We did great getting our Christmas decorations out this year!
We did it the day after Thanksgiving--I think!
Last year our house was on a holiday home tour---which was A LOT of work.
This year we didn't even put out all our decorations.
I am leaving Jan. 2nd to head to Michigan for 4 days and didn't know WHEN the decorations would come down---so I thought less is more this year.
On a side note---Steve was just as into decorating the house as I was. He wanted more up than I did. I would say, "I wasn't going to put that up this year" several times and he would just shrug his shoulders or say, "it's not that hard to do"! It makes me happy that he likes all our decorations too!!
Our tree!
I love our Christmas tree!!
The one upstairs is a "pretty" tree!
As kids are making ornaments and such from school, we will have a 2nd tree in the basement
with all of our SPECIAL ornaments!!
These snowmen are NEW to our house. I bought them after Christmas last year!
I think they are SO CUTE!
I used the sled up where the snowmen are this year---
so another new arrangement, with old things!
This sled is the sled I used when I was a kid!!!
Our count-down to Christmas!
I made this countdown calendar at least 8 years ago....
I think it was before I had Tyler!
I have had to re-glue a few of the pieces, but it is holding up well still!!
And our favorite Christmas tradition!!
The Christmas chain with something "fun" to do each night as we count down 'til Christmas!
This year we were smart enough to color code the rings.
Red is Paige
Green is Jaden
White is Tyler
Then there is no fighting over who's turn it is to cut the chain. And, whoever cuts the chain
also gets to take the piece off the other calendar!!
What we've done so far on our rings:
Shop for our angel tree gifts
**This year we adoped 3 kids off the angel tree at church, around our kids' ages. We all went to Wal-mart and only bought stuff for these kids. Our kids took their billfolds and each bought 1 of the toys for the boy/girl they adopted! This was awesome! They used their own money, paid themselves, got the change back, etc. I think it really helped them realize these gifts cost money! And all of their gifts they get, cost money!
We will for sure do it again this way from now on.**
Read a Christmas book
Make Christmas ornaments
Read the Christmas story out of the Bible
**This was so cute---we asked the kids if they knew where in the Bible the Christmas story was found. Tyler got his bible and was looking and Paige kept saying, "Luke 2:11" She kept saying this over and over and we just kept ignoring her because well....Paige talks A LOT"
So---Steve and Tyler took turns reading the story from the Bible and sure enough we come across the verse Paige has been repeatedly saying....
She said, "That's the verse..."
She had been learning it in Pre-school this week!
Well, at least I know our money is being well spent at Pre-school!!
Write a letter to Santa
Make cards for someone else
Go look at Christmas lights
Go get Ice-Cream
Watch a Christmas movie
Spend the night at Grandpa and Grandpas (mom and dad's favorite so far!)
Go see Santa
Tonights was Sleep under the Christmas Tree --
or in the same room as the Christmas tree!
So---as you can see---we have been BUSY here at our house! But, it's FUN and these things make us remember to spend time as a FAMILY having FUN
during the hustle and bustle of the holidays.
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