Christmas '09 -Part 1

With all the goings on and prepping for Christmas I'm a little behind in posting, but I still want to go back to the beginning and remember what fun special things we did. So we are going to have to do this in a couple parts.
"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....everywhere you go...."

Our traditional picture of daddy helping each of the kids putting the star on the tree!

I enjoy trying to do special things with the girls like I did growing up and then some that we want to start as a family of our own. Something new we did this year was advent. At our MOPS group the craft one meeting was an advent jar. I had really never heard of it until a couple years ago and until recently thought it was some other religion's tradition. As I learned about it, I realized how I could use it to teach the girls the importance of the real meaning of Christmas. We had a lot of fun doing things from making treats for neighbors, family movie night, reading scripture, giving to others, taking time to go look at Christmas lights as a family...etc.

This was the first year doing a gingerbread house. It was fun for Mackenzie and I to do it together and learning to get over my slight perfectionism.

Our finished project! Now are you supposed to eat these or just look at them?

I try to do some holiday baking, easy things that the kids can help with. This year we did almond bark pretzels & oreos, sugar cookies and then for our neighbors and teacher gifts we made carmel puffed popcorn and french vanilla hot chocolate mix!


The girls have enjoyed a little time in the snow, but we definitely need to do more. Mackenzie loves it and Kate well.....time will tell!

We got to enjoy our first ever school Christmas program this year! The whole school put on a program and the preschoolers dressed up as shepherds (dad's button down shirts with a tie around the waist. It was fun to watch, but Mackenzie kept making weird faces and went to her teacher a couple times.....we were wondering what her problem was and when she got done I took off the shirt and she still had her coat on underneath! Poor girl, I'm sure she was roasting, but she said her sleeves kept falling down and that's why she kept going to the teacher.

The last day of preschool before break was the class Christmas party and she also celebrated her birthday, as it was the day before, with treat bags for her class! I always remember looking forward to that special day at school taking treats for your birthday!