Monday, November 30, 2009

Rethinking Christmas

Thanks to a church series and a very powerful Advent Conspiracy video, we are trying to change our approach to Christmas. We'll still have a very commercial Christmas, I'm sure, but I hope we can make enough changes to also make it more meaningful.
We are creating a Jesse tree (well, we're actually creating two!) in order to learn more about Christmas. We've replaced the candy and trinkets in our countdown calendar with fun family activities, like singing Christmas carols, making Christmas cookies, writing letters to our Compassion International child in Guatemala, and buying presents for a needy child. But our biggest change this year is to give up one present, and use that money to donate to charity. Sarah and Abby readily agreed to this arrangement, so tonight at dinner Perry asked them what was on their Christmas list, and what they thought they might want to take off the list. Abby said she could do without a DS. I was shocked - this is a must-have item on her list. I really thought it was her #1. But then she said she'd do without it, because all she really wants is a horse!!
When she isn't making me crazy, she's making me laugh!

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