New Tradition

This year we added a new tradition to our holiday spirit.  We know we all like to give gifts to each other and the older two kids made stuff in school to give to us but our littlest hadn't so the thought started with this in mind and a new tradition was born.  I'd heard of families really liking giving set service gifts to each other but hadn't ever put enough thought into how to go about doing that in our family.  I thought we needed some way of spreading service as gifts to one another and making it fun.  

We needed a prop.

Then came in this baby Jesus that I'd made several years ago in church.  

Here's how it works and how we explained it to the kids:  we all want to give to each other during Christmas and we love it when we do things for each other.  Starting December 1st we'd have one of us parents start with the baby Jesus and when we did service for another person in the family we let them know by putting baby Jesus on their bed; but the service could be a mystery or something they knew.  Finding baby Jesus on their bed let them know it was their turn to do service for someone in the family.  And it could be passed on as quickly as you wanted--in fact the sooner the better to keep everyone guessing!  

  

We think it is a great way to keep the true meaning of Christmas alive throughout the month leading up to Christmas.  The kids had so much fun doing this this year that I think we'll have to pull out baby Jesus next year.  Already looking forward to Christmas 2013!!

Fun Times and Random Pictures!

Happy Boy!!  This little guy is just super sporty, even if he does trip on his own feet at times resulting in multiple road rashes on his tummy--including one at the moment.  This was part of his birthday haul; he was quite excited to put a fair chunk of birthday cash into our Disneyland fund.  He is so fun!!

Gingerbread Village

I am so excited about this tree!!  Not only was it half the $$ than I was prepared to pay it is exactly the size, light color and "real factor" I was searching and searching for.  We have always gotten a real tree for lack of storage space living in apartments and because it smells great and is a fun Christmas activity but this year we had to get a fake one.  We're going to my parents for Christmas and we didn't want to take down our tree early or come home to a pile of needles and we had been toying with the idea ever since last Christmas when we finally realized we had space to store one.  I love it!!

Little Miss is the Queen of playdates lately!  I have to admit, she is a fun girl.  And she loves company and gets along quite well with her peers.  Remember this (pictured) being the BEST game in the whole world?!  I swear we use to do this for hours.  Head rush!

I feel like our camera has had some neglect during many of our Christmas activities this year, such as making treats and delivering them around the neighborhood, seeing the lights on Temple Square and the candy windows at Macy's in downtown SLC, watching the "Let it Snow" movie at the planetarium, impromptu Christmas dance parties, history dept. dinner, campus faculty party and ward dinner & talent show (B sang and the other two played piano), singing and playing Christmas songs around our piano, caroling to my primary kids and a lighted boat ride down Provo River (both tomorrow), lots of shopping! and gift wrapping, 1st Presidency Christmas devotional, lots of Christmas story reading, cousin Christmas dinner, kids Christmas activities at school, school Christmas parties (next 2 days), B's choir Christmas performance (Sat.), etc.  I love the holidays!!