May we be truly thankful

We can't believe this is the end of November! We have very mixed and different views about the holiday season at our house. There are feelings of great joy in anticipating the opening of gifts (not just the kids, and not just our own - we love seeing others open gifts we have chosen for them); feelings of warmth and happiness and thankfulness that we have a wonderful family that we love, a home to enjoy them in, a job that allows for us to have all that we need and then some, etc. There are also feelings of negativity - about the massive consumerism that even our own children have taken on. There's the Christmas list and worry about how it will be paid for. There's the crazy traffic, insane parking lots, travel time to spend with family who is also stressed about the holidays. The mystery/elusiveness/challenge of a good present for people who have all they need and want already, and guilt for adding more stuff to their already full houses. Last year, we studied the ADVENT CONSPIRACY and think it's a humbling look at the true meaning of Christmas, beyond trite (however good-intentioned) reminders that "Jesus is the reason for the season" or "put the Christ back in Christmas."
The 4 points are:
1 - Worship Fully
2 - Spend Less
3 - Give More
4 - Love All
It's very calming and almost stress-relieving to think of someone besides ourselves for a while. We want our children to enjoy this season, and trust me, they will. But we also want them to understand what it's about.

We have several Christmas traditions that I love: filling shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child, decorating a tree (live if I get my way!), finding a great ornament for each child, new pjs on Christmas Eve, leaving cookies for Santa and carrots or oatmeal for the reindeer, baking a Happy Birthday Jesus cake with the kids, singing Christmas Carols and learning which are the kids favorites each year, oranges and apples in the toes of our stockings, watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas, pumpkin chocolate chip bread, our elf Romo magically arriving to watch the kids and report back to Santa each night on their behavior, playing in the snow with the boys (the one or two times it sticks) and making snowballs til our fingers are red and stiff and sore, etc. While we've tried to stress the importance of thankfulness all year long, we're going to try something new for the month of December. Each day, when we wake up, we're going to focus on being thankful. I'm going to ask both boys what they are especially thankful for each day, and I will post it here (along with something I am thankful for.) We're going to try to have something different every day. SO, check back as often as you'd like this month, and know that we have so much to be thankful for! And if you'd like to check out the Advent Conspiracy - go to www.adventconspiracy.org And, if anyone has any other ideas for helping kids (and their parents) be more thankful during this time, or other ways to celebrate and worship our Savior during this time, please share them with us in the comments! We love you all and hope your season is filled with meaning!