Advent: Days 6-12

Friday, Dec 6: Eat dinner with friends.

At the end of a whirlwind week, we enjoyed a delicious, restful, festive dinner with some wonderful friends (Livingstons and Waltons).  Victor particularly enjoyed the sugar cookies and playing with trucks with his buddy Emmett.

(As a special bonus, we got more pictures of Baby Brother at Momma's ultrasound Friday morning!)

Saturday, Dec 7: Go to women's Christmas celebration (Mommy) and have a special friend over for lunch.

I got to take our upstairs neighbor Laurie to the women's Christmas celebration, which was a beautiful service of music and drama.  Then Laurie came down for lunch with us all afterward, and she brought a big laundry basket of musical instruments that she was sorting for a caroling outing that afternoon, and Ben and Victor got to play away with them!

Sunday, Dec 8: Sing Christmas songs at church.

Victor was up in the night, Friday night, with congestion, drippy nose, sneezing, and coughing.  With a really crazy week ahead, I confess some dread as to what might become of this cold... I was praying pretty fervently that this might be a surprise and not turn into the 2-week recovery that seems to be typical.

And the Lord was so kind!  Sunday morning, Victor already seemed to be much improved, so we were all able to go to church together, although Victor and I just sat in for the opening worship.  Normally, I take Victor to the nursery just before the Scripture reading, but he was doing so well (and couldn't go to his class because of green buggers), we decided to just see how long he could go.

Victor was definitely wondering when he would get to go to class, and it was a little hard to understand that the green boogies meant he couldn't attend this week, but he would sit with Mommy and Daddy instead.  He really did very well until the Scripture reader finished the passage for the morning's sermon, and as he exited the stage, Victor said excitedly (and somewhat loudly), "All done!"

And that's about when we decided Mom and Victor should maybe finish the service at the Info Booth.  But it was still a great time getting to sing and pray all together as a family at church.  (Sunday is Victor's favorite day, and he asks for it frequently throughout the week...)

Monday, Dec 9: Play with special friends (while Mom goes to Christmas party #1).

Monday was the Adult Ministries Christmas, so Victor got to go play with Mr. Kevin and Miss Sue for the middle of the day.  He was so excited to see them (and all their pretty colored lights)!

Tuesday, Dec 10: Play with special friends again (while Mom and Dad go to Christmas party #2).

And Tuesday was the All-Staff Christmas Celebration (which I got to coordinate), so Ben and I headed out at 7:30am to try to make it to the North Campus in time for 9am set up.  It's been frigid lately, and just enough of a dusting of snow to slow traffic to a crawl and give some tricky slick spots when you don't expect it.

About an hour and 40 min later, we did arrive, happily, at North!  A great crew of guys helped set up the sanctuary for the staff lunch, and a sweet women's small group from South came to help decorate and serve.  Everything went very nicely, and it was a wonderful time.

Meanwhile, Victor got Day #2 with Miss Sue (although Mr. Kevin had a grueling drive to Iowa and back overnight and through the day, so he wasn't available to play).

She sent us this picture...

Wednesday, Dec 11: Put up the Nativity.

Wednesday morning, Victor and I set up our Nativity scene and talked about how how Jesus wasn't born in a house or hotel--and He didn't have a crib to sleep in.  He slept in a manger, where cows eat.  And He came for a very special reason, so that He could live perfectly and die in our place, to cover over the sin in our hearts if we will trust in Him.

Thursday, Dec 12: Go Christmas shopping. 

Finally, with the busyness of planning Christmas parties over, Victor and I turned our attention to some Christmas shopping!  I started thinking about Christmas gifts in October, and it gave me a terrible sense of false security about the headway I was making! But the Lord is kind, and little by little we are checking things off the list...

We had a fun time meandering through Costco, tasting samples and then sharing a hot dog for lunch.  And at a thrift store, we found a terrifically ugly sweater for Dad to wear to his young adult gathering Friday night.