Chasing Fireflies

December Snapshots ~ December 25

 

Christmas morning - reading the Christmas story, opening presents, and eating breakfast in our pajamas; checking our stockings; Christmas day lunch

December Snapshots ~ December 24

finished wrapping gifts; ready for Christmas Eve/Candlelight and Communion Service at church; we were honored as Olivia passed out candles and our family lit an advent candle during the service; Christmas Eve dinner with friends

December Snapshots ~ December 23

Before leaving Grandmother and Granddaddy's this morning; ate peanut butter cookies and chocolate milk after returning home; spent the afternoon as a family time watching The Polar Express and Miracle on 34th Street

December Snapshots ~ December 22

The Lee boy cousins; the muscadine vine (swing) that Grandmother decorated with a Christmas bow :) ; shopping for Peter's Pottery; the scrumptious Ding Dong cake that Michael made with his mother's recipe; time with cousins; opening Christmas presents and then playing with them

December Snapshots ~ December 21

Spending time with the Lee side of the family and painting fingernails

December Snapshots ~ December 20

Glad to have Daddy home for our Christmas holiday; Olivia made our 2nd batch of Chex mix; I made peanut butter cookies (and the house smelled SOOOOO good)

December Snapshots ~ December 19

Our annual gingerbread man decorating and Christmas light viewing 

December Snapshots ~ December 18

Olivia is busily working away on a cross stitch piece for her great-grandmother; I'm making my mom's traditional cherry and apricot candy cane coffee bread and packaging our spice tea mix; our advent calendar

December Snapshots ~ December 17

I love that we live near train tracks!  Making spice tea mix to give for Christmas gifts.  We enjoyed potato soup for dinner tonight.

December Snapshots ~ December 16

Olivia performed "Away in a Manger" and "Silent Night" this morning, Michael and Olivia went on a Daddy/Daughter date to the theatre, I baked

December Snapshots ~ December 15

Wrapping gifts and game night with our friends

December Snapshots ~ December 14

An evening of making memories and gingerbread houses with our friends

December Snapshots ~ December 13

Chex Mix, Hot Cocoa on National Hot Cocoa Day, and Viewing the Geminids Meteor Shower

A Balloon Release on 12-12-12

On the eve of 12-12-12 I brainstormed with ideas of things we could do for the upcoming monumental day.

I came up with an idea that would involve even more 12's on the day of 12's.  We began by going to the store and purchasing 12 balloon in rainbow colors.  Then headed home to discuss what a unique monumental day it was and how it would never occur again within our lifetimes.  I then began a discussion with my children of "words of hope" that we have as requests for God our Father.  We began a word list of prayer requests for God.  Our list included:

1.  Love

2.  Friendship

3.  Health

4.  Wisdom

5.  Purpose

6.  Character

7.  Inspiration

8.  Purity

9.  Money

10.  Spiritual Growth

11.  Discernment

12.  Peace 

I then wrote each of the words on individual balloons.  Afterwards, we took our balloons out in the field beside our house and had a time of prayer asking God to guide us in each of our future lives and bless us with the items we requested on our balloons.  Then one by one the kids released the balloons.  We each lay down in the grass and followed our balloons in the beautiful blue sky for 13 minutes until we no longer could see them.

It was a beautiful way for me to spend time teaching my children on 12-12-12.  I pray that each of them will forever remember this special day and "Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."  Philippians 4:6

December Snapshots ~ December 12

12 balloons and a balloon release; gingerbread loaves and gingerbread gifts

December Snapshots ~ December 11

Taking time for tea and Olivia's room

December Snapshots ~ December 10

Olivia is working away on making Christmas gifts and the boys love to sit under the tree reading Christmas books

December Snapshots ~ December 9

Joshua drew his first picture of our family in Sunday School; our church presented their annual Singing Christmas Tree (and Olivia sang in one song); we ate breakfast for dinner

December Snapshots ~ December 8

A glimpse of some of our nutcrackers and a day of Christmas shopping success

December Snapshots ~ December 7

A night out of Christmas parties