::13::

We officially have 3 teenagers in our home! Gabriel turned 13 on Friday. Thirteen is a special birthday in our home... not that other birthdays aren't special, just that with turning 13 some extra privileges come, and extra responsibilities.

One of the privileges is that you can now drink coffee. Before 13 you can only have coffee on New Years day. The other privilege is that at 13 you can have a Facebook account. So by 10am Friday morning, Gabriel had a cup of coffee and had set up a Facebook account.

Did you know that Gabriel doesn't really even like coffee, but it is a privilege and all privileges must be experienced on your 13th birthday! He does, however, like mint, notice the peppermint stick in his coffee.



And speaking of mint, he concocted this mint desert for his birthday desert, since he doesn't like cake. It's layers of mint oreos, mint chocolate chip ice cream and our new favorite mint M&M's. yummy...yummy


We bought some crazy candles whose flame is the same color as the candle. Very cool and very smokey!

We also have a special birthday party on the 13th birthday, extended family and close friends are invited to speak (or write) a blessing to give to the birthday child. Carl and I have given each of our boys a sword on their 13th birthday, this represents the qualities that we hope to continue to help them develop over the next few years before they leave our home. Qualities like courage, strength and compassion. Always remembering that the Word of God is the Sword of Truth.

We see many of these qualities in Gabriel, and have no doubt that he will continue to grow in Christ become an amazing man of God.

Christmas Traditions :: Advent

When our older children were very young we realized that if we were not careful, Christ could very easily be overlooked at Christmas. Of course not completely overlooked, there would still be the Sunday morning Sunday School lesson and the reading of the birth of Christ on Christmas morning. But the every day Christmas happenings would really not be about Christ but about stuff.

About 11 or 12 years ago Carl's mom gave us a book called Jotham's Journey. It is a story you read each night of Advent, which lasts about 4 weeks. The author has since published 2 other books, Tabitha's Travels and Bartholomew's Passage (which we are reading this year). Each year we read one of the books and since it is a 3 year cycle they don't get stale. Every night, we gather together, forget about all the things that still need to be done, light the candles, and Carl reads us that day's story and the pondering thoughts at the end of the story. All the children (except Esther) have candles that we light off the Advent candles and it lights their way to bed.

Every day we are reminded that Christmas isn't about gifts or decorations or santa, but about a God who loves us so much that He sent His Son as a baby to teach us the ways of God and to ultimately die for us.

Christmas is really about Easter.

Christmas Traditions :: A Christmas Carol

Every year our family listens to or watches an adaptation of A Christmas Carol. It could be Focus on the Family's Radio Theatre or The Muppet's Christmas Carol or anything in between or several things in between. Somehow A Christmas Carol makes its way into our lives during this time. Maybe, when we grow up we'll actually read the book by Charles Dickens, but for now these others will suffice.

This year some of us are performing it. Our church is partnering with the our community theater to perform A Christmas Carol thoughout the city this Christmas season. About a third of the cast, the director and the praise and worship band and choir are all from our church. Last Saturday, they performed downtown at the "Square".

Josiah is playing The Intelligent Lad. Although he only has a few lines, he has done an amazing job. One of his (homeschool) drama teachers was at the auditions and said she just wanted to clap when he was auditioning. His voice has gotten lower and matured and he can really project it.

I will say, it's a little odd when your very masculine 14 year old son says, "Mom, can you do my makeup?"



Here is The Intelligent Lad talking with Scrooge about the prize turkey.


Phoebe and Benjamin are in the choir and are doing a great job. They both love to sing and are excited to sing with the adults.

Christmas Traditions :: Lights

For years I wanted lights on the outside of our home for Christmas and for years Carl said, "When we own our house, I'll put up lights." You can imagine my excitement when we purchased our first house...five weeks before Christmas. Of course we couldn't have them that year, it was just too crazy. Or the next year. Or the next year. Finally, after about 13 years of marriage we hung lights on our home. What took so long? Well, apparently I've given my husband an adversion to lights, because I want them straight (gasp!). I love lights, but I'm kinda picky about them. And he really just doesn't want to deal with me when I get that way. It's okay, I don't really want to deal with me when I get that way. So, I've ruined my husband for lights. But my children...well, they're a different story. The excitement of having lights on each night outweighs mom's pickiness. Although I did notice that Christian and Josiah were not quite as excited as the younger ones, it's terrible getting all grown up. But it's okay, because they are big and obedient and that's all I need to get the lights up!


Gabriel working diligently.

This is a view with all the children.

Josiah and Phoebe - she wore her ju jitsu outfit all day, because she was cold?

The Three Muskateers - It's really is so nice having teenage boys!...and not just because they are big and obedient.

Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing more of our Christmas Traditions. Feel free to share yours in the comments.