Repost: Family Advent Traditions

To celebrate the first of December, I thought I would repost some of our family's favorite advent traditions through the years. As our kids get older, some of the ways we've paused as a family to celebrate Christ's coming and anticipate His return have changed a bit. Those spaces look different with toddlers than they do with pre-teens. So here's a little VanSyckle compilation of our advent family traditions over the years in hopes that you'll join us celebrating, waiting, and anticipating the One who holds our true hope.

Each year as advent approaches, we try to be purposeful as a family to make space to celebrate God breaking into our world and anticipating him coming again to make all things right. It's so easy to fill up our calendars and our hearts this season with busyness and unrealistic expectations. With hope misplaced in perfect decorations, ideal gifts, and trying to create flawless memories, we lose what really matters. 

Although I love all the season brings with cozy fires, hot chocolate, lights twinkling, and time with family, I want our family to remember why we exchange gifts. Why we celebrate. And why our hope isn't in a beautifully decorated home or the gifts on our wish lists.

Advent didn't start in a stable. It started in a garden thousands of years before. And rehearsing the truth of God's grand redemption plan is a good (and needed) way to center our hearts this season. Here's a compilation of what our family has done through the years (since the kids were toddlers) up until now. Each one has a link with more details and resources.

This year we're doing Ann Voskamp's Unwrapping the Greatest Gift again. Not only is the book incredibly beautiful, but it's rich with gospel truths. Since the kids are older now (eight and ten) they're a good age to focus more on the story and have significant discussions about what advent and anticipation means to our family daily. Starting tomorrow, we'll be taking more time around the dinner table each night to go through the book.

We've also loved celebrating advent with our much beloved The Jesus Storybook Bible. This is a favorite book in our home and I love how every single story points to Jesus. Reading through it snuggled up together each night is a sweet way to tie God's plan to send Jesus to a hurting and broken world and come back to make all things new together for little (and not so little) hearts.

And when the kids were little, we celebrated with a Jesse Tree for several years. Each night they unwrapped an ornament to hang (or found it hidden in the house) that represented a different part of God's redemption story. It was fun to watch them make the connections to the prophecies in the Old Testament and a little baby born in Bethlehem as they hung each wooden ornament on our little Jesse Tree. 

Here's a few other ways we've tried to be intentional (and fun) at Christmas...

Teaching our kids to be grateful and generous

Our take on Elf on the Shelf

Halloween Cuteness

I'll be honest, Halloween isn't my favorite holiday. But one of the things I love is watching my social media explode watching my adoptive families celebrate fall and dress up their sweet littles. Over the past couple of days the private group I have for my families has been exploding with dozens and dozens of adorable princesses, butterflies, lions, and some of the most creative costumes I've seen!

This is truly becoming an annual post but who ever tires of beautiful babies all dressed up? Last night I was like a proud auntie crying at all of the cuteness. Here's a few little pumpkins for you to enjoy!

Eliana (11 months) clearly enjoying her first time at the pumpkin patch

Brendan (17 months) makes a great POTUS and even won his city's costume contest!

Ethan (22 months) enjoying the pumpkin patch

Isaac (15 moths) - clearly the scariest monster out there

Ira (5 months) and brother Sage (10 months) and their little pumkins

Austin: aka Alfalfa (2 years)

Sawyer (22 months): a hunter with his mama deer

Ava (11 months) and the sweetest little sheep

Barrett (14 months) - isn't he the most ferocious lion you've seen?!

Christopher (9 months) and his brothers make for some cute Dalmatians!

Merry Christmas From Some Sweet Faces

When couples start with Christian Adoption Consultants, they become family. I love the steady stream of Christmas cards I receive with families who have grown in the last year, updates, and sweet faces.

Is there anything better that this little cutie under your Christmas tree?!

Each one captures just a glimpse of the joy adoption can bring, tells a part of the story of how God came through on his promises, and shares a peek into years of answered prayers.

I thought I would share a few of these adorable CAC littles as they celebrate the holidays.

Meeting Santa for the first time

(Regretting meeting Santa for the first time...)

Merry Christmas!

The Ache of the Wait in the Holidays

You've met Amy before. A sweet adoptive mama and client turned dear friend. We met over coffee to talk about adoption and the last time I saw her, her family of three was gathered in my living room with our crew. I love her thoughts on adoption, the hard wait, and the holiday season...

For our family this Christmas season will be our most memorable. It is our first Christmas as a family of three. Our home is overflowing with love, magic and new beginnings. This year we get to celebrate Christmas with our son. We spent hours Christmas shopping (and lets be honest, baby B is not even gonna know what's goin' on this year!), we have dreamt of the traditions we hope to start to make the season full of magic. We had no idea just how emotional this Christmas would be for our family. This is a dream I wasn't sure would ever come true. But, one thing I can say for sure?

I would go through all of the heartache and sadness again to get to my son. 

To all of you who have babies growing in your hearts right now, I promise you, this holiday season will soon be filled with love, joy and overwhelming thankfulness. Right now, I know your hearts are dreading spending another holiday without your child. I know your hearts ache watching families celebrate the magic of Christmas with little ones. I know you dream of the day when you get hang up that stocking that says "Baby's First Christmas." I know you can't wait for the day when you get to wrap gifts to put under the treat for your most treasured gift.

Please don't lose hope.

Last year, I was walking with you. I remember being curled up by our fireplace holding tightly to the book I had bought for a baby I had hoped to be holding in my arms.

I remember each tear that fell down my face. 

I remember each silent prayer I whispered to God, begging Him to give me strength. 

You're. Not. Alone. 

Please don't give up hope. Please don't lose your faith.

This season, I'm praying for you hearts to be full of hope for what is to come.

It is worth the wait. 

It's worth every single tear. It's worth every silent prayer. 

Please know you are in my heart this season.

Amy

For more on Amy, her beautiful family, and their adoption journey, you can head to her blog, Glimpses of Hope.

Family Advent Traditions

Each year as advent approaches, we try to be purposeful as a family to make space to celebrate God breaking into our world and anticipating him coming again to make all things right. It's so easy to fill up our calendars and our hearts this season with busyness and unrealistic expectations. With hope misplaced in perfect decorations, ideal gifts, and trying to create flawless memories, we lose what really matters. 

Although I love all the season brings with cozy fires, hot chocolate, lights twinkling, and time with family, I want our family to remember why we exchange gifts. Why we celebrate. And why our hope isn't in a beautifully decorated home or the gifts on our wish lists.

Advent didn't start in a stable. It started in a garden thousands of years before. And rehearsing the truth of God's grand redemption plan is a good (and needed) way to center our hearts this season. Here's a compilation of what our family has done through the years (since the kids were toddlers) up until now. Each one has a link with more details and resources.

This year we're doing Ann Voskamp's Unwrapping the Greatest Gift again. Not only is the book incredibly beautiful, but it's rich with gospel truths. Since the kids are older now (eight and ten) they're a good age to focus more on the story and have significant discussions about what advent and anticipation means to our family daily. Starting tomorrow, we'll be taking more time around the dinner table each night to go through the book.

We've also loved celebrating advent with our much beloved The Jesus Storybook Bible. This is a favorite book in our home and I love how every single story points to Jesus. Reading through it snuggled up together each night is a sweet way to tie God's plan to send Jesus to a hurting and broken world and come back to make all things new together for little (and not so little) hearts.

And when the kids were little, we celebrated with a Jesse Tree for several years. Each night they unwrapped an ornament to hang (or found it hidden in the house) that represented a different part of God's redemption story. It was fun to watch them make the connections to the prophecies in the Old Testament and a little baby born in Bethlehem as they hung each wooden ornament on our little Jesse Tree. 

Here's a few other ways we've tried to be intentional (and fun) at Christmas...

Teaching our kids to be grateful and generous

Our take on Elf on the Shelf

The Halloween Fairy

I've never been a huge fan of Halloween. The darkness of it all, scary costumes and decorations, and somehow the inner serial killer that lives in the weird house on the corner is allowed to come out. You'll never find me in one of the haunted houses West Bottoms is known for or throwing parties serving edible fingers and blood. No thank you.

But I've always loved dressing the kids up and I'm going to hang onto matching their costumes for as long as humanly possible. I feel like this is a huge perk to being a mom and I will milk it for all it's worth.

This year, we actually walked around our own neighborhood for the first time. Jamy mentioned he'd never trick or treated is his own neighborhood (growing up in the county) and we've always taken the kids to trunk or treats or fall festivals. Correction, "we" didn't walk around the neighborhood. Somehow I lucked out and got to "pass out candy" while Jamy took the kids out. Win-win.

Every year, our kids are left with mounds of candy that they don't need. When they're little, as parents you can sneak it away little by little (if you say don't do this you're lying). But as they get older there is candy sorting and counting that happens. The last thing we need in our home is two children hopped up on sugar for weeks in November. That candy pile simply never ends.

I started a tradition years ago that always stuck. I have no idea where I came up with the idea (I'm sure it wasn't originally my own), but it's been pure genius and our kids have never known better. 

A few days after Halloween, after the kids have enjoyed some of their candy, the Halloween Fairy comes to visit. The kids leave their buckets full of candy on their doorknobs when they go to bed. And when they wake up in the morning, they've found that the Halloween Fairy has visited and exchanged their candy for a book. Each year they eagerly anticipate trading their candy knowing the Halloween Fairly will bring a book they'll love.

I'm not full of many parenting pro tips. But this is one that's a win all around. Our kids are thrilled with a new book. No candy to last till Easter in our house. And admittedly sometimes the "Halloween Fairy" gets some sweets to snack on after the kids are in bed.

Weekend Update

Time for the obligatory Easter mom blog post with family pictures and Easter baskets. But this year it includes a surgery on Good Friday, gardening, a meal shared with friends, and a soccer game. All the classic and traditional things Easter is made of...

Months after Isabelle's original wrist injury in January, we finally figured out that rather than a broken wrist, she did damage to her tendons that required surgery. So Friday morning we headed to Children's Mercy for an easy wrist repair surgery. (PS - I think when it's your own kiddo "easy," "routine," and "surgery" just don't quite go together no matter how true it is.)

Bella came through like a champ and we laid low all day Friday and Saturday recovering. While the girls watched a 19 Kids and Counting marathon (Michelle Duggar happens to be my mom hero), the boys started planting our garden.

The garden is a whole other story (or blog, or...issue). Jamy has wanted a garden for years. The problem is that neither of us has ever planted anything in our lives. (Actually, once in elementary school for Mother's Day I'm sure I gave my mom a planted geranium but I don't think that counts.) But Jamy was thrilled with the idea of harvesting his own fresh herbs and veggies for salsa. So when he talked about maybe putting a garden in our backyard last year we also paired that with the reality of needing to be good at things like weeding and watering and decided against it. Commitment to dirt in our yard with seeds just wasn't a high priority.  Enter buying a house complete with raised garden beds and scarecrow and now we have to be committed. So Jamy spent a good part of Saturday spending crazy amounts of money and time on seeds and seedlings we're praying someday turn into actual food...

Sunday was filled with church, scavenger hunts for Easter baskets, and an amazing lunch with our dearest friends. And then our crew went to our first Sporting KC game (Kansas City's pro soccer team). I honestly didn't know we were stepping into a stadium with it's own culture. The night was filled with singing, chanting, fireworks, confetti, and lots of screaming. It was the best professional game I've ever been to (and I know nothing about soccer).

Admittedly this Lenten season has been way more fast-paced and filled with busyness than usual. But this weekend and especially Easter was an incredible reminder of God breaking in to our brokenness to free us from everything. Instead of our weekend filled with quietness and reflection, it was filled with the hospital, chores outside, and time spent with each other: the stuff life is often made of. I'm thankful God met us there too.

Family Love Day

This year, we celebrated Valentine's Day as an entire family. I took the lead from my sweet friend, Tracie Loux. Their family loves big and celebrates big and they created Family Love Day a few years ago.

Overall, Jamy and I have never really been big fans of Valentine's Day, the annual Hallmark Holiday filled with roses and baby's breath, cheap chocolates, and your favorite restaurant filled to the brim with reservations. I used to think all of that was romantic. But now romance looks a lot like watching him do the dishes, helping me fold the laundry, and tucking kids into bed for the 5th time at night. It looks like walking through hard stuff and staying committed. It looks like yoga pants rather than heels and joy in the mundane everyday. Daily faithfulness rather than once a year teddy bears and carnations. 

So I started thinking, what if we can use this holiday to communicate our deep love and affection for each other as a family? What if we use it to celebrate what real love really looks like?

Starting February 1st each year, I post a heart to everyone's bedroom door each day, noting something I love, admire, or cherish about them. And this weekend, we celebrated big. We got the kids simple gifts and spent special time together as a family. 

On Valentine's night, Jamy cooked a gourmet meal with everyone's favorite requests (Isabelle asked for pork steak, I asked for apple chutney, and Jackson asked for Daddy's famous homemade mac & cheese). We all got dressed up (I even broke out the heels) and had an amazing dinner, sharing around the table the things we love about each other. It was perfect.

I want to teach my kids young what real love and romance look like. Around our house, we don't hide our affection. The kids walk in on a kiss in the hallway or a slow dance in the kitchen. And they get lots of snuggles, hugs, and kisses from us. I don't want my daughter longing for a cheap carnation on Valentine's Day or my son to think a heart-shaped box of chocolates communicates true love. I want them to feel secure in the love they have at home and grow to learn that real love is about sacrifice and commitment.

Family Love Day was a good reminder to cherish these faces every day and find little celebrations all around me.

The Gift of Adoption

I've been thinking a lot about gifts for Christmas. Trying to think of thoughtful, loving gifts (which is always harder than you think it will be at the beginning of the season). And then I was reminded what so many people I know are wanting right now - a family.

I've had so many conversations with people about desiring to start their adoption process but feeling incredibly overwhelmed and not knowing how to even begin. That's where Christian Adoption Consultants can come in. We can help you navigate your adoption from start to finish.

So I am encouraging you, if you have thought about it, why not have the process started for a Christmas present? Even better, ask your friends and family to contribute to the cost of hiring a n adoption consultant. Seriously, how many scarves or face creams, or shoes do you need? Asking those around you to help, to join you on the journey, and actually beginning the process to adopt could change your life, and the life of a child.

Why not take the first step to creating a family so that next Christmas, there can be an extra face on the Christmas card.

And take a look at this video, because this one is too good not to share...

Unwrapping the Greatest Gift

Each year, our family chooses to celebrate advent with the Jesse Tree. It's a beautiful way to remember that Christmas isn't just about a baby born in a stable to a peasant girl; but a redemption story that is woven throughout all of history. Each evening we stop and pause to celebrate the coming of a King and anticipate his coming again.

It's like a deep breath for the soul. A space to step away from the chaos of the season and remember why Christmas changed all of history.

This year we're going through Ann Voskamp's Unwrapping the Greatest Gift. This beautiful book is perfect for our family to celebrate advent this year. Hearing again the story that started from the beginning of time of a loving and faithful God who entered into our world to enter our mess and make all things right.

Once, in the truest story that you have ever heard, His-Story, which is really your very own story, there was this family - Jesse's family. A family that was like yours, like a tree with branches of these relatives and those brothers and those sisters - a family that loved each other and hurt each other and forgave each other and failed each other. A family that failed God...

This is how the book starts. And I wept when I heard those words because this is how our advent this year started as well. 

More than any other time, this year for our family has been marked by loving and failing and hurting and forgiving each other (just click the marriage tab on the right and you'll get a picture of the big messes God loves to redeem). And hearing the good news that Jesus entered into our world to rescue us from all of the brokenness is a beautiful reminder. One that in this season is good to hear night after night after night.

Included in the book are resources for Jesse Tree ornaments and printables. This year, with our family together for the first time in awhile, my heart has longed to keep things simple. It's always easy for me to get caught up in the prefect decor and traditions and family pictures. But this year it seems right that things are quieter and there's more room to revel in God's gift to us.

So instead of scouring Pinterest for the perfect homemade advent tree, I printed off the simple coloring ornaments and hung them with twine and washi tape in our breakfast nook. The kids color each story and every day we take a peek at each gift; God's rescue plan unfolding. Then every night, as we gather the kids by the fire and read God's redemption throughout history, the simple story is exactly what I need to hear in the midst of a complex world.

Jesus comes right to your Christmas tree and looks at your family tree and says, "I am your Rescuer, and I will set you free from all the brokenness and sinfulness and sadness.  I'll be the Gift...Who wants to wake up on Christmas morning with a heart that wants the greatest Gift the most?  Who wants Jesus more than anything else?

My prayer for our family this advent season is that we would see God's redemption plan throughout all of history, and so evident in our own family tree, and continue to learn to want Jesus more than anything else.

To see how we've celebrated advent in past years, check out these posts on celebrating advent with a Jesse Tree and with the Jesus Storybook Bible.