We are in full swing with the holiday season! So much goodness to share! My last update was right before Thanksgiving, so I’ll pick up there… even though Thanksgiving feels like forever ago now. Can anyone else relate? Our Thanksgiving was quieter than years past. Between illness and multiple family members recovering from surgery, our gatherings were small. We got together with Jeremy’s parents and aunt and uncle on Thanksgiving day. The day after Thanksgiving, we had another meal with my parents and sister. Since my dad wasn’t cleared for turkey lifting this year, Jeremy had the honor of making the turkey. He did a fantastic job! Jeremy was super domestic this Thanksgiving. He made multiple pies, side dishes, and a turkey. Jeremy is a great cook and he was the MVP (or MVC – most valuable cook) this Thanksgiving!
Last week, we had our first Christmas party – even though it wasn’t December yet! We wrapped up our homeschool co-op for 2023 and we see our group again in 2024. For our Christmas party, we did a potluck and had various Christmas activities for the kids. There were activity pages, coloring sheets, and a paper snowflake station. We had classic Christmas music in the background while we played, munched, and chatted. The kids brought small gifts for a group gift exchange. I read a version of T’was the Night Before Christmas that was formatted for a left-right game. Each kid started with their own gift and then had to pass accordingly when they heard the words left and right in the story. Our co-op is such a blessing to our family. It was fun to kick off the Christmas season with them.
To kick off December, we joined my forever friend, Maggie, and her family for Snowflake Lane in Bellevue, WA. Snowflake Lane is a parade they put on nightly from the day after Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve. My favorite part is they make it snow as a part of the experience. The snow is really bubbles, but it’s still magical! This was probably our wettest experience at Snowflake Lane, but the rain didn’t spoil the affect. We met up early for Starbuck treats and hung out inside before claiming our spot on the parade route. With Maggie’s family moving across the country soon, it was fun to do one more Snowflake Lane with them before they go.
December has certainly been a merry and bright month and we’re not even a full week into it. On Saturday, we decorated our annual gingerbread house! It’s always a mess, but so much fun. We are no way professional with our decorating skills, but the quirkiness adds to the charm. We also started our Advent season on Saturday, instead of Sunday. Lighting a candle and taking a few minutes to focus on Jesus as the center of the Christmas season is always a special moment each week. Owen read the devotional for us as we talked about hope and Emmanuel – God with us!
Sunday evening, Jeremy and I saw For King + Country in concert at Moda Center in Portland, OR. A Drummer Boy Christmas is by far my most listened Christmas album. I’m a huge fan of all their music, but I loved that it was a Christmas concert. For King + Country sang a mix of their Christmas music, but also popular hits and songs from their new album. Our seats were in the nose bleed section, but that didn’t diminish the experience. It was a super fun date night. We were also able to leave a bit early for the city and do some Christmas shopping before the show. A major highlight of the day was picking up two more Billy bookcases from IKEA. Book reorganization is right around the corner. I’m excited to see if my vision can come together like I hope!
That’s all for now! We have a big week ahead as we prepare of our Christmas musical at church this weekend. Lots of Christmas memories to make still ahead!
Amy Scott's Thoughts 