BOOKS!

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I want to share with you a couple Christmas books that I just love.

First is a book that I just received in my Christian Book Distributors (or CBD) order called The Backyard Bears Present The Story of Christmas A Nativity Play by Karen Schuler. It's absolutely adorable! If you're a bear fan, you'll just LOVE this book. All the pictures are photographs of stuffed bears putting on a Christmas Nativity play!

Here is my favorite yearly Christmas book from Gooseberry Patch that I just love! I usually get one each year for a Christmas gift. The first half of the book is about crafts to keep and give the second half is about food -- food for gifts and food to eat! There's also another series with a very similar theme called The Spirit of Christmas. I have several of those too. I just love pouring over them before the holidays start to get myself into the "making" season (starts in September; however, I never manage to start my "making" until the first of December!)

Jotham's Journey: A Storybook for Advent is a FAVORITE of Nathan & Jared! This book was out of print for a number of years. This year it's back in print, at least for the time being. We've had a copy, but I bought another one from Christian Book Distributors for only 6.99! (Suggested retail price is $10.99). This is the 4th year that we are reading this Advent story. The boys just love it! I won't read it to Owen for a couple more years. The description on CBD says 4 and up; but I think that's too young, as it can be frightening for one so young. Jared was going on 6, when we first read it. Let me say this about Jotham... besides encountering thieves and robbers, as the book describes on the back, he encounters an evil murderer! I don't want to soften it. It's meant to show us that evil is not only found in a modern-day world. Evil has been around from the beginning of the world. The author wants us to understand this -- that we need a Savior! The short devotionals at the end of each chapter are wonderful, thoughtful reminders of our need for Him now in each of our lives. The book means alot to me and the boys. There are great opportunites for family discussion as well. I can't speak for girls, but my boys love the suspense, adventure and excitement in the book! My hats off to Arnold Ytreeide for sharing this great book that he wrote for his family. There are some who want Advent to be peaceful and quiet. Jotham's Journey is probably not for those.

There are some young children's books that I've collected over the years that I loved reading to Nathan and Jared and can enjoy them again reading to Owen! I will try to list them tomorrow!

Until next time...

love, joie