12-29-18 December Wrap Up

This time of year is always such a busy time for everyone.  Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years are all celebrated within 41 days!  That sure is a lot of planning, celebrating, and memory making packed into a very short period of time!!

Here are some updates from our Ministry…

• Dec 18 – We had our Guatemala 2019 info meeting – 20 people came to hear about our next mission trip.  We Facetimed with Gail Gordon from Florida so everyone could “meet” her.  She’s the American that started the Children’s Home that we visit when we take mission trips.  Everyone is praying about if God is calling them to go!
• Dec 19 – Carter and Logan met with the Auburn Elementary School principal to rent the cafeteria for a “Make-and-Take” art fundraiser they’d like to do in February to raise money for their mission trip.  Brady met with our friend Dave to organize a spring kickball tournament to raise money for his trip.  These boys know this is the only way they can go.  They have to put forth the effort!
• Dec 23 – Our family and another family – the Cadenas – recorded a promo video for our new support group we are forming in January called “The Overpass”.   It was a ton of work for 6 kids and 4 adults to rehearse and record (of course with lots of laughs along the way!) but we got it done.  We will be airing it on January 1st!
• Dec 25 – And then of course…it was time for Jesus’ birthday.  We started a lot of family traditions many years ago that we love doing every year with the kids.  We start the evening with it focused on Jesus and end it with Santa and all that comes with the magic of Christmas!  We always go to Christmas Eve service at our church (there is something special about candlelight in a darkened church, singing Christmas carols!).  Then we have a birthday party for Jesus (complete with decorations and candles and singing).  Our Elf on the Shelf “E” always has matching jammies hidden in the house to open up & wear to bed on Christmas Eve (this year’s theme was superheroes – even mom and dad got some!).  Daddy reads “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” book to the boys.  We sprinkle reindeer food on the front porch and leave the cookies and milk by the front door.  Next we check the Santa radar online to see where he’s at before the boys are tucked into bed.  Then all the present wrapping begins in the living room…usually in front of a corny Hallmark movie!  Traditions are SO important to do because we realize they will probably remember these more than they will remember all the gifts they got.

Merry Christmas from the Zs!