christmas fun around here

when we are not rescuing our fallen tree or re-hanging garland (which i have yet to do...), we do manage to have a little christmas fun at our house!


this adorable advent calendar of sorts is new to us this year. kristie and i found this string of mittens, hats, and stockings at world market last year after christmas. my mom made us a cute little baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes, and every morning, we move baby Jesus closer and closer to the end of the line. it is a great visual for the kids to see just how much longer they have to wait until christmas!


ethan and caroline are LOVING learning christmas carols this year. last year, we spent most of december teaching them the first verse to "away in a manger". this year, they are learning at least a couple of carols each week. their eyes light up when they are able to sing along during worship on sunday or when they hear a familiar carol on the radio. singing over and over about the gift of Jesus' birth is helping the reality of Christmas become even more real in my children's hearts. they love to sing, and i can think of nothing better for them to exclaim than "Christ the babe is Lord of all! Christ the babe is Lord of all!"


i had to include this one... my poor floridian kids are dying to see snow. but this is about as much of a winter wonderland as it gets around here! any day that it is remotely cold and there is condensation on the windows, they beg to draw on them. we have GOT to plan a trip to see snow in the next year!!


everybody's oatmeal needs a little christmas cheer every now and then, don't you think!? this is the perfect breakfast on a cold morning...and when you stir in the sprinkles, they melt and turn the oatmeal red and green!


we've stuck to super simple christmas crafts this month. they had so much fun turning their hands into a wreath! we've talked about the meanings of these christmas symbols, like the circular wreath reminding us that God's love never ends and how the candy cane's red and white stripes remind us of Jesus' blood (red) that made us white as snow (white). (and don't you love my "aunt em's fruit cake sign"?!?! everytime i look at it, i think of my sweet niece who calls me aunt em!)


this stack of books makes me smile. every year after christmas, i pick up a few christmas books on clearance and pack them away for the next year. it's always such a treat to unpack our box of christmas children's books. oh, yeah. and the kids like the books, too. :) i am pretty picky about my christmas books, so it's exciting to find some that make the grade. :) i love curling up on the couch while our fireplace dvd is playing (ha!) to read the story of christmas to my children. it never, ever gets old.


another new tradition i started this year is framing a favorite picture from each christmas. as my collection grows, i know i will love looking back at memories from christmases gone by. here's a few i have so far...


and here is the debut of our stockings! we have not had a mantle (still don't), so we have not had stockings for the kids in the past. we do stockings at nana's house every year, but i have always always always adored these stockings from pottery barn. we may never have a mantle, but i just had to have these stockings this year. they hang perfectly on the side of our armoire, and you can see them as soon as you look into the living room. (ignore the tacky thumbtacks... we keep meaning to hang them by nails and have yet to replace the tacks!) ethan's and caroline's stockings are now already filled to overflowing with goodies, and they have not even noticed yet! i am shocked!


i can't believe it's now less than a week till christmas! the kids can hardly wait! our shopping is done... now if i could just get caught up on my blogging!