Attack of the Ninja Bread Men!

As you can see above, Jingle Bell had some difficulty fighting off some of the ninja bread men we made.  They had this awesome kit at Aldi's, and Mommy and Daddy had fun together making these ninja bread men.  By the way, they are absolutely delicious!  We also have a christmas sweater cookie kit, one we might be trying out before too long.

Today was Saturday, the last one before Christmas.  It was raining for much of the day, which pretty much was the theme of our December.  We've got lots of rain here lately - there's even a flood watch in effect for tomorrow.

Today was the first day of winter, although the temperatures weren't exactly wintery.  It's also "Humbug Day," so in that spirit we watched "Mickey's Christmas Carol" once again.  It's a short animated feature, but a great one.  As for the winter thing, we don't see much of the white snow right now, but I'm thinking we'll see some in January.

We went out together today, despite the rain, and did a few chores in preparation for the big day next week.  We also went to eat at Texas Roadhouse, where Daddy had one of the greatest steaks ever prepared.  This one goes on my second all-time-best steak ever list - it was that good.  First place goes to a chateaubriand we had on Valentine's Day at the Sundial Restaurant in 1999.  Four years before that, Daddy had a steak at Outback Steakhouse in Athens, the previous best steak record holder.  Steaks come and go, but there are some that are simply supernatural, and stick with a man's memory as long as that first kiss, or the day you get your driver's license.  To qualify, every bite of that steak has to be perfect.  I don't go into a steakhouse expecting this, of course.  But I've been to many places that serve steak, from Golden Corral to Fogo de Chao.  And every so often, like a rare comet or eclipse, the universe is in perfect harmony as the server puts down the perfect steak.  To attempt to describe the experience is futile.  And yet steak lovers know it so well - it's that ultimate moment that reminds us of how much of a loving God we have.

Enough about steak.  What did we do the rest of today?  Not much.  It was an official day off for Daddy, so we played some Marvel Lego (of course), and watched some Christmas movies.  We went to the bank, and did a bit of Christmas shopping too.

But we returned early to the house, as it was just plain yucky weather outside.  Sorry, I know rain is good, but we were deluged with it today!

Before bedtime, we read stories and did our advent calendars.  We're almost done with these, aren't we?  We're almost ready to say goodbye to Jingle Bell the elf too.  He's got to return to the North Pole, of course.

Here's another thing we're almost done with:  our devotional entries for Daddy's very own "25 Days of Christmas."

Take a look-see!

DECEMBER 21 - "The Santa Clause"

Scott Calvin wasn’t the greatest role model for a father, let alone Father Christmas. That is, until one fateful Christmas Eve when he put on the Santa suit – and over the course of a year, found himself becoming none other than Santa Claus.

The movie “The Santa Clause” shows a pretty dramatic change for our hero. In just a year’s time, he transforms into something entirely different. One December, he’s thin, self-centered and too busy for anyone. The next December… he’s Santa Claus!

When we become Christians, a similar transformation takes place. No, we don’t get a round little belly that shakes when we laugh like a bowl full of jelly. But we do begin to take on the likeness of Jesus in all of the things that we do. That’s why we take on His name: CHRISTians.

In fact, you’ll find the word CHRIST in Christmas too. This season – and beyond – be sure to act in a way that honors His name. Remember His love and power, be transformed into something wonderful, and have a Merry Christmas!