Advent Book Club 2014

We are a month away from the beginning of Advent 2014. I can't believe it! And I am excited to announce this year's devotional book for another online study! 

Nothing says Christmas like the Baby in a manger, shepherds watching their flocks by night and visions of the last days and the end of the world as we know it. Wait. What? If you're like me, I had you up until the apocalypse. During Advent, we look at Jesus coming to earth as a baby. But we also look at His second coming - as described in the book of Revelation and other parts of Scripture. Yet this aspect sometimes gets lost in the manger/shepherds/wisemen Christmas story. Come with me as we explore this other side of Advent! 

We will be using the book "Behold, I am Coming Soon" from Northwestern Publishing House. It includes a daily reading from Revelation and a corresponding devotion. I'll be posting my thoughts or comments daily and you are invited to join the online conversation if you'd like. Read anytime during the day and log on when you're ready! You're free to quietly follow along too. 

The book is available directly from NPH or amazon.ca (or .com in the States) as a Kindle download. For those of you who live near me, I'll be getting a stack of them and you can let me worry about ordering them. Just let me know you'd like to purchase one from me and I'll be sure to set it aside for you ($10). 

The book starts it's readings on November 28th but the first Sunday of Advent starts on the 30th. I plan on reading from the beginning anyway, just to let you know. Of course, that's Black Friday and I may be out shopping but I digress ... I'll be sure to find the time:) 

I pray this will be a blessing to anyone who participates. Feel free to invite a friend if you'd like! Another reason to be in the Word during the busy season of Advent is always a good reason! May God bless your heart's preparation of His coming!

Pumpkins and Bobble Heads

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." 

Anne of Green Gables.

We've been enjoying the beautiful fall weather and colours! We've done field trips - to the pumpkin patch where we took a wagon ride out to the patch to handpick our pumpkins, story time in the barn with apples to snack on and lots of fun playing on the hay! 

Zanna also got to go on a dragon boat ride! It was a really neat experience for her.

Our Nature Corner shows the colours of fall. Zanna even went out and put together a really neat bouquet of leaves to display. 

October also brings Reformation Day and a celebration of all things German along with remembering how God used Martin Luther to rediscover the true gospel message that had been lost in the church at that time in history. 

It's also an excuse to bring out my Marty and Katie bobble heads and display them at the place of honour on the mantel. I like to ask them deep theological questions and watch their heads bob up and down. I need to get out more …

Zanna and I took a day trip on a Sunday at the end of September so I could be present for the baptism of our new god-daughter Ellie. It's such an honour to be a sponsor to this precious baby and she will hold a special place in our hearts as we pray for her and do our best to nurture her faith.  

We went along with Wayne to pastor's conference in New Hampshire which was bee-u-te-ful!!! The scenery was breathtaking. Unfortunately, other people have the same idea so hotels are really expensive this time of year. So we were stuck in a hotel that was NOT cheap and the fanciest amenity was the bottle opener in the bathroom. Classy. 

Will has put a couple months now into high school and is plugging along! He's been good about texting us and Face Timing on the weekends. It's been such a huge transition and we are so proud of him! He's learning how to manage multiple classes and organize himself accordingly. We talk laundry now. He's finished his first football season. He's had his first standard school picture taken - I passed on the "bubbles background" and the one with the fake school bus and went with the plain blue background. For posterities sake. 

We miss him like crazy and can't wait to see him in a month when we go down for American Thanksgiving.

I've been learning to let him earn his own grades and not internalize them as my own. I try not to notice that he's wearing pajama pants when I talk to him because he hasn't done laundry yet and all his jeans are dirty. And I've only called the dean of students once to freak out for no reason. Of course, we're only two months into it. But I think that's still pretty good, right? 

Coming soon … an Advent announcement! 

Open for Business!

Yippee-yi-yay! The basement is finally finished! And Rachel's hair salon is open for business. Come on over. Sit in my chair and tell me your woes as I make you over into a flashier, no split ends version of you. All while I share with you my sage advice and react in horror to the recent antics of your in-laws, neighbours or kid's teacher. I'm here for you. 

This picture show's the before, middle and after. It's amazing what some proper lighting can do, drywall and a real floor. I'm in heaven!

View from the chair

Laundry has got to be done and it might as well get done in a cute space, I say! 

I have frequented the stores of Ikea and Homesense this summer. We should buy stock. I have been known to leave my kids in the van with the windows cracked after bribing them with Tim Horton's Iced Capps in return for their patience as I "run in" to check a few things out. Which pretty much translates to 45 minutes. 

Before and after while looking down the hall from salon/laundry area.

The bathroom is tough to get a good picture but I'll just tell you it's adorable now and when you come over for some therapy  haircuts, you can see for yourself then.  

Another one of my dreams come true (other than my husband, wink* wink*, sweetie) is a pantry to house the freezers, seasonal table stuff, baskets, paper products, tablecloths, etc. Love it.

Behind big double doors? One BIG closet, my friends. Because you can never have too many places to hide your stuff. 

Dresser to the left was put together by Wayne who is a seasoned pro at putting together the Swedish furniture we all know and love.  Ikea shelves to the right have been moved from the schoolroom. If this pastor thing doesn't work out, he can rest assured he's a shoe in to the Ikea family. Just kidding, honey. Stay in the ministry and I'll keep you as my own personal furniture builder. 

He finally has a proper office and is enjoying having a space of his own that does not include exposed pink insulation and cobwebs in every corner. 

It's a miracle he's gotten this far with setting up his office when I've kept him busy putting together furniture …

Schoolroom under construction. Wall to wall shelves going in. To be continued.