We are starting early this year just because of a few different things, but we have LOVED doing Advent so far! Nathan gets so thrilled to open the little doors and see what the paper says we’re going to do that night. 😉 I got the layout for the verses from this blog here.

Day 1 – we read Luke 1:26-28, 31 and decorated an ornament for the tree. I think he looks about 19 in the second picture.

Day 2 – we read Matthew 1:18 and prayed for our extended family.

Day 3 – we read Luke 1:46-55 and watched Frosty the Snowman. Nathan got to eat pizza while he watched at Mom and Dad’s. 😉

Day 4 – we read Matthew 1:20 and decorated a tree in Nathan’s room.

Day 5 – we read Matthew 1:21 and put up Christmas lights on the house.

Day 6 – we read Matthew 1:22-23 and Isaiah 7:14 and played a family game (Duck, Duck, Goose and Ring Around the Rosy were the choices). 🙂

Day 7 – we read Luke 2:4 and watched a Charlie Brown Christmas.

I love this season so much!!

I really loved hearing what everyone’s favorite Christmas songs were!! And now, here’s the winner of Latte Daze!!

It’s Jaquelyn! 🙂

Congrats!! Email me at erynnmangum@gmail.com and I’ll send that right off!! 🙂 Next Friday, I’ll be giving away Double Shot!

This Thanksgiving, we had a wonderful, wonderful time at Gammy and Pops’ house. I think we spent the majority of almost every day this holiday weekend there – so restful! All we did was eat and visit and watch movies and play games. Best kind of holiday. 😉 I don’t think I took off my blue fuzzy slippers except for a two hour stint one day.

My highlight of the weekend was when we were all saying what we were thankful for and Nathan told everyone that he was thankful “for my payents (parents).” There might have been tears. 😉

My family on Thanksgiving night. Love this!

Last night, they gave Jon a surprise birthday celebration since my sweet husband’s birthday is this Friday. So fun – we were both surprised, actually. Ha! 😉

Our little present opener. He is a mess. I told Jon one day this weekend that I wasn’t sure that both Nathan and myself were going to make it through this “I Am Two” stage we are in. Oy. Not sure how my son can go from being the most perfect little angel in the world to a screaming, crying, hitting and kicking mess in .0076 seconds.

Me and my love. I can’t put into words how much I adore this man.

We also started our advent a little early this year! I am loving it with Nathan. 🙂 Just for my memories’ sake, I’m going to do a couple of posts on the things we did this year getting ready for Jesus.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend and are getting back into the swing of things now!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! 🙂

Up for grabs this weekend – an autographed copy of Latte Daze! Leave a comment and I’ll draw the winner on Monday. 

Today’s comment question: What is your favorite Christmas song??

Have a wonderful weekend!

This year has not been the easiest year, by any means. But this year has also taught me so much about God, about His grace to me and I have seen how much I have been blessed.

So, today, I am thankful.

Thankful for Isaiah 41:13 – it reminds me I have no need to fear because God holds my right hand.

Thankful for Psalm 62:5-6 – it reminds me to wait for the Lord and to hope in Him.

Thankful for Hebrews 10:23 – it reminds me the Lord is faithful and He will keep His word.

May this coming year, our lives echo the words of Psalm 66:5… “Come and see the works of God….”

Blessings to you and your family this Thanksgiving!

Let’s just say that the nerdiness in my family is such that there are a few of us who would probably find these hilarious.

Probably. 😉

2. Merry Christmas Shirt

Merry Christmas White T-shirt
Check out more christmas tshirts

Well, it’s not an Ugly Sweater, but I am still a sucker for all things Christmas related that you can wear on your person.

3.  Christmas Tree Mailing Labels

1.25″x2.75″ Modern Christma Tree Mailing Label
Check out more christmas gift labels

I think these are adorable. I love Christmas address labels!

4. Ugly Sweater Party Invitations

Ugly Christmas Sweater Holiday Party Invitation
See another christmas party invitation

Our friends Clint and Leigh Ann hosted an Ugly Sweater part for the Navigators last year and I thought it was about the greatest idea ever. 😉

5. Noah’s Greeting Card

Noah’s Artisitc Impressions Greeting Cards
See other autism christmas cards

This made me tear up. These Christmas cards were painted by a seventeen-year-old named Noah who has Autism. I love how he’s using his talents!

red snowflake stamp
Shop for more buy christmas stamps

And, of course, there’s the stamp you need for your Christmas cards. I love Christmas stamps! 🙂

I hope this little list got the wheels turning!! How do you make your Christmas lists of gifts for family and friends? Pen & Paper? Computer? Or iPhone? 🙂

Please note that I was compensated for these reviews.

I loved reading all of your Christmas traditions!! I may or may not have gotten a few ideas that we will be happily stealing borrowing from you guys now. 😉

And the winner of the autographed Cool Beans is:

Sarah V!! Send me an email at erynnmangum@gmail.com and I’ll ship your book out shortly!

I’ll be having another Holly Jolly Giveaway on Friday, so stay tuned for that contest! 🙂

This was yet another busy weekend! On Saturday, we happened to see a news segment that mentioned a big ceremony to light a 42-foot tall tree here, so we decided to head over there that night and watch.

I feel like this year Nathan is really getting into the idea of Christmas and baby Jesus and Santa. He talks about Christmas almost every day right now. I was telling him about how baby Jesus was born and that’s why we celebrate Christmas. Then I said, “Okay, Nathan. Why do we have Christmas?”

He looked at me and said, “Um…um…because Jesus rode a bike.”

We’re working on it. 😉

The tree lighting was SO FUN. Santa turned the lights on the huge Christmas tree (a relief for Nathan because he was convinced the tree was “bwoken”), there were free goodies and balloon animals and carolers singing. Nathan was sitting on Jon’s shoulders for the tree lighting and when Santa first walked out, this is what he did:

I was KILLING myself that I didn’t have my good camera with me. He was very insistent that we wait to meet Santa and told me that “Santa need to hold Nathan.” So, as soon as we got to the front of the line, he reached right over for Santa to hold him.

Goose. 😉 He talked nearly nonstop the whole time Santa was holding him, bless Santa’s heart. My baby is not a light one.

Sunday, we had our family pictures taken. Love how they turned out! A huge thanks to my friend Kelsey for taking these! I’m going to save a lot of them for my Christmas card, but here’s a couple sneak peeks:

My side of the family 🙂

My boys. 🙂

Me and my baby. I cannot believe how old he looks in these pictures!

All this Christmas music I’ve been listening to lately has put me into the cheeriest mood.

Or maybe it is just because Jon brought me home a Caramel Brulee latte last night since Starbucks is doing a buy one, get one free on all holiday drinks and I’m still feeling the effects of happiness in a cup. Nathan has been at his best to ruin this mood, but I WILL HOLD ON TO IT.

At least, this was my little pep talk I gave myself as I went to the mailbox this afternoon, leaving my disobedient son in the house so I could have a few minutes in the cold air by myself.

Two will not go down as my favorite age, I’m nearly one hundred percent certain.

Whatever the case, I think it’s about time for a few fun giveaways for the Christmas season!! Between now and December 14th, I will be giving away an autographed book a week!

Merry Christmas, friends!

First up for giveaway, is the first installment in Maya’s story:

Want to win Cool Beans? Leave a comment letting me know your favorite Christmas tradition!!

And if you’re ready to start getting in the Christmas spirit, check out my e-novella, The Christmas Watch, on a Kindle, smart phone or computer near you!!

I’ll pick the winner of Cool Beans on Monday! Good luck everyone! 🙂

Occasionally, I get an email asking about the random topics that come up in my books. So, I decided to give you a small snippet of what I heard today from the two men in my life.

Nathan and I were talking about how we were going over to Leigh Ann and Hayley’s house later today and he suddenly blurted out in the middle of our conversation, “Oh, I need to wash my toes. My big toe, my wittle toe and my median toe.”

Later this evening, Jon and I were listening to Christmas music in the car and I skipped Michael Buble’s “Home for Christmas” because we aren’t going to be this year. Jon said, “What happened to home is where the heart is? Really, that means that wherever we are is home. So basically, we are all like turtles, I guess.”

And y’all wonder where I get the random conversations in my novels… 😉 I’ve got a fun contest coming on Friday, so stay tuned!! 🙂

We have had a bit of a cold snap lately, but if you have been
following this blog for any period of time, you know I LOVE the snow and
cold and anything and everything related to Christmas and winter.

So we haven’t minded too much. 🙂

Today I’m thankful for cozy winter hats….

 For tiny little gloves covering cute little hands….

For coffee to warm me up and deadlines to finish….

 And for a boy who makes me crazy but oh, how much I love him!

 Stay tuned this week – I feel like all these Christmas songs I’ve been listening to have put me in the mood for a giveaway… 😉

Last Monday, Nathan and I were over at Gammy and Pops’ house around nap time, so I just brought all of Nathan’s bed buddies (he cannot sleep without Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Lucky and Wyatt. And they all have very specific places to be beside him) and laid him down there. Somehow, Donald Duck went missing and we couldn’t find him anywhere when we left.

He turned up later though and these pictures were texted to us most of this week. Apparently, Donald has been enjoying his time at Gammy and Pops’ house.

Ha! Nathan thinks this is HILARIOUS. He always starts giggling, snorting and then saying, “HEY! Donnnallld!”

These are only a few of my favorites. Donald has been everywhere. 😉 Nathan has loved seeing his buddy doing all sorts of things:

I think we will have to go pick up Donald today so he can be reunited with his Goofy owner. 😉