The post below was one I was going to add last night, with pictures, but I has a having a real problem staying connected! Ever since we went 'wireless', we've had more problems losing a connection! Last night it was the WORST! It would come and go in seconds! Anyway, here is the blog I wrote very late last night/early this morning. I'm able to add photos this afternoon!

**Hi! It's December already! I don't usually have the time to write on weekends with Jim home, so that's why you've not heard from me in a couple days! We put up our [artificial] tree on Sunday -- after the cheap stand that I've been using for years gave out on Saturday night. Thank goodness, we hadn't started decorating it yet!
Advent began Sunday, and we started reading Jotham's Journey to the boys -- Nathan & Jared. To Owen I'll be reading Christmas books. Tonight it was Piper's Night Before Christmas by Mark Lowry. Last night I read an adorably illustrated book with the words to Away in a Manger. It's upstairs in Owen's room right now, so I can't tell you who the illustrator is, but it's awfully cute! I'm embarrassed to say that I didn't do my Advent chain...yet. I decided that the 'Christmas story' wouldn't work for us because I read the story to them pretty regularly during the season with several different books. I wanted it to be different; memorable. So I decided to use the names of Jesus. Although it's already the 4th, I'm still going to put the chain strips together tomorrow (okay it's already tomorrow, but I haven't slept yet! I found a great website with 100 Biblical Names and Titles of Christ. There are more, but this list gives you 100. Alongside the name is a scripture reference, which is EXACTLY what I wanted! Here's the website http://www.evangelicaloutreach.org/jesustitles.htm I'll pick the 24 that make the most sense to a 10.5 yr. old, 8.5 yr. old and 3 yr. old! Can't wait to finish it!
I wish I could figure out how to put a photo near the text that it relates to. Since I can't figure it out, you'll have to do the puzzle yourself. I'm sure you'll figure it out!**

That was last night/very early morning. Now I'm back in REAL TIME! I just finished the paper strips. See photo above. After much thought, I decided that it would be more fun to actually build the chain over the next few weeks instead of disassembling it! I'll hang it in a place in the kitchen where we can all see it. We'll go over the (daily) name of Jesus and one of us will look it up in the Bible. We'll have to do it at dinner time, since Jim leaves right after dinner for work.

I included a picture of Owen 'playing' guitar with the help of Nathan. Also you'll see a picture of Owen 'reading' the Christmas Story from the Bible to Rudolph. Now, Owen doesn't know the story of Rudolph; to him he's just his 'pet'! Rudolph comes out only at Christmas time for decoration (Nathan received him 8 years ago!), but Owen has claimed him as his own! It's too cute!

This is too weird, when I uploaded all of my photos, one overlaps the other in my preview. I hope it doesn't look like that when I 'publish' this post it! Sorry if it does. Maybe that's why this blog service is free! I have no idea what to expect!

Until next time, BLESSINGS! joie