So it's that time of year when we're all wondering "Do we REALLY have to do school?"  I even find myself asking the question this year.  In many years past we had started schooling early in Aug. in order to take off from Thanksgiving to New Year's.  The last few years, as the older kids have been older and had so many more school responsibilities, we have enjoyed extra summer lake time and schooled all the way through to Christmas break.  We're not enjoying it so much this year, sooooooooooooo . . .

Math and reading have to get done.  Or for KBug and JT, math and quizzing.  They are both on Bible quiz teams, along with Princess.  Then KBug and JT have been researching together a different country each day and their Christmas customs.  Goofball and Princess each have plenty of work keeping them busy as they plow through high school, including getting Black Like Me read before 12/13.  Yes, I know.  Not the most Christmasy book out there, huh?

But we are finding time to take off and enjoy the season.  This is my favorite season, not because it's Christmas so much as the intimate family time we have together--learning together, worshipping together, playing together.

Last week we began our Advent readings.  We are reading Bartholomew's Passage by Arnold Ytreeide for the 3rd time.  But we are also adding in a Jesse Tree devotional, compliments of Ann Voskamp over at A Holy Experience and look forward to her Easter devotional, too.

We're looking forward to at least 2 trips to carol with friends, painting a nativity scene, performing in the church's children's program and attending the church Christmas outreach that Goofball happens to be heading up.

Perhaps this year's highlight, however, will be having Cannon come home for a few days to celebrate with us.