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Hello Reader,

Don't you love the fact November has five Thursdays this year? Did this little bonus week give you a chance to catch your breath? It did me!

Normally Thanksgiving feels like the highest peak on the rollercoaster. You crank, crank, crank up and up and up and up, then pause at the tip top for one split second -- just long enough to eat some turkey and a slice of pumpkin pie -- then whooosh!

It's full speed ahead. Seatbelt tightened. Wind in your face. Holding on for dear life as heaven and nature sing. Fa la la la la. Pat-a-pat-a-pan. In excelsis Deo! And next thing you know, it's New Year's.

Well, we can't do anything about how quickly the time passes, but we can be intentional about how we use it. We can focus our thoughts on the Reason for the season. Encourage every heart to prepare Him room. Channel our resources toward things that truly matter. Carve out a place for making memories with loved ones.

Advent doesn't officially begin until Sunday, December 3, but this week I'm sharing a few countdown calendars and bucket lists in hopes they will help you savor this season. Enjoy!

Free resources for you this week:

• ​Advent Scripture Chain - short, daily verses detailing the coming of the Messiah
• ​Countdown to Christmas Bucket List - our favorite things to do as a family during December
• ​5 Things that Would Make Christmas Better - a minimalist bucket list template for you to use
• ​Design Your Own Bucket List - keep your cards in a jar and pick one every night after dinner
• ​Candy Kiss Christmas Countdown - remind your kids: "Do something sweet to get a treat."
• ​Christmas Conversation Starters - liven up the table talk between now and Christmas
• ​Christmas Book-a-Day Countdown - this is especially fun to do with younger children

What I'm reading this week:

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​Breaking Up with Sugar by Molly Carmel I've packed on quite a few pounds in the past eighteen months, thanks to menopause, a stressful move, and a painful hip injury. So I've been feeling the need to make some dietary changes for some time now. Molly Carmel offers great advice for dropping unwanted pounds permanently. Her solution? Ditch refined sugar and flour. For good. This book makes a compelling argument for why doing so is key to conquering weight problems and improving your overall health. Her program is backed by scientific research and endorsed by myriad success stories. ​

What we're eating this week:

Doug had homemade spaghetti hot, ready, and waiting for us when we got home from co-op on Monday, but I ordered meals from EveryPlate for the rest of the week. They had a great black Friday deal I couldn't pass up. Follow this link to get your first box for FREE.

What we're watching this week:

We saw Holiday Inn last night. It was the pre-curser to Bing Crosby's White Christmas and one of my daughter's favorite holiday movies.

On the podcast this week:

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Loving Life at Home: Episode 20 ​HOME SHOWS & SHOW HOMES​ ​ One of my favorite Christmas traditions is attending holiday home shows, but having a show home oneself is not a pre-requisite to extending hospitality, which is something all believers are called to do. ​ Listen Now

Progress on last week's goals:

I finished everything on last week's to-do list that was within my power to complete: I ✅ roasted my turkeys (yum!), ✅ took new family portraits, ✅ hung out with kids in Dallas, ✅ enjoyed pajama day and ✅ paid next semester's class fees at co-op, ✅ decorated Christmas trees in our dining room and den, ✅ polished my Christmas letter, and ✅ ordered our Christmas cards, but that shipment has been delayed so I ❌ have NOT gotten all those letters in the mail yet. 🙁

Personal goals for this week:

• put up house lights
• set out nativity sets
• empty my overflowing inbox (again)
• practice for our upcoming family Bible memory challenge
• finish last of my Christmas shopping & wrap gifts
• complete 6 more pages of my advent journal​

That's it for another week! May the LORD pour His richest blessings upon you as you prepare your home for Christmas and your heart for celebrating His birth. "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" - 2 Corinthians 9:15​