What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 2023 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The 2023 Flanders Family Update December 2022 Happenings Simple but elegant….
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 2022 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 2022 December 2021 Happenings We…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 2021 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 2021 December 2020 Happenings Can…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 2020 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 2020 December 2019 Happenings Last…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 2019 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 2019 December 2018 Happenings Doug…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 2018 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 2018 December 2017 Happenings We…
About this time every year, I print out a lengthy list of fun family traditions I want to remember to do during the Christmas season. I’ve shared many renditions of this “Holiday Bucket List” in the past, including this bare-bones original plus this vintage, black & white version. I have a new one this year….
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 2017 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 2017 December 2016 Happenings We…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 2016 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 2016 December 2015 Happenings Benjamin…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 2015 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 2015 December 2014 Happenings For…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 2014 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 2014 December 2013 Happenings Last…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 2013 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 2013 December 2012 Happenings We…
Today I’m sharing a brand-new free printable I designed to challenge my kids while we were tent camping last week. It’s an outdoor scavenger hunt! These picture bingo cards are full of nature items, like pinecones, sweet gum balls, rocks, leaves, and doodle bugs. I laminated our cards so we’ll be able to use them…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 2011 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 2011 December 2010 Happenings Last…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 2012 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 2012 December 2011 Happenings Gabriel…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 2010 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 2010 December 2009 Happenings In…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 2009 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 2009 December 2008 Happenings A…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 2008 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 2008 December 2007 Happenings Jennifer…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 1998 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 1998 January 1998 Happenings Jonathan…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 2005 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 2005 December 2004 Happenings We…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 2007 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 2007 December 2006 Happenings “What’s…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 2006 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 2006 December 2005 Happenings It’s…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 2004 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 2004 December 2003 Happenings It…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 2003 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 2003 December 2002 Happenings “The…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 2002 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 2002 December 2001 Happenings The…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 2001 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 2001 December 2000 Happenings Let…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 2000 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 2000 January 2000 Happenings We…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 1999 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 1999 January 1999 Happenings When…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 1997 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 1997 January 1997 Happenings What…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 1996 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 1996 January 1996 Happenings New…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 1995 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 1995 January 1995 Happenings We…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 1994 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 1994 January 1994 Happenings This…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 1993 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 1993 January 1993 Happenings What…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 1992 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 1992 January 1992 Happenings January…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 1991 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 1991 January 1991 Happenings Several…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 1990 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 1990 January 1990 Happenings So…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 1989 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 1989 January 1989 Happenings This…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 1988 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 1988 January 1988 Happenings Why…
What follows is another yearly installment in our family’s complete history told via the 1987 Flanders Family Christmas Update. To see a full listing, see Our Christmas Letters. For tips on writing your own family history in this fashion, follow this link. In the meantime, enjoy! The Flanders Family Update: 1987 January 1987 Happenings Okay,…
One of our Family’s Favorite Holiday Traditions Our family has been sending out Christmas letters for 35 years years now. Although I (Jennifer) do the actual writing, we all work together to determine which stories to put in the letter, take family photos we include with the letter, and get the letters ready to mail…
One man. One woman. Twelve children. Twenty-five years. Share the love, relive the adventure, as faithfully chronicled in the enjoyable, enlightening, and extraordinarily entertaining Flanders Family Christmas letters.
In addition to the annual newsletters, Glad Tidings also details several of our favorite family traditions, holiday recipes, checklists, famous quotes, and vintage clipart.
NOTE: This listing is for the digital files only (PDF format).If you would prefer to read the print version, follow one of the links given in the full description below to buy a paperback copy from your favorite bookseller.
It may not feel or look like it in the great state of Texas, but autumn has officially arrived. So let’s talk about just a few — maybe 5 — things to help make fall better. No… I can’t tell you what they are. Your things won’t necessarily match my things. But it is definitely…
Winter never lasts for long in Texas. If we want to enjoy cool-weather activities, we have to act fast. Get cracking on our winter bucket list before things start warming up again. Here are 50 of our family’s favorite things to do when temperatures drop… Our Winter Bucket List: 50 Things to Do for Family…
I’m running a little behind schedule. Usually by the day after Thanksgiving, we have our Christmas tree decorated, our house lights up, and our Christmas cards stamped, addressed, and in the mail. I’m not sure how time got away from me, but we haven’t done any of those things yet this year — although I…
I love all the extra mail the month of December brings with it. It’s fun to open all the pretty Christmas cards and see the family photos, but I especially enjoy reading the newsy letters that are often included. If you’ve ever thought about sending such a letter to your own friends and family at…
Are you looking for activities that will foster family togetherness? Trying to find fun and meaningful ideas to help you bond with your loved ones? Searching for ways to make every month more memorable? Our free printable of fun annual traditions offers lots of great ideas for inspiration! If your children are anything like mine,…
Dear Jennifer: My kids are driving me crazy with their endless lists of stuff they want for Christmas. I love the holidays, but I hate the commercialism with its selfish focus on me, me, me. And with the economy like it is, I really can’t afford to indulge them this year, anyway. Help! Beleaguered Mother…
Sit Down & Eat is full of hearty ideas, nurturing traditions, and scrumptious recipes that will motivate you to make the most of your family mealtimes.
Does your family’s schedule take you in separate directions every night?
Are you eating fast food far more frequently than you care to admit?
Have mealtimes become a mad dash to grab what you can on the go?
Then you need to take a little time to SIT DOWN & EAT!
NOTE: This listing is for the digital files only (PDF format). If you would prefer to read the print version, follow one of the links given in the full description below to buy a paperback copy from your favorite bookseller.
Well, 2023 has gotten off to a great start, book-wise. I finished reading eight books this month, including Brant Hanson’s recently updated and expanded Unoffendable. Keep reading for my impression of each work, reported in the order that I read them. The 8 books I read in January: Deep Work by Cal Newport I’m hoping…
Well, I’m not sure how it happened, because last month was crazy busy, but I finished reading 10 books in December: Don’t Lose Heart by Jason Meyers, plus 9 others. I’m not gonna lie. It felt pretty good to mark all those titles off my reading list in one fell swoop. But I’ve drug my…
The kids and I took a break from some of our homeschool coursework but have kept the basics going all summer long. But that break is winding down. Our homeschool co-op resumes meeting in just two weeks, so we are gearing up and getting ready for that. Among our other end-of-summer traditions, I’m adding these…
The start of a new school year is just around the corner! Accordingly, this post is chock-full of fun ways to celebrate starting back to school. Even though, as homeschoolers, our family usually does lessons year-round, I still love the fresh start August brings with regard to co-ops and school supplies and new routines. I’ve…
It’s been awhile since I’ve published one of my Sunday coloring pages, but the summer’s winding down and it’s time for me to get back on a regular schedule. Since many students are heading back to school this week, I thought 2 Timothy 2:15 would provide a fitting theme. “Study to show yourself approved unto…
It’s that time again! Time for Cow Appreciation Day! That means free food for cow-costume-clad Chick-fil-A customers. That’s right — cows eat free at Chick-fil-A all day long every second Tuesday of July. Our family is full of Chick-fil-A fans, but none more avid than my husband. Busy physician that he is, Doug sometimes has…
Holidays are a sad and lonely time for a lot of people. One way we can honor Christ at Christmas is to be His hands and feet to those in need by thinking of others at Christmastime. Brainstorm ways you can share God’s love by encouraging those who need it most. Here are a few…
Today I’m sharing a slew of free printable envelope seals for all your Christmas crafting needs. One of our family’s favorite holiday traditions is exchanging Christmas letters with friends and family far and near via good, old-fashioned snail-mail. I usually write the letter and take our family portrait in late October or early November, so…
Our family sends out a lot of Christmas cards each year, and getting them ready to mail is a joint effort. We set up shop at a long table and churn them out in fast order. Every member of the family is given a task. As our family has grown, we’ve had to manufacture extra…
Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching (Tomorrow! Can you believe that?), and Christmas will be right behind it. Anticipation is mounting, but for many of us, stress levels are climbing, too. But with a little forethought — and the following six simple steps — you can enjoy a stress-free holiday. Far too often, December flies by like…
One of our family’s favorite Christmas traditions is bell-ringing for the Salvation Army. Every December (with the exception of that year we had the chicken pox), we pull out our Santa hats, bundle up warm, and head over to the mall to man the red kettle for an hour or two. We usually sing Christmas…
Are you looking for a way to get the holidays off to a great start? Then try packing a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child. The national collection week is coming up soon, so now is the perfect time to make plans to participate. Just wrap a shoebox with colorful paper (wrap the lid separately), fill…
When Doug and I married (on THIS day, way back in 1987!), we left the church in a limousine, which means we totally missed out on the tin can and shoe polish thing, as the limo company had a very strict policy against defacing their vehicles. That was a bit of a bummer (in my…
Just before Thanksgiving each year, our family prints out the following list of 67 Ways to Celebrate the Season. We post it on our bulletin board for easy reference and use it to jog our memory concerning all the different activities and events we’ve enjoyed during Christmases past. The children helped me generate our original…
Do you fly through your day with a million things to do and no game plan for accomplishing them? Life needn’t be so hectic. Don’t allow yourself to become entangled in activities that consume a lot of time, energy, and resources without moving you any closer to your short- or long-term goals. How can we…
{Our Most Frequently Asked Questions} Any family our size attracts a lot of attention and gets asked a lot of questions. Here are our answers to the FAQs we hear most often: Q: Are you Catholic or Mormon?A: Neither! We’re just passionate Baptists (by upbringing, at least). We currently attend a small, non-denominational Bible church….
“I just need to know if it’s possible for two people to stay happy together forever, or at least for a few years.” – Juno (title character in the 2007 Academy Award winning film) Our family’s answer to this question is a resounding “YES!” To a generation that increasingly questions the possibility of enduring love,…
