Giving Double Thanks

 Iris turned five! ...for REAL!  We arrived at the Avenell home (Grandma and Grandpa's place) for an evening meal with cake made by cousin Marissa.  It's a pumpkin coach with three different kinds of cake and delicious frosting.  Iris loved eating it with peppermint ice cream.

This was the Barbie birthday-five new dolls (not all full-size) with a fashion box for all the clothes and uncomfortable high-heeled shoes for the dolls.  The dolls even have a camping tent.  The wedding dress-up dress is from mom.  This scared Dad a bit because Iris looked like she was getting married.

A precious gift were two "All About Me" book, one that was completed by Brian when he was eight years old and a new one for Iris, for when she can write words and short sentences.




We were thankful that everyone was together and could enjoy some warm sunshine (83 degrees!) on Thanksgiving Day.  Iris LOVED being around cousins, even though they were all at least two feet taller than she is.  We (the parents of Iris) were happy to have a real date with free babysitting.  Mexican food and a James Bond 007 movie.  What a treat!

The day after the birthday/Thanksgiving meal we hung out by the pool (Ooh, it felt good to swim!), played the board game "Sorry", decorated a gingerbread house, and went to see the turning on of awesome Christmas lights at a local church.

Sooooorry!  (snicker, snicker)

There's Riley with Gabrielle.

 The gingerbread decorating was full of laughter, frosting on the fingers and snacking on small candies.  There was even tri-color candy corn (green, red and white) for the rooftop.  Our future pastry chef, Marissa, put frosting as icicles hanging down.  It looked pretty real.  Iris really wanted to take the house home, but it would probably never make it in one piece.  So, it's onto Christmas decorations.










Aunt Diane put up her lovely ceramic nativity set (see below).

 
  It was very appalling how the "black Friday" frenzy of buying bargain gifts not only started with people lining up at the stores for days before Thanksgiving, but several stores opening the evening of Thanksgiving.  What happened to relaxing after a delicious turkey meal?  I acknowledge that Thanksgiving is an American holiday, but it still goes well with the real meaning behind Christmas-Jesus was God's gift to this world of sin.  The material-mindedness of Christmas is so far skewed from what the joy and hope of the season was intended and could be.

I, for one, would like to raise Iris with the sane spirit of celebrating Jesus' birthday and how God kept His promise to send a Savior to all humankind.  As December is here, I pray that I will have the strength and wisdom to participate in activities that puts Jesus at the center, and not what I'm going to get.  I guess I'm starting to mature.  However, Brian and I are probably going to shop for some expensive items this Christmas for our home.  Forgive me, Lord!

Advent starts next week.  Yeah!