Oak Tree in an Acorn: Prepare the Way!

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Prepare the Way!

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season has reached our little house. We put out our Christmas tree, decorated the outside of the house with white lights, and today at dinner we lit the pink candle on our Advent wreath. There's talk of wish lists for Santa, gingerbread houses, school holiday parties, and what kind of cake we will make for Jesus' birthday. I can see why this Sunday is called "Rejoice Sunday"; Christmas is almost here and we will be so ready to celebrate!

On Saturday, we had our Adventure Guides, Christmas potluck supper.

The girls had fun at the Camp Twin Lakes playground and running around the bonfire. The food was delicious; Olivia must have eaten two bowls of Frito Chili Pie, and by the end of the dinner, her little tummy was as round as could be. Genevieve had seven different kinds of macaroni and cheese to choose from, as well as fruit kabobs, so she also was full and happy when the potluck was over.

Afterwards, we headed over to Santa's Workshop in Cedar Park.

The girls had a blast making different types of handmade ornaments and listening to the bands play Christmas music. As luck would have it, we ran into my brother Corbin, his wife Megan, and my nieces and nephews, Elena, Gabriella, and Jonah.

It's so much fun sharing the wonder of Christmas with children!

Today, Olivia and I went to Sunday School where we celebrated Jesus' birthday with spiritual Christmas songs and birthday cake. (We celebrate Christmas early since there will be no Sunday School for the next three weeks.) Olivia's class made dioramas of the nativity scene, and she is looking forward to adding more details this week when she has more time. Afterwards, we went to Mass, and Olivia was very excited to see the third candle lit on the Advent wreath because she knows that means Christmas is almost here.

This evening, we made presents for her school class party. We made a HUGE batch (10 lbs +) of snowdough and rolled and wrapped a snowdough ball for each child. It was great working on this craft with Olivia. It was the first year where she really lead the gift-making, and I just assisted. She sure is growing up! :) I saved a little bit of snowdough so that Genevieve can play with it tomorrow. Here's the recipe in case you would like to make some too. (This should make enough for two children.):

Snowdough

1 c. flour
1/2 c. salt
1T. cream of tartar
2T. vegetable oil
1 c. water
1/3 c. white glitter
1/4 c. white powdered tempera paint
1 tsp. pepperment extract

Mix ingredients together in large pot. Cook over low heat until dough becomes large ball. Cool. Seal in plastic bags.

Three Twirling, Swirling Christmas Snowflakes!

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Why the title, "Oak Tree in an Acorn"?

Well, really it's all about perspective when raising the girls. It helps me to think about the grand scheme of parenting and remember that what we do now affects how our little acorns will grow. Like an oak tree, we want them to be strong in their words and deeds, be able to withstand life's storms, set and reach their goals, and be people that others can lean on and trust.

We have an oak tree planted in our yard that came from an acorn my dad planted in a pot. This acorn came from a huge oak tree that was planted in the backyard of my dad's childhood home. My dad's father also planted this tree from an acorn he found on his hunting lease in the early 1960's. Our tree is thus a family heirloom, a "family tree".

It was the year of Olivia's birth when we planted our little sapling. It looked so very sad that winter with no leaves; it was, basically, like a stick rooted in the ground. Five years later, though, it stands 9 feet tall, and we continue to nurture it and watch it grow. We hope one year it will produce acorns of its own, and we can continue to pass on this family heirloom. We hope to remember it's example of how each acorn has the potential to be an oak tree, and how our acorns, Olivia and Genevieve, will one day, with help from God, become mighty oak trees themselves.