Christmas Festivities, Part One

Christmas gets more and more magical every year as the kids grow. This year I really felt the urge to get started on our Christmas shopping early, which proved to be a huge blessing when Jeremy's grandma passed away a couple weeks before Christmas and we ended up taking an impromptu trip to Utah. I felt so grateful I was mostly prepared, so I felt like we could all pick up and fly across the country the week before Christmas.

This was also the first year in a long time we were able to decorate for Christmas right after Thanksgiving! It was very fun to put everything up. We put the big tree in the "formal living room" this year, since Grace doesn't go in there as often, but we found ourselves missing it in the family room. Oh well, next year it will be back! And it sure looked pretty from the front window.

 I got everyone matching stockings this year and hung them on the banister. They are so cute!

 This year we also followed the Church's "Light the World" initiative. We were challenged to do an act of service everyday in December. We certainly weren't perfect, but we watched the videos everyday and definitely thought about how we could help others more than we usually do in December. It was a wonderful Christmas season activity and made me realize how selfish I usually am.

This was the first day - we assembled some necessities and bundled them up in wool socks to hand out if we come across a homeless person.

Another of our "Light the Word" activities was to go to the temple. We drove to Columbus and Jeremy did some initiatories while the kids and I hung out in the waiting room and then he took all four kids to COSI while I did an endowment session. Love that man! We hadn't been to the temple in a really long time, so it was really nice!

Super Dad!

 We also read lots of Christmas books in December! The Grinch is always a favorite.

  Another Light the World - feeding the hungry....missionaries! And boy were they hungry that night, haha. They ate a ton! Good thing I was preapred.

 The girls playing with the Little People Nativity.

 Another Light the World - writing letters to a family member who needs some love.

 Another Light the World - this one was about teaching and I asked Connor to give our Family Night lesson (actually I asked both the boys to do it, but it didn't quite work out, ahem). Connor gave a great lesson about Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus.

 Watching our daily video...

The kids sang at our Ward Christmas Party...

And Anna on Santa's lap

 The Christmas activity the kids most look forward to though is decorating gingerbread (graham cracker) houses! They love this so much. I always dread it just a little bit because of all the candy and the mess, but once we get going I always love it! Everyone did a great job again this year and we were at a golden age when everyone was able to do it independently! (After Grace went to bed of course).

 Proud Connor!

 Eli's...he always uses the most candy! I like his name and his sleighs in front especially.

 Mine...

 Anna's...

 Jeremy's...

 And our whole village:

 Aaand the big fat mess at the end, haha.

It was fun though! And last year I started saving the leftover candy to use again the next year, so that helps a little!