVERY SINGLE YEAR without fail!"

"Well, if the question had been worded different(ly), I would have gotten that one right," he responded, and he settled back into his seat.

Fair enough. It wasn't my fault. The blame could be placed solely on his teacher... who knew me... and knew I taught a traditions class... and thought the whole thing was very, very funny.

And that, my friends, is the reason I will NOT ask Austin the question, "Not counting God, what is the most important thing in my life?" I'm truly afraid of what the answer might be.

TOPIC OF THE DAY - JOSEPH

Guess what? I'm running long again. Joseph... tomorrow... I promise!

MORE ABCs of Christmas Scrapbook

If you are just tuning in, read yesterday's post. If you know what's going on, I'll pick up where I left off.

J is for Jingle Bells
merrily ringing
to the world;
joy they are bringing.
(Bells)

K is for Kris Kringle
as merrily he stands.
That's what they call Santa
in some foreign lands.
(Santa)

L is for Lanterns.
I'm sure that their light
helped Mary and Joseph
on that first Christmas night.
(Lanterns)

M is for Manger
where the Savior was born,
with no room in the inn
until it was morn.
(Manger)

N is for Noel
the angels did sing
to hearld the birth
of Jesus our King.
(Word Picture of Noel)

O is for Open the Door
and you will see,
Father is coming
with our Christmas tree.
(Open Doors, Hauling Trees)

P is for Presents
and gifts so gay,
all around the tree
for our Christmas day.
(Gifts)

Q is for Quiet
on Christmas Eve night,
with snow-covered hills
glistening so bright.
(Snowy Woodlands, Churches, Etc.)

R is for Rudolph
with his red nose.
The favorite reindeer
that Santa chose.
(Rudolph)

Tomorrow... S through Z!

Blog Linkage

Two are from My Blog List, but they are ALL very good.

1. Go to "BooMama" under My Blog List and scroll down to her December 8 post entitled "Sanctuary." I love the way she describes this woman's home. You can almost feel the warmth and welcome the writer describes when you walk through her front door. Definitely a worthwhile goal I would like to one day accomplish.

2. Now go to a website called www.coalcreekfarm.com and find the post called "John Henry Faulk's Christmas Story." Read the short post, and click on the link she gives. Read the story in its entirety. It is so sweet, and so simple, and so what the Spirit of Christmas should be... all year long. We're reading this together as a family devotion next week.

3. Click on "tara whitney photography" under My Blog List and read and/or look at her December 7 post called "21 San Francisco Moments." If you are a scrapbooker, this would be such a great way to chronicle your next trip. I loved it!

Make a List of Date

This isn't A SINGLE date. This is a list of dates your child would like to have in the year 2010.

Give each child a sheet of paper and ask them to list 12 dates they would like to have with you or your spouse during the year 2010. Ask for specific restaurants they enjoy, activities that are special to them, seasonal festivities they would like to attend, etc.

Of course, if you have smaller children, you will need to prompt and help them with their list.

Explain to the kids this list is not written in STONE, but it will be an excellent go-by for the coming year. As you attempt to date each child once a month, make sure you always go back to their own personal list.

Have the best Thursday EVER! Tomorrow I'll give the rest of the rhymes for the ABCs of Christmas Scrapbook. I'll also be going over Weekend Happenings, as well as adding a few more fun things to do every day the month of December. Check it out if you get a minute. I know things are getting busy, busy, busy, but try to enjoy a little Christmas every day.

Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda