Events Leading up to Christmas

The thing that seems to help get the Christmas season going the most for us is the decorating of the tree. We had a great time decorating it.

What I love more than decorating the tree is putting up all of our nativities. In our formal living room I only have nativities and a formal tree. I let every child pick a different nativity to set up how ever they want it. I am always amazed at the time they will put into making it look just right. This is a picture of Abigail playing with one of the toy ones we have on the ground.

Ryan's preschool got into the Christmas spirit by going to an assisted living area and singing a few songs and passing out cookies and cards that they had made.  It was a little scary for them, but the old people sure did enjoy seeing them.

One of my children's favorite traditions is pulling our a different activity to do each day until Christmas.  The quilt that is hanging on the wall behind the children is the quilt used to pull out the different activities.  We keep these simple, and I have my calendar while making it so when we have something already scheduled for the day like a ward party or piano recital, that is our activity!

Here area  few pictures of Tyson and Emily at their piano recital.  They both did a great job.  Emily also got to play the organ at church for the opening and closing song Sunday while the normal organist played a different variation of the song on the piano.  Emily only had a chance to practice twice.  We were very proud of her considering she had never played the organ before.

 

Another fun thing we did is have the Hardy's over and the kids built sleighs out of a hershy bar, two candy canes, some candy to build a santa with, and a roll of tape.  When they were done building them we raced them down a table.  Tyson's was the winner.

Here is a picture of the kids in their Christmas Sunday outfits.  I always make them coordinate for Christmas.  The kids all hate this tradition, but I love it!