TulipGirl

Last year, we talked about our Mondo Beyondo dreams for the new year.

A few years ago, some girlfriends introduced me to the idea of a “Mondo Beyondo List” for the new year. This is the list of all the wild and crazy dreams we have, the things that are so out there it is almost scary to write them down. This isn’t a resolutions list of eating healthier and spending wiser. This is the mondo beyondo list, the ideas that tug at your heart and are almost out of reach even of day dreams.

I’m taking some time this week to day dream. I’m planning on posting my Mondo Beyondo list the first week of January.

Forget resolutions–what are your dreams?

TulipGirl and Discoshaman

C6, J10, R7 and T9

Hubby and the boys really like singing “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” Today they turned it into a medley, singing the words from “Amazing Grace” to that tune. The meters work, and my men are amazing. I can’t keep the tunes/words straight with this variation.

Grace and peace to all of my friends and readers, as you prepare your hearts for the Advent of Christ in our lives daily, and as you celebrate with your family with joy!

So we missed church this morning. There is an early service at 8am (impossible) and at 9:30am. At 10:30 T9 was asking “when are we leaving for church?” C6 had “helpfully” turned off the alarm clock. I didn’t even hear it go off–I must have rolled over and gone back to sleep.

So we had family worship today. I like having multiple copies of the Trinity Hymnal now. We didn’t need to pull them out for today’s Christmas hymns, though.

C6 lit three candles today. This is the week for the joy candle. We sang all the verses to Joy to the World.

Need a laugh? Pray for Coal.

More seriously, CPSC.

(Via Camille @ GCM)

I spoke with someone on the phone today and recognized the lilt in her accent. While her English was flawless and accent faint, it was just enough for me to ask her where she was from. Ukraine. Kyiv. She hasn’t been there in 15 years. My memories are more recent than hers.

As we are in the holiday season, a lot of memories and “traditions” we made in the few years we were there are making me sad and nostalgic. I liked having the season paced a bit slower than in the States. Our family observing Advent. Christmas on December 25th, celebrated with our family and teammates. New Year’s–which has the traditions and emphasis in Ukraine that we have here with Christmas. That was celebrated with our Ukrainian friends Then Ukrainian Christmas in January. Then Old New Year around the 13th. Each celebrated slightly differently, but still sharing some traditions and the spirit of the holidays.

The temperatures have dipped slightly. Enough to wear a sweater or coat and not look like you’re totally out of your mind. While in general I love the Florida weather, right now I’m missing Ukraine’s winter. Watching the snow fall, looking out from our 15th floor flat and seeing a fairyland instead of grey concrete block buildings.

I haven’t kept in touch very much with our friends or teammates in Kyiv. But as I’m doing my Christmas shopping, I’m mentally picking out gifts for Sasha and Laura, Dima and Erik.

Added on later: One of the things I have really been missing is our annual trek to Dyetski Mir, Children’s World. It is a 4 story department store, and the top floor is all kids’ toys. Really it had an impressive collection of kids’ things. Hubby and I would get a babysitter and then go Christmas shopping for the boys. One of our favorite toys we found were little plastic guys (like green army guys) but specific to a historical period. We got knights and vikings and lots of neat things. Unfortunately, by the time we discovered them, the toy factory in Donetsk had already been closed. Typed out, this doesn’t sound very exciting, but it was one of our “traditions” that I miss.

We have a couple of people on our gift list who have everything they’d ever want or need and are pretty hard to buy for. But, I bet none of them has their very own crocagator. I’m tempted. Buying a ‘gator is a very Floridian thing to do–even if they don’t get to unwrap it under the Christmas tree.

(For more ideas, check out the 2005 Gift Guide For the Hard to Buy For Bunch)

Ooooh! I love this hand made, fair trade nativity set! It’s finger puppets for children to act out the Christmas story, made by Peruvian women through a fair trade program.

Update: The one pictured is out of stock, but there is a smaller finger puppet nativity set here.

Listening:
Pandora Online Music Radio: Switching between “Roger Whitakker Holiday” and “Louis Armstrong Holiday”

Buying:
A new “Jesus Set” for the boys–baby Jesus’ head popped off last year, and gluing it isn’t working. It just seems so sacriligious to have a headless baby Jesus that I went out and bought a new one. So now we have lots of extra shepherds, wisemen and sheep. We got our original one 6 years ago, and is a special part of our Christmas traditions.

Watching:
Charlie Brown Christmas with the kids
Alias Final Season with Hubby

Smelling:
The spicy potpourri coasters that my sil made for us when she was in junior high. We pack them away with our Christmas things, and when we unpack them the whole house smells cinnamony.

Cooking:
Brian’s Thai Curry

Eating:
Too much sugar

Drinking:
Peruvian FT Organic Cepicafe Co-Op Coffee

Surfing:
The Pastor’s Wife’s Christmas Recipes
Gentle Christian Families Forum
Abondante Living
Techy Gadget Giveaway!

“We’re studiers of the moon!” “I found a glowing stone in a little cave.” “Look, Mom, we’re jumping over giant moon craters!”

The boys have turned out all the lights and are playing by the glow of the computer screen, being astronauts exploring the moon.

The holly and the ivy,
Now both are full well grown.
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.

Chorus
Oh, the rising of the sun,
The running of the deer.
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a blossom
As white as lily flower;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To be our sweet Savior.

Chorus
Oh, the rising of the sun,
The running of the deer.
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a berry
As red as any blood;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To do poor sinners good.

Chorus
Oh, the rising of the sun,
The running of the deer.
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a prickle
As sharp as any thorn;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
On Christmas day in the morn.

Chorus
Oh, the rising of the sun,
The running of the deer.
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.

The holly bears a bark
As bitter as any gall;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
For to redeem us all.

Chorus
Oh, the rising of the sun,
The running of the deer.
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.

The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.

Chorus
Oh, the rising of the sun,
The running of the deer.
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.

The rising of the sun
And the running of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.

Chorus
Oh, the rising of the sun,
The running of the deer.
The playing of the merry organ,
Sweet singing in the choir.

(Listening to Christmas music mixes at Pandora.)

Here at TulipGirl:
Advent – The First Sunday
Advent – The Second Sunday
Advent – The Third Sunday
Advent – The Fourth Sunday
Examples of Advent Wreaths:
Midnight Cafe
The Badger Mum
TulipGirl 2004
This Classical Life (see the banner–looking for the wreath pic in the archives!)

Online Advent Calendars / Studies:
GCF Advent Study 2006
Teaching Mom’s Advent Calendar
Advent for the Family
Advent Devotionals

Advent Articles / Books:
Season of Advent: Anticipation and Hope
First Sunday in Advent, Joel Garver
Christ in Christmas

Other Resources:
Advent Coloring Pages
Advent For Evangelicals Blog

This year’s advent wreath is made with the ferns, vines, and pinecones which the boys gathered from the woods. We used plates as the base, with clay to hold the candles in place and upright.

Tonight R6 lit the prophecy candle and we read from Isaiah. We have started with the readings we used a few years ago for advent.