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By Alyssa, November 27, 2011 8:57 pm

Are you a procrastinator like me looking for Advent activities for your kiddos?  I updated this calendar just in time to start Advent with our kiddos today.  These are all activities that realistically can be completed with a newborn, our current stage.  Hope you enjoy!

(Light the 1st purple candle this week.  This week’s theme is HOPE.)
November
27- Decorate a Christmas tree with Grandpa
28- Introduce the Advent Candles and the meaning of Advent (Here’s a great website with Advent Information)
29- Read Matthew 1:18-24 (Angel appears to Joseph)
30- Make an Advent Chain (red and green paper chain) to count down to Christmas
December
1- Read Luke 1: 26-38 (Angel appears to Mary)
2- Talk about all of the things we hope for at dinner
3- String popcorn garland for our Christmas tree and watch Polar Express

(Light the 1st and 2nd purple candles this week. This week’s theme is PEACE.)
4- Invite new friends to dinner
5- Make a Donkey puppet (We’re using this template.  The donkey is a symbol of peace and humbleness.)
6- Read Luke 1:57-66 (Introduce John the Baptist)
7- Have a Christmas carol dance party
8- Read Luke 2:1-7 (Discuss Joseph and Mary’s journey to Bethlehem)
9- Talk about other places in the world that are at war
10- Create Christmas cards and send them to Soldiers using resources from this website

(Light the 1st and 2nd purple candles and the pink candle.  This week’s theme is JOY.)
11- Take a drive to look at Christmas lights
12- Address Christmas cards and watch Christmas cartoons
13- Read Matthew 2:1-12 (Discuss the wise men’s joy)
14- Make Christmas presents for grandparents
15- Read Luke 2:8-20 (Introduction of the Shepherds and Angels)
16- Attend our Homeschool Co-op Christmas party
17- Watch Charlie Brown’s Christmas and talk about the true meaning of Christmas

(Light all three purple candles and the pink candle. This week’s theme is LOVE.)
18- Make and decorate heart sugar cookies
19- Deliver cookies to our neighbors
20- Make paper snowflakes
21- Memorize John 3:16
22- Say a prayer for the families that sent us Christmas cards
23- Act out Luke 2 together
24- Attend our church Christmas Eve service (Light ALL FIVE candles!)
25- Birthday cake celebration for Jesus’ Birthday!

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By Alyssa, November 21, 2011 11:16 am

I’m deactivating my Facebook account today. I realized that although the website makes me thinks I’m building and maintaining friendships, in reality, it keeps me sitting by myself at my computer. I love getting updates from my military friends on the site, but again, most of those friends comment on this site.  I also researched the privacy settings or lack thereof and didn’t love the results.  I’m only deactivating, not deleting as I want to see how the rest of the year goes without it before I decide on permanent deletion.

I truly miss writing more regularly here and find myself spending way to much time sifting through friend’s Facebook picture albums instead of posting.  It was a surprisingly difficult decision.  I tried for a few months just not to visit the site.  I cut my friend list down to local friends I saw all of the time and out of town friends that I would stay with if I were in town.  Alas, I’m weak, peeps, and as much as I thought I could have a Facebook account and never look at it, I just don’t have that kind of will power.

I’m curious to what others think about Facebook. Do you love your account or do you feel chained to it?

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By Alyssa, November 11, 2011 3:09 pm

Here are a few of my favorite vets that I was honored to serve alongside…

Mustang, my first Platoon Sergeant... this man taught me how to be an officer.

My crew... Bags and Bourlier. They put up with me for sure. Yes, that's me with the cheesy grin.

CPT J, my first commander... Instead of go home he'd say, "Piss off, Alyssa." Love it.

Mike, a most loyal friend.

My S1 peeps, oh the stories!

A few from my Company, good troops. Again, I'm in the middle with the cheesy grin.

1SG Red... took a lot of convincing to get him in that hat.

My big brothers, Daryl and Travis.

Last but not least... the Colonel or Dad.

There are so many more that I just don’t have pictures of, so to all of you amazing veterans, God bless you!

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By Alyssa, November 4, 2011 3:50 pm

I’m writing this post for my dear hubby, Haus, who never asks this question, because he’s awesome, but I’m sure he thinks it constantly.

Here are the reasons in the last two weeks why it has taken me so long to leave the house:

1.  I am the milk cow for an adorable one-month old and she said “I’M HUNGRY” but it sounded like “WAAAHHHH!” just as I was headed to the car.

2.  The van side doors froze and I had to load all of the kids, including the baby in car seat, through the front passenger door (true story).

3.  Dirty diaper… again.

4.  I’m answering your text that says, “Where are you???”

5.  The boys were “helping” me with my sewing machine instead of listening to me tell them to get in the car and poked the sewing needle through their finger as I was walking out the door (yet another true story).

6.  Snow boots, hats, gloves, winter coats… oh the joys of leaving in the winter.

7.  I forgot my wallet, made it up the street and figured out I didn’t have my phone, closed the garage, and forgot whatever it was I needed for the purpose of leaving the house (man, I wish this one wasn’t true all. the. time.)

8.  Three kiddos five and under… ’nuff said.