Oh. The. Waiting.

I had this moment.

I was talking with someone in a Facebook message, and those darn grey dots just kept bouncing. And bouncing. And bouncing.

And then they stopped.

And then they kept bouncing.

It was like a lightbulb went off in my brain.

This is how my prayer life feels right now.

I pray for things. Every day. Big things. And I have no doubt that God is working and moving ... and typing away up there! But until that response finally comes, you'll find me at my kitchen table with hot chocolate and my Bible just waiting.

Our Christmas Tradition

In our homeschool co-op yesterday, Bree asked her class, "Raise your hand if you celebrate Christmas on Saint Nicholas day?"

Blank stares.

ZERO hands raise ... except her.

So, yeah, apparently my kids don't know that it is a little out of the ordinary.

Why Saint Nicholas day?

Well... we had a few Christmas dilemmas to figure out once we had kids. First, we always travel. So we are never home on Christmas Eve or morning (or basically December 20-30). Second, the kids got a little overwhelmed by day THREE of opening presents (with our Christmas and all the extended family Christmas parties, too). It was just too much stuff in too short a time.

But when could we have "our" morning AND have them excited about "our" stuff?

Then we found a Veggie Tales movie ... Saint Nicolas: A Story of Joyful Giving. (Awesome movie, by the way. GREAT message!)

Saint Nicholas Day!

It was perfect. It is at the beginning of December, so the kids are SO EXCITED to open our presents. They have all month to play with them before they get more stuff on "actual" Christmas. It is also based on a real guy who we can learn about and relate to Jesus.

AND THUS the tradition was born.

On the Eve of St. Nicholas we have a big slumber party under the tree and watch the Veggie Tales movie together (yes, we will do these even when they are 15!). It's our Christmas Eve, and the kids love it. In the morning, the Christmas festivities begin. Stockings, reading the Christmas Nativity story, presents, and a big dinner.

It's a little out of the box, and we hear that every year. But it works for us!

So -- seeing as how it is Saint Nicholas Day -- Merry Christmas!

Love,

the Mackeys