Christmas time is my most favorite time of year (minus the cold weather…I’m a warm weather girl!)

I love the red and green, the Christmas music, the food, the decor, the traditions, the family stories, the Bible stories, the smells, the lights.  I’ve learned you can put Christmas lights on just about anything and it will look pretty.

We have several family traditions and I get just as excited about them as my kids do.  My sweet clone, Lilly Katherine has said about 100 times in 100 different ways, “Mama, this really is the best holiday.  I sure do love Christmas time!  This IS the most wonderful time of the year!”  She’s my girl, and I love it!

We don’t do all of these every year, but we do as many as we possibly can.  It is VERY important to us that we teach our children the REAL meaning of Christmas.  Did you know that it’s not about Santa and his reindeer?  Christmas is the celebration of our Savior’s birth!

Our traditions…

• Last year my kids (inspired by my then 3-year old nephew, Caleb) learned Luke 2: 8-14.  It was so precious to hear them say this passage.  Here’s a video from last Christmas of Lilly Katherine saying it.

• This year we’re going to learn Luke 2:15-20.
• I loved making red and green Christmas countdown chains as a child.  This chain allows kids to have the excitement of the countdown, while also learning Luke 2.  It would have been wonderful if I had posted this BEFORE December 7.  Sorry I’m such a procrastinator!  I didn’t write this, I just copied it, and I can’t give credit to the person that wrote it because I’ve forgotten where I found it.
• As adults we like to watch the movie The Star of Bethlehem.  It’s fascinating!  Great video for older kids. 
• Every year we adopt Angels from the Salvation Army Angel Tree and we let the kids pick out toys for the angels.  We also try to do Operation Christmas Child (on the years that I make it before the deadline.  That deadline is too early for procrastinators like myself)  This year, we’re not shopping due to the fact that it’s so hard on my body, so we’re just making blankets for The Children’s Advocacy Center.  It’s important to me that they do things for other people to realize Christmas is about GIVING!
• Of course, we decorate our tree.  They’re at such a fun age.  Most of the ornaments are on the bottom half of the tree, and they love to look at each ornament.  I give them a new ornament every year that says something about them, their likes, hobbies, etc for the year.  Our tree is not going to win any decorator’s choice awards, but every ornament means something to us.  Brad’s grandmother painted this one. This is Preston’s fav…a daddy, son, and dog going hunting.
• We put Christmas lights around our yard while listening to Christmas music.  Then we drink hot chocolate.  The kids LOVE this fun family tradition.

We were drinking hot chocolate outside, but it was TOO COLD.  We decided it would be best to sit by the “roaring” fire and finish our chocolaty treat.  :)

• As Christmas Eve approaches, we read a book that I’ve borrowed from my friend Mary Lynne several times, called “St. Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend.” It’s a neat story about St. Nicholas and why we started the tradition of giving gifts from St. Nic. 

• We decorate gingerbread houses.  We make large ones and small ones.  We haven’t done our gingerbread houses this year, but this series of pictures shows you how successful our 2009 houses were.  These pictures still make me laugh.  LK almost cried again when she saw these.  So funny.

• I purchased this fancy Advent calendar from the dollar aisle at target years ago.  I put a special activity in each day (all of the above things are included) and then they get to pull out a slip of paper to see what we’re going to do that day.  I change it up according to what our schedule looks like, and I keep a master list so I’ll know what activity is in each day, so I can change it when the need arises.

These are the things I know they’ll remember when they have kids of their own.  Have fun, and don’t forget the REASON FOR THE SEASON…JESUS CHRIST!

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Luke 2: 8-14

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ^[a] the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

-kate