Random Christmas Fun

 Sunday school party.  Our class had a potluck dinner (so much food!) and then the children did a Nativity play.  Lydia got to be Mary and Gloria in the pack of angels.  They did a good job and had a good time.

 I left that party and went to a ladies gift exchange.

 Nana came for Santa and while Lydia was in school we took Gloria to see the Gingerbread houses etc at the Four Seasons Hotel.

 Lydia and Gloria made peppermint bark to give their teachers.  Lots of sticky yumminess!

Our church had a Night in Bethlehem with lots of the rooms done up as stores in the marketplace and I got to head up the wreath shop (Romans used wreathes to celebrate).  It was fun seeing all the big kids.  Lydia got to do it as well and Gloria was home (kinda) sick.

Performance

 This was Gloria's first year to do a choir performance.  She stuck by Jackson and they all did a great job and of course looked so cute.

 Lydia is a pro now :) and we brought our neighbor Summer who joined in after only going once before.

Nana & Grandpa (who used to drive for 2 songs of Lydia got to hear 5 this year) took us to Free Birds for a late dinner and fun foil designs.

Lydia's 6th Birthday

 Lydia requested a volcano party for her 6th birthday (yay for something other than princesses)  Nana helped complete the theme with Hawaiian touches!

 After the parade, we came home and got everything ready including the cake.

 Then friends come and we did little explosions of lava in personal volcanoes-lots of squealing fun!

 Yummy simple dinner (on sticks) and cake before

learning how to hula from a fun video (the skirts and flower hair bows were their favors).  Then Lydia opened up a bunch of neat presents, everyone left and Lydia, Gloria and Summer tried out the gifts.

Prayer Book

Yours Is the Day, Lord, Yours Is the Night: A Morning and Evening Prayer Book by Jeanie & David Gushee

A book like this is, of course, only as useful as you make it.  After a short introduction and calendar of movable holy days, Yours Is the Day, Lord, Yours is the Night contains a daily prayer for each morning and evening of the year.  They are taken from every century, as well as many countries and denominations.  You are warned these prayers are not to replace your personal daily conversations with God but as a ‘springboard’ to deepen and start them each day.  I really enjoy the care that was taken to represent different traditions and wording in the prayers.  They are also short so not cumbersome. 

The book is a nice hard cover and rather large, which can be a problem if you do your morning and evening devotions in different places.  This one might actually be better in digital form as most people care their ‘device’ around with them more than a book.   

Overall I recommend this book, especially for people drawn to liturgy and community and the church universal, both as a devotion took as well as to learn about those things; as well as for people who want to freshen up their prayer life.  Of course the discipline of reading it twice a day is a great reminder that-Yours Is the Day, Lord, Yours is the Night.

(I got this book for free from Thomas Nelson for agreeing to review it on my blog.  Check out Booksneeze.com)   

Tree

 The first Sunday of Advent (and the day after Lydia's birthday party which I still need to blog-so many pics to chose from!) we put up our Christmas decorations.  Summer's parents were out of town so she spent the day with us.

 The finished product!

but of course it is continually changing as the girls rearrange.

Parade

 Each year there is a Children Giving to Children Parade and Texas Parks & Wildlife have a float.  Lydia & Caleb got to be a part.  It was a beautiful day and the place was crowded.  They walked from the Capital to the River on Congress.  Gloria and I met up with Harvest and friends and enjoyed all the different groups.  Caleb said Lydia smiled and waved the whole way!

 Gloria wanted to dress like Mrs Claus.  here she is waving at Wonder Woman!

Walking back to the car, we admired the shiny limestone wall :)

Fall Leaves!

 Our Bradford Pear Tree is shedding its leaves and on a nice warm fall day, its super fun to rake them up and jump in them with Summer!

At the Austin Science & Nature Center, we met Maryam there and Gloria enjoyed her preschool class on reptiles!