Saturday, December 1, 2012

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

When I was single and living on my own I made all of my decorations for my Christmas tree. I made gingerbread ornaments and a popcorn and cranberry string to hang on the tree. I thought it looked so cute and when I came home and saw my homemade tree I thought I was just the most crafty, clever girl ever. After Dave and I got married we kept the gingerbread ornaments for 2 more years, but slowly started to get more. One of our traditions is that every year the boys get a new ornament for the tree. We did that when I was little and I always loved picking a new one or being surprised if my Mom got them for us. This year we took the boys shopping and let them choose their own....what an ordeal! But it was still fun and they do love the ones they picked and are constantly taking them off the tree and repositioning them. A few more traditions we have is setting up the tree and decorations the day after Thanksgiving. The first Monday in December we go to the Ethel M. Chocolate factory and go look at the Christmas lights in their garden and then get donuts for a treat. We always have a big Christmas Eve celebration for my dad's side of the family...that tradition has been on going for years and years. We also have a family Christmas party at my mom's house where we have dinner and exchange gifts. Tonight we are going to start a new tradition. I told the boys since it's December 1st we are going to make hot chocolate and cookies (maybe popcorn too) and watch Polar Express. I love all of the fun that comes with Christmas, the traditions, spending time with family, writing letters to Santa, remembering Christ and hoping for a better new year. It really is the most wonderful time of the year. 
My mom made this for me one year. Love how cute and simple it is. 

This is our manger and the "straw". When we do something kind for someone or serve someone we add soft straw for the manger.  The goal is to fill the manger by Christmas so baby Jesus has a soft, warm place to lay. As you can see we have not been very nice the past week.

Stockings my mom made, the Jingle blocks my mom made and the paper chain are scriptures. We will take a scripture off each night and read it and it will count down to Christmas.

We don't have a lot of decorations but the ones we do have make the house feel like Christmas. I love that every year the tree has a few more decorations.

My new decoration for the year - the wooden tree my sister made for me. I love simple things.

1 comment:

angela (your sister) said...

Very cute. You are very good with words and describing whats going on. I love reading your blogs. They inspire me to be a better person and mother. I love you.