TIME FOR CHRISTMAS 2013!

I must admit that I am having a very hard time getting into the Christmas spirit.  Maybe it’s the pregnancy exhaustion.  Maybe it’s the fact that all of the cold weather is stopping at the Florida state line and we are still in the mid 80’s.  Maybe it’s the fact that I am overwhelmed from birth preparation and from laundry.  Who knows, why, but I am just struggling to get ready for Christmas this year.

BUT, in spite of my lack of Christmas spirit, I have four little kiddos that are excited and ready to be blessed by Christmas.  I have one kiddo in particular that is my Christmas boy!  I actually heard him singing a mixture of a Jingle Bells and the Gilligan’s Island Theme Song the other day while he was watering the tree.  HA!  That’s my E-Man!!

This year the children would not let me “break” from tradition and decorate early.  We had to wait until Black Friday to decorate.  Unfortunately, Maggie and I went shopping early Black Friday and I was so exhausted that I couldn’t keep up with the kids.  After only an hour’s nap, just getting the live tree, a tradition that Robert started last year, wore me completely out.  So, we waited until Saturday to decorate.  The kiddos had a ball getting everything out, especially Ethan my Christmas boy.  This year Cole had a lot of fun helping Ethan set up the village too.  As always the first thing to come out was the Little People’s Nativity set.  It is played with and rearranged daily!

Time to go Christmas Tree hunting!

First off, following our new tradition, lunch out!

This year Daddy and John Robert picked out the perfect tree, and Daddy even remembered to bring the string to tie it to the roof!

Putting the tree in the house.

Ethan starting to decorate the fireplace with "HIS" Christmas village.

Even Cole helped get houses out and put up this year.

Ethan is so proud! 

The completed village and fireplace.  All that is missing is the stockings!

 



 

After the fireplace was done, it was time to tackle the tree. In keeping with tradition, each kiddo got a new ornament.  This year our theme was the squirrel.  The reason that we chose a squirrel is because the kiddos named our homeschool the BFS Academy (Best Family of Squirrels Academy).  We actually did this last year, but with the loss of Samuel, Robert wanted them to have memorial ornaments.  This year we did the more traditional “FUN” theme.  After a short amount of time the tree, living room, dining room, most of the kitchen, and the kiddo’s bathroom were all decorated and ready for Christmas. 

As he did last year, Cole wraps himself up in the garland.

Maggie with some of my all time favorite ornaments.

All four kiddos with their new ornaments.

Decorating the tree!

Cole untangled himself to help decorate as well!

But, Daddy had to help him get the ornaments to stay on the tree!

 

Being as out of it as I am, the Sneaky Snowman forgot to make his appearance on December 1^st. Luckily, he showed up on the 2^nd, after all he lost track of time being in a box for a full year!! So the new tradition that was started last year has continued onto this year.  Every morning Ethan gets up and hunts for the snowman.  Every morning we “let” him find him and laugh at the lectures he gives the little man over his Christmas antics.  It is a contagious joy even Cole is getting into the spirit and saying Snowman more and more!

The first night he came, the Sneaky Snowman read our "special" Christmas Eve book to all the Little People in the nativity.

On one of his visit's he brought us a new Christmas book.

On another visit, that silly Sneaky Snowman decided that daddy's deer needed some Christmas cheer!

 

So our family is busy as always during this season.  We are mixing old and new traditions and continuing to make Christmas a special and important time of year.  More than that, the children are counting down the days until they can tell Jesus Happy Birthday and celebrate the life of our Risen and Living Savior in the Best Family style!