Celebrate the Advent

Looking for ways to celebrate the Advent this year. Here are a few FREE ways your family can celebrate the Advent (means "coming" of Christ - We celebrate His first coming and anticipate His second coming) this Christmas season.

Here is a free ebook called Good News of Great Joy by John Piper. They are very short devotionals you can download and do by yourself or with your family.

Another is a free devotional from David Platt's church and they also have free Christmas music you can download.

I strongly encourage you to do one of these or find one that you want to do to reflect on Christ this Christmas season!

Easy crafts

Here are a few crafts I have recently done.

1. Christmas Banner - I was wanting to buy one and then couldn't find the one I had previously saw in the stores. Then I thought why not make one. I found this link that has a printable banner and you literally print it and then I actually added red card stock to the back of each letter to make it stand out. Then hole punched each corner and put twine through it.

Here is the link for the printable Christmas border.

Look how easy! Great for your Christmas gatherings this season or for family pictures!

2. Diaper Wreath - I had a friend make me a diaper wreath for me when I was pregnant with Malachi and I thought I would try myself to make one for a friend. 

I used wire hangers and my husband bent them into a circle for me. I tried one at first but it is much easier to use 2 hangers one smaller one on the inside helps secure the diapers better. 

I then just tied diapers (you want to find some that have white on one side) around the hangers with ribbon and then made the letters for his name on my Cricut and laminated the letters and then hot-glued them to the wreath! Great baby gift!

First swim

Malachi got to experience his first swim in Pigeon Forge this year over Thanksgiving. This was also fun for the grandparents because both sets got to join us. I am so happy to have Godly parents on both sides of our families. Happy Thanksgiving.

Family time!

It is always a blessing to spend time with family at our annual family reunion in the fall. This year was Malachi's first time to go so of course it was fun getting to see everyone see him too. He wasn't the only new one this year, there were several other new and pretty recent editions to the family! It will be fun to watch all these little cousins grow up together!

Malachi and his cousin Kamden.

Malachi and his twin cousins, Sydney and Ethan. 

Liam and Baby Malachi!

Our baby boy!

We are happy to announce our baby boy Malachi Allen!

Dios Le Bendiga “God Bless You”

Today and this week has been wonderful. I am sad to be leaving in such a short while. But it has been a wonderful time here in Honduras. It is such a sweet country with very welcoming people and people that have such a desire for God. I hope I can take just a pinch of that home with me.

Tonight’s service was very good. I especially enjoyed the prayer time at the end. I prayed for a lady at the altar  and then she ended up praying for me and my baby. It was a very sweet time. I have really enjoyed the church services. The music is very fun and powerful!

Dios le bendiga “God Bless you".

We're expecting!!

We found out right before Thanksgiving that we are expecting a baby!! We decided to wait until Thanksgiving to tell our parents. I could hardly wait!! We then told more people around Christmas, with our annual Christmas letter and many face-to-face meetings and phone calls! We pray that God will continue to keep me and the baby healthy during this exciting time! Our due date is July 11, 2012!!!