Why I am getting into the Christmas Spirit RIGHT NOW

Many of you remember that last year Ben and I were doing job training for Lifeway in Nashville, TN, while staying in an extended stay hotel (one room) during Thanksgiving and the beginning of November. Not only was there stress from the job itself (many of the managers that Ben was working under were going out of their way to try to get him to quit), but I was also stuck in a hotel room (with occasional walks outside when it was nice with the kids) with a five month old and a two year old. We watched lots of blues clues and backyardigens and I watched "the secret life of an american teenager" and listened to sermons. It was then still stressful when we moved to Pennsylvania and had to "camp" in our new apartment in December. We had none of our stuff, and I didn't feel the season at all. I really wanted to, but we didn't know if we were even going to be there very long.

This year, there is much rejoicing. Ben has moved on from his job at Lifeway, and has decided to accept another job that looks much more promising for his gifts and affirming him along the way and is more fiscally affordable for the long term.

So I am getting excited! We are going to get a potted tree that we can use in the apartment for Christmas smell, and to decorate with the kids (and also to purify the air in the apartment).
 I am going to make cinnamon ornaments with some of the moms from my moms Group and we're going to use those to decorate the tree as well and Ben and I are going to make some other ornaments.

We want to figure out an advent time each night with the kids to talk about the coming of Christ and I'm really looking forward to going to Christmas eve service. I'm just really excited about Christmas this year!!

We are also going to spend some parts of Thanksgiving with the Engle family which we haven't done in four years. It'S going to be fun also be different because this past year two family members have passed away and so it will be different and I hope good time I'm looking forward to seeing my family in West Virginia and Virginia.