Craft Mania- Easy Advent Calendar!

This year we are doing an advent calendar- and because I have limited time between feeding my 2 month old and household chores, it is a really simple one to make.

1. First I spray painted our cork board black

2. I bought a box of cute thank you cards

3. I came up with what we wanted to do each day

4. Wrote on sticky notes what we were going to do each day

5. Inserted the sticky notes inside the cute thank you cards

6. And Pinned them to my board! (that is ALL!)

The rest of the events we are doing that you do not see in the 'note' above are the following:

10: get a food basket ready for the building grounds keeper and his family

11: Watch a classic Christmas movie

12: Host a game night with a Christmas ugly sweater theme

13: Make apple cider and drink it by the tree while skyping with friends wishing them a merry Christmas

14: Volunteer at Pan de Vida (ministry giving bread to the poor) and take clothes to them

15: Make caramelized red and green popcorn

16: Attend the Alumni Christmas event at AAI

17: Make reindeer foot prints and finger prints- the idea came from Pinterest! (which by the way is one of my favorite places to look up fun crafts!)

18: Make and decorate Christmas cookies with our youth group

19: Give out free coffee and say Feliz Navidad in downtown Quito

20: Go look at Christmas light decorations

21: Video Skype with family wishing them a Merry Christmas

22: Make a marshmallow/corn flake green wreath with red hots as 'berries'

23: Wrap all Christmas presents

24: Bake a birthday cake for Jesus and go the the Christmas eve service at church

25: Eat red and green pancakes and celebrate Jesus by reading the Christmas story

Final Product!

I really enjoyed making this and next year I can just change the sticky notes to match our next year's schedule!

Capture this moment

Words cannot express how thankful I am to our neighbor and friend Carla! Because of her we have some precious baby photos of Zane!
Check out her blog: http://www.breathingdeepwheretheairisthin.blogspot.com/
She is so creative and I just love getting to spend time with her and her family. Plus I love to soak up her wisdom and be inspired by all her fun crafts!

So precious! Thank you CARLA!!! LOVE these photos!

Yesterday we went to the doctor for Zane's check up. Zane is only 5 weeks old and is already over 6 pounds now. He has also grown 5 centimeters. The doctor kept saying "Don't worry that he is not fat- he has grown so long it has distributed what would have been fat". We just smile and nod. I had to go in the other room when they gave him his HepB shot. It's so hard to knowingly watch him hurt.

This Tuesday I am flying to Texas for my brother Mirike's wedding!! I am super excited about going to the states, celebrating Mirike & Amber, and having Zane meet family. I am also nervous with flying for the first time with a baby. Loren won't be able to go (we can't afford it) so he will be here in Ecuador working on one of his seminary papers he has due soon. Zane and I will join back up with Loren in Ecuador for Thanksgiving.

STOP

When was the last time you stopped-

~to think and enjoy God?
~to spend time with your family- even if it wasn't 'productive'
~to read a good book that inspired you?

Life with a newborn has taught me a few lessons and Zane is only a little over a month old. I have realized how busy I was before he was born. Well- now with midnight feedings and midday feedings and feedings in between it has forced me to STOP. Every 2 and a half hours I STOP whatever I'm doing- even if it is sleeping to feed precious Zane. During this past month I have enjoyed getting to catch up on my reading, my time with God, and cuddle with my little boy.

I had about 6 books on my shelf (and on my kindle) I wanted to read but never 'had the time.' I have read 'Radical' by David Platt which was an excellent book about missions and how to radically change your life for God. I also just finished 'the Help' by Kathryn Stockett which was about racial segregation back in the '60's.

Do you notice that when a baby is in the room it seems like all eyes just STOP and watch the baby? It doesn't matter if the baby is sleeping or awake. It made me wonder about when our baby grows into a toddler, child, teenager, and grown man... will we sit and just spend TIME together? Will we STOP our busy productive lives and allow some staring *hopefully with some conversation. ;-)
I have truly enjoyed getting to spend this time with my son and my husband. We are learning how to balance life now with a person who needs us so much.
I have enjoyed watching Loren play, talk, and comfort Zane. Loren helps me with dirty diapers and he will take the screaming baby away for an hour so I can get some rest. He is a true gift from God and I am very much in love with him.

Most importantly do we STOP and listen to God? Do we give the God who created us the time of day? (that He designed!) I am learning that God is the source of my strength through this difficult phase in life. I have been thankful for having to STOP. Although its been hard, makes me sleepy, and somewhat depressing at times.

Please don't wait until you have a newborn (or have the excuse those years are long gone) to make you STOP. Enjoy every moment of life in the stage your in... even if it's difficult.