Guess what I am doing today?

I am finally planning out our Christmas.  I usually do this much earlier, but life has gotten busier and busier.

That is why I take the time to plan out our Christmas. 

Life is busy, and I don’t want to forget.

Forget what you ask?

I  want to be a deliberate mother. There are parts of Christmas that are important to our family.  We have traditions that are so important to us, and if it’s not written down; UM!! Ya!! I will forget.

This is my Christmas planning tool.

 

I call it my Holiday Planner, because it also includes plans for Thanksgiving as well.

I made this when I first got married.  It has evolved over the years, and is a must to help me get ready for Christmas.

I have made this into a FREE download so that you can also have this awesome planning tool.

I hope this helps you as much as it does me.

Follow this link to read more about what goes inside, and to download your own Christmas Planner for yourself.

btw: I am listening to Christmas music while I do it.  It’s a must.

A Thankful FHE{Family Home Evening}

In our church, we dedicate Monday nights to what we call FHE; or Family Home Evening.

We use that time to be home together as a family, doing activities, learning about the gospel, and having treats.  It’s one of my favorite nights.

Here is a fun little November activity for a Family Home Evening of your own.

The Thankful Jar

The best part about this activity is that it kicks off an activity that continues through the month of November to remind us all about Gratitude.

What you will need:

Mason Jar

Twine

Scissors

Copy of each print I have included here

You can kick off the activity with a prayer, and then read this story about a woman named Borghild Dahl; found in this article.

Following the story, pass out this printable for each person and have your family fill it in with everything they are thankful for A to Z.(click on the pictures to take you to the download)

Once you brainstorm about those important A to Z thankful’s in your life, then you can create this cute little Thankful jar together as a family.

You will need to make a copy of each page that I have included here:

Start by cutting out the tag and just 2 feathers.  You will only need to make one jar per family, but you could always make more for your friends to do also.

Start by wrapping some cute twine or string around your jar and tying it off.

Once you have cut the feathers, you bend them down the line of the feather to make them stand a little 3D.  Use a dab of hot glue at the bottom of the feather to attach them to your jar.

Wrap another piece of twine around the top part of your jar, and then attach the tag and tie it off.

 

Your thankful jar is complete.

Now is the time for the important part.  You use this next print which you will need several copies of.

You will need to cut these apart.

Each time a member of your family thinks of something they are thankful for, then they fill it out on the slip of paper and slip it in the jar.

By the end of the month, you should have a very full jar.

On Thanksgiving day, dump them out, and read all about your family’s gratitude.

I wish I had a jar full of thankful’s to show you, but I am starting this with the fam tomorrow for FHE myself.

Enjoy!! Happy Thankfuls.

I would love to see photos of your thankful jars all complete.

Baptism

In our church, we believe in Baptism by Immersion.  The Savior was baptized by Immersion, and in order to become more like him we should follow his ways.

Immersion is symbolic of the death of a person's sinful life and the rebirth into a spiritual life, promising to be dedicated to the service of God and His children.

We also believe in being baptized at the age of 8.  We believe that is the age of accountability.  That’s the age that children become accountable for their actions, before then Satan cannot tempt children.  We believe that little children are redeemed through the mercy of Christ.

Our sweet Isaac turned 8 this year.

He chose to be baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 

We believe that in order to become a member of the LDS church, you must be baptized.

He wants to be a part of this amazing church. I couldn’t be more proud.

He was baptized by his father a few weeks ago in our church building.  Each church building has their own font, allowing for baptism by immersion.

After the baptism, he received the gift of the Holy Ghost.  Remember when Jesus promised the apostles that he wouldn’t leave them comfortless?  That he would send them a comforter?  We believe that gift is a gift for all who receive the gospel into their lives.  Isaac was given the special gift of the Holy Ghost, also known as the comforter.

I am so thankful to have the Holy Ghost in my own life.  I rely on him daily.  God really doesn’t leave us to walk through our life alone.  He is there, and he sent a comforter to be there too.

After the special ordinances that took place that morning, we celebrated the day with family and friends.

I loved having people that mean so much to Isaac be there with us to celebrate his choice.

(CTR-stands for Choose the Right)

I know it helped him recognize how loved he is, and just how important this decision is.

We had a delicious waffle bar back at our house, and enjoyed every moment of celebrating such an amazing young man.

For more information about what we believe about baptism and the Holy Ghost; click on the links above.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest gift I have, I am thankful to share it with my family. 

I am thankful to share it with Isaac, and I am willing to share it with any one else who may want to know more. If you ever have any questions, please feel free to ask me. 

Oh happy day Isaac, we love you!!