December is always a (ribbon-fested, sugar-loaded) whirlwind, and this year—with Thanksgiving coming closer to Christmas—it felt especially quick. Our family had a full and joyful season, and I’m excited to be recapping it today.
|| READING LATELY ||
This month’s reading was all about Christmas. The kids and I read The Autobiography of Santa Claus (which Santa gifted Charleston last Christmas, after he requested a book about Santa). They all loved it! (You can read my full review from when I first read it here.) We read through two family Advent Devotionals, including this Jesse Tree-stye guide that goes along with our Advent blocks (more on that below) and this beautiful experiential guide from Tsh Oxenreider that offers a daily devotional, Scripture reading, song, and a piece of art for reflection.
On my own, I read FIVE holiday novellas, including this historical romance (plus two contemporary romances), this story of found family, and this Christmas mystery. I’m sharing my reviews below since it seems incongruous to share reviews of holiday novels in a January Quick Lit post.
Holiday Hideaway, by Mary Kay Andrews: Christmas will look a little different for Tilly this year: it’s the first since her divorce, and a recent eviction and empty bank account have her squatting in one of her rental agency’s properties until the new year. When the new owner shows up unexpectedly, she is forced to hide in the attic. Meanwhile, George Holloway is doing some hiding himself—from his accidental fiancé and her high-society plans for them back in Boston. Renovating the old house he recently inherited from his granduncle is the perfect excuse for some alone time this holiday. But George quickly realizes he isn’t alone in the house, and if the romantic magic of Christmas has its way, the two tenants’ paths—and love lives—are destined to cross.
This sweet short story delivers on the cozy vibes, charming characters, and Hallmark-esque romance. It’s predictable and the ending is abrupt, but it was a pleasant accompaniment to a December treadmill workout and has me open to reading more from Mary Kay Andrews in the future.
My Rating: 4 Stars // Book Format: Kindle
Finding Father Christmas, by Robin Jones Gunn—Since her mother’s death when she was a child, Miranda Carson has never felt like she belonged. Now almost thirty, Miranda has decided that this is the Christmas for her loneliness—or at least her unanswered questions—to come to an end. On a whim, she books a flight to London in search of the father she never knew. She is unexpectedly welcomed into a family who knows nothing about her, but is immediately confronted with a decision: should she reveal her true identity and risk destroying their idyllic image of their father?
While high on the cheese-o-meter, it’s a charming story with lovely messages of hope, belonging, and faith. I enjoyed the inclusion of some uniquely British Christmas traditions, the pre-smartphone setting (this was written in 2007), and the positive portrayal of a Christian family who welcomes a stranger in her time of need.
My Rating: 4 Stars // Book Format: Kindle
The Perfect Christmas, by Debbie Macomber: Thirty-three-year-old Cassie Beaumont wants nothing more than to experience the Perfect Christmas with the Perfect Husband and Perfect Children by her side. After exhausting all of her options for finding a potential mate, she decides to hire a professional matchmaker. Simon Dodson’s fee is steep and his demeanor leaves much to be desired, but Cassie agrees to shell out $30,000 to be matched with the man of her dreams.
Claiming he has a match in mind, Simon assigns Cassie with three tasks that must be completed before she gets to meet her soul mate: being a charity bell ringer outside Target, dressing up as a flying elf alongside a mall Santa, and hosting a formal dinner party for her curmudgeonly neighbors. Mayhem ensues, and love is in the air . . . it just may not look like Cassie always pictured it.
Debbie Macomber is known for her wholesome holiday romances, if not her high-caliber writing, so I had a good idea of what to expect from this quick Christmas read. The premise is outlandish but cute, but the dialogue is stilted, the characters lack chemistry, and the story takes some ridiculous turns that were a bit much for me (which is saying something, since I can tolerate a pretty high level of cheese around Christmas time!). This was the least favorite of the Christmas books I read this season, but it was decently entertaining and definitely full of Christmas cheer, so I’m willing to give Macomber’s Christmas books another shot (there are so many to choose from!); I just may need to wait a couple of Christmases before I’m ready for another Macomber cheese fest.
My Rating: 3 Stars // Book Format: Kindle
Holiday by Gaslight, by Mimi Matthews: After Sophie Appersett’s father squanders his fortune (including Sophie’s dowry) on bringing gaslight to Appersett House, Sophie knows that her marital prospects are limited. Sophie has no problem marrying outside her class—especially if her marriage can save the family from financial ruin—but she would like to marry someone she can grow to love, and after two months of courting London merchant Edward Sharpe, she doubts the two are a suitable match. Sophie puts an end to the relationship with the overly formal Sharpe, then (at the request of her parents) offers him one last chance during her family’s Christmas party. This time, though, there will be honesty and no formality. . . because times are changing, and if Sophie and Edward are to have a successful union, their approach to courtship must change too.
This is my second novel from Mimi Matthews, and I love the author’s gentle storytelling that forgoes contrived storylines and tired tropes in favor of mature characters taking a pragmatic (but still romantic) approach to love. The story of a woman seeking a love match between equal partners is not at all historically accurate, but I was willing to suspend disbelief to enjoy the festive atmosphere and swoon-worthy story. The historical elements (including references to Prince Albert, Charles Darwin, and the gradual adoption of gaslight and indoor plumbing) were also a nice touch.
My Rating: 4 Stars // Book Format: Kindle
Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret, by Benjamin Stevenson—Ernest Cunningham has some experience solving murders; after all, everyone in his family has killed someone. So when his ex-wife sends a desperate message from prison, where she’s being held on suspicion of murdering her boyfriend, he has no choice but to rush to her aid. Which is how Ern finds himself backstage at the show of a world famous magician, faced with two crimes to solve, a handful of suspects, and a series of clues: A suspect covered in blood, without a memory of how it got there. A murder committed without setting foot inside the room where it happens. And an advent calendar.
This Christmas novella repeats everything I loved from Stevenson’s first book—witty, self-referential narration; quirky suspects; a bizarre yet complex mystery—with the addition of some holiday cheer. And I loved it! It was so fun to see his sleuthing process, with an adherence to the 7 Commandments of Holiday Specials (3: “The detective must, at some point, learn the true meaning of the word Christmas,” etc.), and I enjoyed the Advent Calendar element, with numbered clues given at the end of each of the 24 chapters which, when pieced together, provide a solution to the mystery. What a fun, creative read!
(This is part of a series, and though you don’t need to have read the previous books, the narrative style and humor will make more sense if you’ve read book one.)
My Rating: 4.5 Stars (Rounded to 5 Stars on Goodreads) // Book Format: Kindle
|| WATCHING LATELY ||
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever—I took the kids to see this after reading the book last month, and we all agreed that the movie was even better than the novel! (That seems to be a theme for the movie remakes of our readalouds this year.) The film captures the sweet Gospel message of the book while building upon the story and really bringing the characters to life. I enjoyed the 1970s setting (which made me nostalgic for the simpler Christamses of my own 1980s youth), and I especially adored the positive portrayal of a stay-at-home mom (something that is present but not necessarily highlighted in the book). By the end of the movie I was sobbing, which for me is always the mark of a successful film. This deserves a spot among the must-see Christmas classics we enjoy each year. My Rating: 5 Stars.
|| LISTENING LATELY ||
The Daily—’The Interview’: Jonathan Rumie Plays Jesus to Millions. It Can Get Intense.
ReFocus with Jim Daly—Dr. Carl Trueman: How Believers Can Respond to Critical Theory
THINQ—The Emptiness of Platform Building-Grant Skeldon | Episode 310
Honestly with Bari Weiss—Why Jews Wrote Your Favorite Christmas Songs
|| LOVING LATELY ||
We don’t have a fireplace in our house, so we’ve never had a designated spot for stockings. This year Luke made a stocking hanger that we hung in our hallway and I’m thrilled with how it turned out. Luke and I still have our stockings from childhood (both made by our moms!) and my mother-in-law made the kids’ cute stockings.
Perhaps my favorite Christmas decoration is our display of annual Christmas cards going back to 2015. I’m running out of space, but just love having this seasonal visual of how our family has grown with each passing year.
|| MONTHLY KID-ISMS ||
CHARLIE-ISMS:
+ “I’m thinking of an idea so big that will erase Thomas Edison from the history books.” Luke: “We call that overshadow.” Charleston: “I’m not gonna overshadow. I’m gonna black hole!”
+ After I told him his Christmas gift plan was brilliant: “Thank you. It’s nice being a genius.”
+ “You’re a generous parent. You could be MORE generous, if you want any tips.”
+ On a particular rough day with Nico: “Mom, this is your reminder not to have any more kids.”
KALI-ISMS:
+ “I wish I had magic. Because then I would do my hair without you doing it.”
+ Sully: “Why are you going outside, it’s freezing out there!” Kali: “I get used to it. I don’t know what ‘used to’ means, but I like the cold.”
+ Luke, commenting on a picture of Santa’s list: “Kali, I think I see your name on the naughty list.” Kali: “No, I’m not on the naughty list. I’m on the Great List.”
+ At Chick-fil-A, when the playground was getting a little wild: “I like our home. There’s no crazy kids there.”
+ When Luke said we’d be having sparkling cider on New Year’s Eve: “I just want the sparkling part.”
SULLY-ISMS:
+ “This is awesome, Mom! Did you know that inside of [snow]globes. . . there’s water! There’s a bubble in my globe!!!”
+ “It’s really cold out there, I could tell because that’s one of my super powers, smelling the weather.”
+ Talking about wishing on the first star of the night: “I’m wishing that Daddy is 110 years old.” Me: “You mean that he gets to be that old?” Sully: “No, that he turns that old tomorrow.”
+ When I told him not to cover his mouth and nose or he’d suffocate. “But how will you suffocate? You still have two more holes from your ears.”
|| HAPPENINGS & HIGHLIGHTS ||
We kicked off the Christmas Season the day after Thanksgiving with a trip to the Christmas tree lot to pick out our tree (plus a smaller one for the kids to decorate). That afternoon we checked off another Black Friday tradition of the First Present of Christmas: pajamas and books! (We used to do this present on Christmas Eve, but that left just one night to enjoy the gifts. Now we get the jammies and stories for the whole month!)
The next day, those trees got trimmed. Many of my favorite Christmas traditions revolve around decorating our tree, from the Christmas M&Ms we snack on while we decorate (this is one of the only times all year we offer a “free reign” snack situation) to the time lapse photos we take of our tree getting trimmed. The kids all get new ornaments from Luke’s mom every Christmas, and we take pictures of each of them with their new ornaments and with their First Christmas ornaments (Luke has HIS first ornament so we’re sure to get a pic of him with his, too). We love recounting the stories of each ornament, especially those from our collection of Special Family Ornaments that commemorate a memorable moment or milestone. These ornaments tell the story of seventeen Christmases together for Luke and me! This year’s ornament has each of our names to celebrate the addition of a sixth little Jernejcic.
We attended the Christmas ADVENTure party at church on the first day of Advent, and it was such a fun event. They had crafts, a scavenger hunt, s’mores, lawn games, and a hot cocoa bar, and the sanctuary was sent up like a campground for a movie showing (The Star) with fresh popcorn. The kids loved it, and it was great to see so many of our church families participating.
Our nightly Advent traditions through December are one of my favorite parts of the Christmas season. These little rhythms are small, but they infuse each night of Christmas with spiritual significance and anticipation. In addition to our Advent candles, which were lit each night at dinner, we did the same three nightly countdowns that we’ve done for the past few Christmases: a Melissa & Doug Advent tree, a Lego Advent calendar, and Advent blocks that coordinate with our Advent readings. The kids rotated to do a separate thing each night, and I got smart this year and printed out a rotation calendar so there was no confusion over who had which item each evening. It’s worked out well to have three countdowns for our three big kiddos, and we’re already brainstorming what to add next year so that Nico can participate.
Our Kali girl got her ears pierced! She’s been begging to have them done for as long as we can remember, and we told her that she could get them done when she was five. We’ve been busy so she had to wait a little longer than planned, but we eventually booked an appointment and she and I made a date of it. She was nervous but didn’t cry at all and is so excited about her new bling. When I got my own ears pierced my dad talked to me about how marking our bodies is an opportunity to commemorate a commitment to God. On the day we pierced her ears, Kali committed to always listen to God’s voice (with those diamond-studded ears, of course).
We saw Charleston perform as an extra in his school’s performance of The Beloved Dearly. It was a small part, but fun to see him on stage. We also got to see the props he had designed for the play!
We went to Bass Pro Shop to visit Santa and take some pictures, and it went well! Nico had been pretty fussy right before seeing Santa, but was calm in Santa’s arms; I was shocked! The kids were cute asking Santa for their gifts, though the twins were a little confused as to why Santa needed to ask them about their requests when they’d already sent letters.
We went back to see Santa two weeks later for a cousins picture. The kids didn’t ask why Santa looked so different, or why he STILL needed to ask what they wanted for Christmas. 😉 Once again, Nico had no problems being held by the jolly stranger.
Our friends Cara and Dan visited from South Dakota, and we had a wonderful day with them! We went to the Liberty Hill Christmas festival where we enjoyed some “snow” (on a 75-degree day!), went to lunch, and played games at home. Cara and I have been friends since high school and I love that we’ve stayed close all these years. Whenever we’re together, it feels like no time has passed at all.
Last weekend Charleston participated in Trail Racers (the Trail Life version of pinewood derby car races). Charleston named his vehicle “The Car That Lived” and painted it with a Harry Potter aesthetic. And it performed great in the racing, coming in third of all the participating cars! He was so proud of his achievement, and it was fun for the twins to watch this event they’ll be old enough to participate in next year. (Kali already has plans for a pink car with a yellow unicorn horn.)
This past week was all about knocking out those final Christmas traditions, including a Christmas lights scavenger hunt, baking cookies, and sleeping under the Christmas tree!
Christmas Eve was just about perfect. That morning we attended a candlelight service at church; I loved worshipping together as a family, holding our candles and singing my favorite carols while Nico napped on my chest. It was the best! We came home and delivered Christmas cookies to the neighbors, then Charleston hosted a Christmas festival for us! He’d made games and tickets, coordinated a talent show complete with ballots and homemade prizes, and had a full gallery of Christmas artwork (his “Wall of [candy] Cane”). He’d worked on the festival preparations for weeks, and we all loved it! That afternoon we decorated a gingerbread house, and that evening we got ready for Santa’s visit: milk, cookies, and goat cheese for Santa (we learned from Santa’s autobiography that goat cheese is his favorite) and carrots for the reindeer.
Well, Charleston insisted he heard Santa coughing and munching cookies in the night, and Christmas morning revealed that Santa HAD come! The kids’ reactions to their presents were more than I could have hoped for, and Arlo was ecstatic about his new chew toys (he was running circles around the living room which is unusual for him). Highlights of the morning were the kids’ thoughtfulness towards each other and the adorable cards Charleston made each of us. He’d also made presents for Luke and me (a holiday pull-off countdown for Luke and custom journal for me), and we later learned that making our gifts was Plan D of Charleston’s gift-giving strategy; he showed us his journal in which he’d documented Plan A: secretly mail letters to Santa asking him to bring Mom and Dad gifts; Plan B: order gifts to himself at our house with his penpal’s name in the return address so we wouldn’t be suspicious; Plan C: give money to a friend from Sports Day so he could buy us gifts that Charleston would smuggle back home. Those plans all fell through, which led him to get creative. What a thoughtful kid!
On Christmas afternoon we went over to Luke’s parents house for lunch and an epic gift exchange that ended with an air hockey table. The kids also performed a reenactment of the first Christmas, directed by Grandpa; the pageant was a tradition for Luke and his siblings and cousins when they were young, and I love that my father-in-law is bringing the tradition to a new generation. After the pageant, we had a performance of The Night Before Christmas, which Kali, Sully, and Charlie spent the month memorizing. They did a great job!
Nico was overtired and not a happy camper throughout most of Christmas day, but boy did he look cute for his first Christmas. I can’t believe it’s been a year since we shared the news we were pregnant with him. I feel so blessed to have him here with us on the outside this December.
|| ICYMI: THIS MONTH ON THE BLOG ||
She Treasured Up All These Things and Pondered Them In Her Heart “Details fade, but threads of warmth and beauty from my favorite holiday memories have woven themselves into a vibrant Christmas tapestry that permanently envelops my heart. And tucked into the comforting corners of that tapestry is a deepening understanding of the Lord and His goodness—an understanding revealed in tiny moments whose significance continues to expand with the passage of time.“
Nickelson Ryan || Four Months Old
2024 Reading Wrap-Up and My Favorite Books of the Year
December’s not done yet and I still have two more posts for you: next Monday (the 30th) I’ll be sharing what I learned this year, and on Tuesday the 31st I’ll share my highlights of 2024 with our family’s big moments and many of my personal favorites of the year. I’ll see you then!