Cards for you and me

Count down to Christmas "Make a card for each members of you family"
In my continued effort to promote giving not just getting this holiday season, we made cards for each family member.
James really enjoyed it and even made an extra for our babysitter. He love passing them out! Lillian didn't get it a first but caught on when we were passing them out that night. They both put their cards from each other in their rooms. I am so happy at how much they really love each other!

Elf mischief

Our elf, Barnard, decorated the kids bathroom mirror last night!
James says he is going to "tell Santa about this elf!"
Haha!

Snowflakes

Count down to Christmas presents, Fun with Snowflakes!!
We made paper snow! I remember doing this as a kid and loving it, and my kiddos did too! Lillian mostly just made a mess by cutting and cutting the scraps into oblivion, but James started to get the hang of it in the end. He managed to make a couple really good ones and had a great time.
I was going to hang them from the ceiling over the tree, but I think I like them better on the tree.

Dickens Christmas

Even though it felt way too warm for Christmas activities, Saturday we enjoyed the second Dickens Christmas in downtown Tuscumbia. The kids loved the horse drawn carriage ride, Lillian especially, she loves horses! They also had fake snow and vendors. We missed some of the earlier events and didn't even bother to visit Santa in the train because the kids are not so into seeing him this year. But it I was fun and I am looking forward to next year! I hope it continues to grow! :)

Christmas Time Is Here!!

My favorite season is finally here! I love the Christmas trees, the holiday music, the crafts, the cookie making, the lights, in short I love it all! It is such a wonderful time of year! People seem to be happier and everything seems to me to be brighter and more joyous. I am so amazingly blessed to have such wonderful family on both sides to enjoy my holidays with. Also a very tolerant husband, he is in his heart a Grinch but he stows the green guy while I decorate, craft and sing holiday songs all around the house!
We put up our tree and decorations a couple of days ago and Santa's little helper Bernard showed up last night with donuts and cocoa!
This is the first year we have done the Elf on the Shelf and though I still find the little dude a bit creepy, I just love all the funny things you can do with them. I can't wait!
Happy holidays!
Stay tuned for elf mischief and our Count Down the Christmas activities!

Samaritans Purse Toy Boxes

I have wanted to do the Samaritans Purse boxes for a couple of years and have finally gotten it all together in time, barely in time! James was very interested and glad to give to the "children with no money to buy toys", though he did ask if they were going to send him a toy in return. I told him that the gift that we get is knowing that we have make someone happy, and made God happy. He seemed OKAY with this! haha! I was also very proud that he was able to shop for the boxes without begging and was happy to pack them up and send them off. He is a good boy!
We packed toys and school supplies for a boy and girl about James and Lillian's age. Also we included photos and a note/picture the kids drew. The site said that if you include your address you make hear back from the child that gets your box. It would make James's day, and mine, to get a letter from Africa!

Scrapbook Paper Advent Calendar

While we don't celebrate the Advent calender in the traditional way, we use it as a countdown to Christmas, I am calling it that because that is the way most people know it.

I saw this on pinterest and loved the idea of scrap paper and all the fun embellishments that come with it. So here it is! I think that I will still add some more doo-dads, I love me some doo-dads! (yes, doo-dad, that is the technical term for embellishments) 

I have crafts like a making an ornament and paper snowflakes. We are going to do a couple of service project such as care packages for the troops, toys for tots, and a giving canned food.
I really want them to appreciate the holiday as a season of giving not getting, so one day is making Christmas cards for a family member, another is picking out a gift for the other sibling, and helping make our neighbors Christmas candies.
We will also read Christmas stories, watch the Polar Express, and we are doing Elf on the Shelf this year!

I can't wait for December so I can start the fun!!!

 

The insperation from pinterest...



 

Source: kimberlypetersen.typepad.com via Tiffany on Pinterest