Winter Promise Fun!

This year we are using a literature based program called WinterPromise, we are really enjoying all the rich books we are reading. The kids will beg me to read another chapter over and over, and I must admit that I enjoy the stories as much as the children!!
Along with the books there is a timeline that is done notebooking style, crafts (usually several each week to choose from) and various other hands-on projects. Above the children made little pouches decorated with their own designs.

Here is Madelyn's 3D map of Jamestown.

The kids made leather pouches similar to those the native Americans would have stored items in. Madelyn had to make hers a purse!

Well I don't believe I will ever be able catch up on our advent progress!! The computer being gone for a week has just put me too much behind! So i think I will just have to update a much as I can!
If you are on my facebook you already have seen the pics of Madelyn. She played a munchkin in the hip-hop version of The Wizard of Oz......Oz the Musical! It was a hilarious musical, if it is coming to a city near you...go see it!! So with the show over and no more practices...we will have a bit more time to finish up our Christmas activities!!
One day with our advent activities we made Christmas cards for the family.

Another days craft was making tissue paper votive holders. Lincoln was even able to participate in this activity very easily, so I encourage you to try this one with even your littlest tykes!!

I bought these little glass containers at Hobby Lobby for 99 cents. They were with the candle making supplies. Cut up tissue paper squares and any other designs for instance if there are snowmen on your tissue paper cut them out for an actual design. Pour glue on a paper plate and add water. They paint the glass with glue, add tissue, cover with glue...repeat. Coat it really well when complete.

One Year Ago Today....

was one of the saddest days of our lives. It was the first court date we had for the boys in Ethiopia. We received an email at about 8am saying we had not passed, and it had been rescheduled for Januaury. While we knew it was a possibility to not pass court the first time it was still so heartbreaking.
To know your boys need your arms to hold them, to know your boys need your hands to wipe their tears, to know your boys need your food to fill their tummies, to know your boys need a warm bed, to know your boys need a bath...their first bath, to know your boys are a continent away and there is NOTHING you can do about it.....and worse than that a single sheet of paper is what stands in the way of giving them all of those things. It is the saddest, emptiest, helpless, brokenest I have ever felt.

I write this a year later. Our boys are home. They have full bellies. They love their bath time! They have lots of arms to hold them and hands to wipe away tears. The waiting time now seems like a faint dream. It seems like these boys have been here since the day they were born.
I hope if you are in the process you will be encouraged that during the hardest times in this process you will grow closer to your spouse and most of all closer to your Lord!
They WILL come home and there even be days you dread making another meal and giving another bath.....and that is when the wait will seem like a distant memory!

Day 4

Today we totally skipped our advent activities today because it was a full,full day!
After our school work we headed to the United Ministries for a service project.
Carson helped out in the food pantry stocking shelves.
The littles went downstairs and sang Christmas carols to the residents in the adult day care. Then they made crafts with the residents and helped decorate the Christmas trees.

The older kids went to church for kids night in. They played games, ate pizza and made a ton of crafts!

Advent Day 3

So sorry these are so late...we had a lovely computer crash last week!!

We attended our co-op Christmas party in the afternoon and the kiddos made a couple ornaments each and decorated and ate a cookie! Next we moved on to Christmas carols and games!
(pictures to come...)

At home for advent we made a blessings container (decorated oatmeal container). We each put in a slip of paper with how God has blessed our family. It was awesome to hear Carson say God blessed us by giving us Camden and Lincoln, Annie and Maddie said each other, Camden broke my heart when he said "My Bikea and my grandpa in Africa" (his Bikea is his birth mom).

Bible verses: Isaiah 42:1,5,6 Isaiah 60:1-3,19-22
Word to know: Light
Music, craft, family activity: Co-op Christmas party & blessings container

Ethiopian Ornaments....

I LOVE finding items with Africa especially Ethiopia on them....I also LOVE,LOVE personalized items.....but do you know what I love even more than those two ?!?!?
Helping a family bring home two little ones from Ethiopia!!!
Check out these precious ornaments that friends of ours are handpainting to raise money for their adoption! You can check out their blog here.

Day 2

Day 2:
Reflection: Jesus is the Light of the World: What does this mean to you? John 8:12
How can be we be lights?
Activity: Help mommy hang lights around the house.
Read Bible Verses: Isaiah 11:1-5, Jeremiah 23:5-6, Isaiah 53:1-6
Word to Know: Righteousness
Books-Several Christmas stories
Music-Choir practice for Christmas program

Countdown to Christmas Day 1

Yesterday we began our advent activities. I pulled activities from several sources and the kids are really enjoying this part of our day. It is adding a good hour to our school day, but is so worth it! I pulled most of these ideas from Marcy, she is always a wealth of information so stop by her blog today! I am pairing parts of her list with a fun little book called Keeping CHRIST in Christmas for Kids by Donna and Nick Medendorp. Last but not least I ordered the Symbols of Christmas from Hands of a Child.

Day 1:
Activity: Making our advent countdown tree with green paint and kids hands! They always love paint on the hands! Each day we wil cover up each hand with an ornament, so by Christmas we will have a decorated tree!!
Reflection: Discussed "What is everlasting life?"
John 6:47 1Peter 2:24 John 3:16
Read Bible verses: Psalm 62 1-5, Isaiah 26:3, Isaiah 40:28-31, Hebrews 10:23
Word To Know: prophecy
Family Gift: Veggie Tales St.Nick


Carson puts the tree on day 1!

Lincoln was evidently quite bored with our activities!!

The "littles" watching the Veggie Tales St.Nick video. Funny thing is Carson originally said he was too old for this movie and has now watched it 3 times! The kids are so sad that St.Nicks parents died....they will not stop talking about it. It has really opened up good questions for the holidays. I asked Madelyn if she could tell me why the story of St. Nick and the giving of gifts are are all around the same time as Jesus' birthday. She answered with "Because when God sent his Son he sent us a gift, it was a perfect gift.We can't give perfect gifts, but we can still give the best gifts we can and that makes God happy!"

I loved her answer !