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It's the second week of Advent and for this Sandwich Generation granny nanny, it started off with kisses, click clacking, and a clang! The kisses were from sweet grandchildren during a delightful afternoon that also included reading about Daniel Boone, some Advent activities for grandparents and grandchildren as we enjoyed a Christmas praise and worship music CD together, and two VERY fast games of checkers. (They were thrilled as they both won BIG TIME!)
These fun times were followed by a tranquil hour of Panera's hot chocolate and click clacking away on my mini pc portable netbook as I was blog site-seeing around the blog world, including A Pause in Advent and Denise Brown's Caregiving Holiday Progressive Blog Party.
Then it was on to church for the clang of cymbals accompanied by piano, guitars, and an awesome choir as we thrilled to the sound of majestic Christmas praise and worship music. It was a wonderful Advent Sunday, I must say!
Perfect days are rare for all of us and especially for those of us involved in caring for elderly parents as well as helping with grandkids. This was one of those days that are truly a gift from God and when they come, it's so important to cherish the moments while they're happening and remember them during the more difficult days.
Another of His sweet gifts are encouraging Bible verses. During the time of Advent and Christmas I love to find creative ways to share the story of the Nativity with fun decorations and activities for grandparents and grandchildren. Deuteronomy 6:6-9 reminds us to surround ourselves with God's Word and Christmas gives us extra opportunities to do just that with unique Christmas tree ornaments and other decorations.
Several of my Christmas tree ornaments have encouraging and uplifting Bible verses on them like
and
or remind us of spiritual truths,
I have cute stuffed animals from the Christian book store that teach my grandkids to focus on Jesus – the Reason for the Season.
And this year, I was delighted to add a special new decoration from Penny Carlson of Lavender Hill Studio. I won a lovely mosaic cross during the Kelee Katillac's Miracle Party that SandwichINK participated in through Spiritual Sunday.
Penny sweetly gave me my choice of patterns and I selected these delightful pink roses.
After seeing how lovely it was, I knew it had to join my other special Christmas and Easter decorations.
It's perfect for Advent activities for grandparents and grandchildren! It gives me the opportunity to remind them that, without Jesus dying on the cross and rising from the dead as was prophesied, there would be no Christmas! Mega thanks again to Penny for this!
How about you? Do you have any special and unique Christmas tree ornaments or other decorations that you use to teach your grandkids or encourage your elderly parents with? We'd love to hear about them. And don't forget. Any comment, anywhere on SandwichINK, from December 5 through December 12, 2010, will enter you in the free blog giveaway for an Amazon gift certificate. And there are even more surprises being given away at Caregiving.com during their Caregiving Holiday Progressive Blog Party. A wonderful gift for all of us caring for the elderly parents in our families.
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Ny name is Sharon, and I blog at caregiving.com. I saw your website once again during the Holiday Progressive Party going on at caregiving.com
I am a caregiver for my husband who has a serious neurological disease. You can read more about it on my blog post at caregiving.com.
I love your colorful site and your spiritual emphasis! I would like to see something for all Christian caregivers not just those who take care of elderly parents.
Howdy from central Texas! We at Hill Country Care Providers (http://hillcountrycareproviders.com) are looking to find some like-minded companies and individuals across the country to confer with regarding eldercare, in-home geriatric practices, and with whom to simply share general health tips. We’re all in this together–competition, borders, and profit margins all seem rather insignificant when you consider the people whose well-being is at stake. Happy Holidays–and keep on keepin’ on!
Also, three cheers to CareGiving.com for organizing the Holiday Progressive Blog Party! What a great idea to bring people together.
Hi there Texas! 🙂 Excellent points all. And Yes – HIP HIP HOORAY to Caregiving.com 🙂 Just added you to Facebook and Twitter 🙂 🙂 🙂 Have a lovely blog party time!
Advent Activities for Grandparents and Grandchildren Using Unique …: Encouraging Bible verses + on unique Chri… http://bit.ly/hTFmh3
Hi Sharon, Thanks for stopping by. That’s a great suggestion. Many of the articles here are applicable to any caregiver – it just is from my viewpoint which is a daughter caring for her mom. Usually Thursdays and Saturdays the focus is specifically on caregiving – but it is often eldercare. However I have a couple of dear relatives I help with who are younger as well as some sweet grandkids with special needs and you’re right, there are some differences. I’ll have to see what I can add to the editorial calendar. 🙂
There are some Christian blogs written by women caring for their husbands and they are often full of encouragement. I’ll have to start a list, but right off the bat I’ll point you to:
Wild About Whidbey and Rons Road 2 Recovery are written by Whidbey Woman whose husband has Advanced Colon Cancer. Wild about Whidbey is primarily about life on Whidbey Island with bits about her caregiving, while Rons Road 2 Recovery really covers different aspects of their life dealing with his cancer, his treatments, and God’s provision through it. They have a wonderfully positive attitude, well anchored in the Lord.
Also, Spiritual Sunday is a weekly “meme” or “blog hop” of a variety of Christian blogs and posts – full of words of encouragement. I’ve “met” several other caregivers through visiting each of those as well and I would invite you to join us each Sunday. You are welcome to link a post from your caregiving blog or just pop over and read various posts. Just click on the names of each of these sites to be wonderfully and bloggily transported to each site. 🙂
And if there’s something specific you’d like to see here at SandwichINK, do let me know and I’ll do my best 🙂 Thanks again for visiting and have a blessed day.
I just love this time of year. My children are all grown but not grown enough for marriage or grandchildren yet. So, we celebrate quietly.
Hi Melinda, I know that feeling well! Some years I do a lot, some years just a bit. But even one little thing can plant wonderful seeds in the hearts and minds of our children and grandchildren – and those seeds can last for an eternity! 🙂
Hi Hip Chick, I’ve had a couple of those quiet Christmases as well. I’m learning to cherish moments each year, no matter how busy or quiet. LIke little snapshots in my heart. 🙂 Have a blessed Christmas season!
I love Advent … we have celebrated it some years and other years I’ve let the busyness of the season take over and it just didn’t happen. I’ve missed the first Sunday this year, but hope to celebrate it the rest of the month. Kaye, you have such wonderful and meaningful suggestions, as usual. 🙂 Tweeting this!
Fun and meaningful Advent activities for your kids and grandkids from @sandwichink! Plus enter her Amazon GC giveaway! http://bit.ly/ex1BBa