It's been a while...

So, I realize it's been a while since I posted. I guess we've been pretty busy livin' life lately! We've been working with Elizabeth on using the potty, and trying to finish our table along with getting ready for Christmas.

In the past two weeks I've thought at least a couple of times Elizabeth would be potty trained by Christmas for sure and then there were more accidents. I've devoted lots of time to the potty training business this past week which means we've spent lots of time at home, but we're still not really there. We are having success in one area (I haven't changed a dirty diaper in a week), but still not totally there yet. I've decided to wait until she decides to tell me that she needs to go potty each time.

playing around one afternoon during Eva's tummy time!

Speaking of our table...we moved it to an extra room downstairs (that doesn't have carpet) to refinish the top (and make the leaf match). This picture was taken during the staining process.
We are currently applying the last couple of coats of polyurethane now! Hopefully the table will re-appear in our dining room in the next couple of days - I can't wait!! For the last week and a half we've been using a teeny tiny table, and I think it's getting to me. We spend a lot of time at the table all throughout the day (maybe we're weird), but it's like the center of our home, anyways I'm really ready to have it back...it's looking great by the way! Michael has done a great job!! That table we got for free has served us well for seven years, and hopefully now it will last us several more years!
And...Christmas is coming! We are staying home this year and have begun some new family traditions. We wanted to celebrate this season with the girls and keep the focus on Jesus, his birth and what it meant for Jesus to come. We have been reading a little of the Christmas story (Luke 2) every day and adding figures to a poster, so the girls can see the story come together. We are also doing an advent wreath this year. It has five candles, four around the wreath (representing hope, peace, love & joy) and one in the middle (to represent Jesus). So, we started four Sundays before Christmas and we light an additional candle each Sunday along with a little message prepared by Daddy and some songs we sing out of an old hymnal. We thought it appropriate to use candles since "The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world." John 1:9