Advent Activities 2015

It's that time again!  Tomorrow begins our 2015 Advent Activities and the return of Ollie, our Elf!  Life is about to get crazy fun!  

Our activities are based on our already full schedule so there are times we have to do morning activities, times Daddy is at work, times that not all the kids are home, and we won't throw in the fact that we try to make these things all our babies will enjoy (from little bitty to middle school age)... it's a lot to work around!  However, we love the memories we make doing all of these fun things.  Many are favorites we bring back year after year so they have become traditions that are near and dear to our hearts!  

So without further ado, here is what we'll be doing this year!

Our Advent "Calendar"

Christmas Charades

Snowman Donuts for Breakfast

Hot Chocolate by the Fire

Make Salt Dough Ornaments

Get A New Ornament

Visit Santa

Fancy Dinner

Reindeer Evangelists

Waffles and Ice Cream for Breakfast

S'mores by the Fire

Look at Christmas Lights

Grinch Movie Night

Christmas Pizzas

Christmas Bingo

Paper Snowflakes

Cinnamon Roll Trees for Breakfast

Snowman Sundaes

Christmas Party Day

Santa Hat Photo Shoot

Gingerbread Houses

Picnic by the Tree

Pedicures

Cookies for Santa

Open PJ's and Read Twas the Night Before Christmas

Many of these have a biblical basis (check out The ADVENTure of Christmas by Lisa Whelchel), and some are just good ol' fashioned fun!  I'm always happy to answer any questions about what on earth we are doing or how we've tied it into our faith!  I hope you follow along on Instagram (@mrsmarick) as I will be posting a pic there of each activity!

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas season as we prepare to celebrate Christ's birth!

Inadequate

Recently I attended the dotMom conference when it came to Frisco, TX.  It was an amazingly powerful weekend that shook my faith to it's core.  It challenged me as a mother, a wife, and more importantly as a Christian.  I have spent the last few weeks trying to sort through all I learned and apply it in my everyday life because I was that moved... that changed.  

One of the many messages that really resonated with me over the weekend of the conference was that the most important ministry I will ever be a part of is the one in my home.  Wow!  I just hate it when the obvious jumps out at me and slaps me in the face!

I think back to all the places I've volunteered.  All the places where I've devoted time in nourishing others souls... other children to be exact.  And then I look at what is happening in my home.  My children see me read my Bible.  We talk about Bible verses and memorize them, but not as often as we should.  We listen exclusively to Christian music in the car.  I try to deliver discipline with a healthy dose of scripture to back it up.  I'm doing a good job, right?!? 

Then it hit me.  I am not doing a good job.  I'm probably not even doing a mediocre job.  Tonight as I was sharing the story of Jesus' death with my children I realized that I am completely inadequate for this most important of ministries.  I do not know enough about the Bible, I do not even know how to pronounce all the words correctly, I do not know if my words are what my children are needing to hear, I do not know if my chaotic prayers leave them feeling refreshed or throwing up their own little shout out to God with something to the effect of, "Sorry about our Mom, God.  She's kind of a hot mess."  There is just so much I don't know.

And for me that is a scary place to be.  Because I want so badly for my children to know God.  I want for them to be in a home where praying is as natural as breathing, where scripture fills their hearts... a place where they follow Jesus with reckless abandon!  It's just hard for me to believe that God really thinks I'm the right girl for this job.  My children, my husband, they deserve someone so much more qualified than crazy ol' me who is still trying to figure it all out.

Inadequate and unqualified for this job, I certainly am.  Filled with desire to do more, know more, understand more, well, I am that as well.  God entrusted me with His precious children during their time on earth for a reason.  So I'll keep praying my chaotic prayers, and I'll keep opening my Bible with a desperate longing to know more.  Something tells me I'll never really be qualified for this important ministry I've been entrusted with.  Thank goodness God has my back in case I go and screw it all up!

Advent Activities 2012

Last year was the first year we did an Advent Activity Calendar.  I had so much fun creating the calendar, and the kids had a blast doing all of the activities!  I knew that we'd do it again this year.  There were some activities we wanted to repeat and some things I wanted to change up just so it wasn't exactly the same as last year.  

This year some of our activities will have a bible verse referencing that point we are driving home while doing the activity.  Others will reference the book The ADVENTure of Christmas by Lisa Whelchel.  (If you do not own this book, I highly recommend you click on the link and order it immediately!)  And lastly, some activities are simply just for plain ol' family fun!

I hope that you will enjoy our activity list.  Please feel free to use it and share it, and if you have questions about any of these activities or would like more details into what we are doing, just ask!  I hope that you will have as much fun celebrating Jesus this month as our family will!

Write a letter to Santa

Open your special ornament and hang it on the tree

("The ADVENTure of Christmas" pg. 12)

Make Paper Snowflakes

(Isaiah 1:18)

Snow Man Sundaes

Reindeer Evangelists for 5 Friends

("The ADVENTure of Christmas" pg. 14)

Neighborhood Prayer Walk

Grinch Movie Night

Attend Christmas Parade

Secret Santa

(Acts 20:35)

Visit Santa

Christmas Pizza

Santa Hat Photo Shoot

Dollar Tree Shopping

("The ADVENTure of Christmas" pg. 44)

North Pole Breakfast

Look at Christmas Lights in our pajamas

("The ADVENTure of Christmas" pg. 24)

Dress fancy for dinner

Christmas Carols

S'Mores in the fire place

Picnic in front of the Christmas Tree

Hot Chocolate by the fire

Decorate Gingerbread Houses

Christmas Music Dance Party

Make and decorate cookies for Santa

("The ADVENTure of Christmas" pg. 36)

Unwrap your Christmas pajamas and listen to Popo read "Twas the Night Before Christmas"

("The ADVENTure of Christmas" pg. 60)

Read the story about the Birth of Jesus