Christmas



We Started our Christmas Morning

with Sweet Rolls and Singing

Happy Birthday to Jesus.

 

After that?

Presents, Smiles, and Hugs Galore.

{Merry Christmas}

{Merry Christmas}



To: YOU

From US!

The Halls are Decked

{Fa, la,la,la,la..la,la,la,la!}

12.24.12

Christmas Eve To-Dos:

Christmas Eve Morning Breakfast with T Family

Last Minute Must-Have Gifts Secured

Make Christmas Eve Yummies

Watch Christmas Movies

Eat Christmas Eve Goodies

Re-enact the Christmas Nativity

New Christmas Jammies

Treats for Santa put Out

New Christmas Pillowcases from G'Ma P

Bed

Heads full of Sugar Plums Dancing

Jolly Ol' Saint Nick

Christmas Service Advent Calendar Part II

I mentioned about how Our Family was doing

a Christmas Service Advent Calendar

and Trying to do a Service Everyday Before Christmas.

 

Wanted to Take Note of a Couple of things We did,

that Meant a Lot to Our Family:

 

We helped make 85 Fleece Blankets,

to Donate to Cancer Patients,

at a Local Cancer Hospital,

 

We Volunteered to Spend a late night Cleaning

our Church Building.

We arrived Several Hours Early,

and Cleaned and Set up Chairs,

till We thought We would Drop Dead.

We left a Merry Christmas note,

so when the other Volunteers arrived

at the appointed time,

They would be Surprised!

We got a Sweet Note the next Day

from some Very Thankful Friends,

Who didn't have to stay up all Night

Cleaning and Setting up Chairs!

 

One Night,

We went to a local Senior Center.

We had made Snowflakes and Notes

and wanted to find someone

who needed a Visit, some Snowflakes, and some Christmas Cheer!

We Ended up Going into the Room of a Woman named Barbara.

We decorated her Room with Snowflakes,

and Spent a While Talking with Her.

We Really Enjoyed Getting to know Her,

and Went back on Christmas Day,

with a Gift We thought She would Enjoy.

She was Excited to see Us,

and had Kept our Notes close-by,

and had told Everybody about her Snowflakes!

 

By the end of the Month,

it was a real Eye-Opener to see what a Difference

Small, Do-able things made,

and meant to People.

The Notes and Thanks We received

were Un-expected, yet so Touching to Us.

It made Us more aware of the Little things We can do,

to Brighten someone Else's Day.



Fun Days of Christmas

The Boys are out of School

for Most of December, 

due to how the Year-Round School thing works,

so to Keep them Entertained a wee bit,

I kept them busy

making Ornaments and Cookies, 

watching Christmas Movies, Christmas Shopping, and

Wearing Snazzy Christmas Socks.

Important Mailbox Business

Letters to Santa



Greeting Card Exodus



Christmas Service Advent

We have been Working on a Service Advent Calendar this Christmas Season,

to Hopefully Help Us Remember that One of the Best Parts of Christmas is Giving.

I Used an Old Advent Calendar We already had,

and found little Ornaments to Fit in the Pockets.

Each Ornament has a Service to be Done that Day Tagged to It.

When the Service is Done,

We get to Add that Ornament to the Tree.

And We will get to Read the Services that We did

as they Dangle from our Tree on Christmas.

 

We've had some Fun Times!

 

Our First Service was the Night of our

"Kick off to Christmas!!"

We bought a small gift, Wrapped it,

and then Handed the Gifts Out to

Random Kids We saw,

while Enjoying the Lights Down Town.

 

Other things We've Done:

Gathered Shopping Carts in the Parking Lot,

Donated Toys and Clothes,

Left a Treat for our Mailman,

Put Garbage cans Away for Neighbors on Garbage Day,

Wrote Thank You Notes,

Picked Ornaments off a Giving Tree

 and Shopped for Gifts

for Kids in Need,

 

Bought and Donated Goods to Our Food Bank,

Left Dollars Randomly on Toys at the Store,

Donated to the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army,

Cleaned our Church Building,

and Shoveled Driveways on Snowy Days.

Of Course,

the Month isn't over Yet,

so We still have Work to Do!

 

Note:

My Kids are out of School for the Whole Month,

so Finding time to do these things

is plentiful-

not that they take an awful lot of time. 

Of Course,

a "12 Days of Christmas" or Shorter Version

would be Awesome, too.

The Reason for the Season

One of the Things We are Doing this Year,

to Remember the Reason for the Season,

is an Advent Calendar that I Made

that has a Scripture for Us

to Read each Night,

about Jesus.

Then We are Writing

 what the Scripture Teaches us about Jesus

on a Piece of "Hay",

and Making a bed for the Baby Jesus.

I Thought it would be Good to Read all the Pieces on Christmas Morning

as a Reminder of Why We Celebrate Christmas.

 



Kick Off to Christmas

We have Made a Tradition of Calling the First Weekend in December

our "Kick off to Christmas!!" Weekend.

[and Yes, it Must be Pronounced with TWO Exclamation Points]

 

We stay at a Hotel not too Far from Home

and Spend Friday Evening

and Saturday Doing

"Kick off to Christmas!!"-y Type things.

{Like Taking Silly Pictures of Ourselves. Obviously.}

 

We Christmas Shop,

Drink Hot Chocolate,

Go to a Christmas Movie,

Eat Desserts in Bed,

Go Swimming,

Christmas Shop Some More,

Eat More Trash

and Generally Make Ourselves Jolly.

 

At the End of the day, Saturday,

We Got together with Friends

and Rode our Train to our Downtown Area

to See the Lights.

and Gobbled Down more Pie and Hot Chocolate,

afterwords.

This is Always a Fun Time for Our Family to Run on

Lots of Sugar, Little Sleep,

 and Merry Christmas Spirit!