December 11, 2008

Christmas Happenings

This Christmas season is flying by and doesn't "feel" as Christmas-y. I'm sure it's because (in large part) the big musical production Nick Saint has nearly consumed our time and energy. Tonight is opening night, and I can't wait to hear how things went. Currently I am home with Kenna and the boys while Charis makes her big stage debut and Ted scurries around in black changing sets.

Last night Tobin, Arden, and I stayed after church to watch the final dress rehearsal while Debi and her daughter sat at our home with Kenna, who slept most of that time. Since we had to wait until the service cleared out...not to mention getting the tech crew ready to go...the rehearsal didn't begin until after 8:30. The show was finished by 11 p.m., and I took the boys home while Rory (the director) was still giving notes. It was nearly midnight by then, so it will be early bedtimes for the next couple of nights for our sons, who think "sleeping in" is one of the seven deadly sins.

Anyway. Though I'm sad that I don't get to see EVERY performance, I'm looking forward to seeing the "real" show on Sunday afternoon with the boys. I bet all the kinks will be worked out by then, LOL. The cast and crew did an amazing job last night. There were a few tech issues--mics not coming on at the right time, for example--but overall everything was FANTASTIC!! I wish all of you could come and see the show live...if you live in Vegas, I hope you will!

Besides chauffering Charis back and forth from rehearsals, we've managed to squeeze in a few Christmas-y activities. Last Friday night the cast and crew were "off," so we made the most of it with a family night of making a gingerbread house from a $10 kit I picked up at Michael's. It had absolutely everything in it, from the pre-baked walls to the icing mix and candies, which was a good thing, because Ted and I were so tired we almost called off our house-raising efforts in favor of going to bed at 7 p.m. But the kids had a great time, and even though the walls caved in later (we didn't wait as long as we should have before decorating them), the kids are proud of their artwork. We're not sure when the destruction of the house will take place, but I'm sure it won't be long before we give in and let them make like Hansel and Gretel. Just for the nutritionally-conscious, you'll be glad to know that a single serving of a gingerbread house is 1/48th of a kit, LOL!

We've also put up our advent calendar, though we've only done readings 3 or 4 days total. Our advent book has been cracked open once. I think when we're all together again in the evenings, our family traditions will re-appear and it will feel more like we're getting ready for Christmas! Thank goodness the play is this week and not next week! Our house is decorated nicely sans Christmas tree. If you read our blog regularly, you'll probably know why we chose not to put a tree up this year. In a word, Kenna...

Despite the busy schedule, I'm making time (though propping my eyes open) for Bible study every morning. My study group is finishing up Beth Moore's study on the disciple John. It's wonderful, and I love digging into the Word. My quiet time takes about an hour each morning. Frankly, it's taken over my exercise time because I just can't get myself awake any earlier than 5 a.m.!! Hopefully when the weather gets warmer I'll feel more like getting out and walking. But anyway, I find that I NEED my time with the Lord before I tackle each day. Ted always makes hot tea for us, and I love sitting in "my" spot each morning, meditating on God's Word and praying...my prayer time usually spills over into my shower time and beyond...I find myself just talking to God as much as I can before my young charges awaken, asking Him (begging Him!) for wisdom and patience in parenting our little treasures. That concern consumes me these days, it seems.

Oh, my--I could go on and on, but I'll stop here. It sounds like Arden is finally asleep. I planted myself at the computer because he was wreaking havoc in his room instead of going to sleep. (Our computer desk is in the hall outside the kids' rooms.) Now I need to get back to my office and prepare for tomorrow's stamp club!

4 comments:

Megan R. said...

The gingerbread house looks like fun! I saw those kits in Michael's and almost bought one. Sela and I are planning to go the "Build and Grow" clinic at Lowe's tomorrow where we'll build a wooden gingerbread house together. And kudos to you for letting your kids eat the gingerbread house. My mom saved ours the year we each made one, and probably a decade later she presented it to me in the box she'd kept it in all those years. I'm pretty sure I tossed it...it was not holding up well. ;-)

Beverly said...

With us moving next summer, there really is no point in trying to keep it intact (not that it's fully stable to begin with!)! I personally am not sure how edible it is...I mean, come on, it's been sitting OUT for days now, not to mention we're in the dry desert climate of Las Vegas. I'd be afraid I'd break a tooth, but the kids are determined to eat it!!

Megan R. said...

I have become a HUGE fan of taking pictures of things to preserve the memories and then throwing them out (or eating them under the right circumstances). I have become clutter-phobic in recent years!

Anonymous said...

We didn't wait long enough to decorate the roof and so it slid down and left a good hole in the top and the chimney fell off too. Oh well, the girls had fun decorating it and that's the important part, the experience.