Welcome to our home!
My 4 children and I started celebrating Christmas right after Thanksgiving. Here are a few snapshots of the Christmas activities and books we've packed into this month so far.
Decorating our Christmas Tree
After my husband carefully put the lights on our tree I pulled out all of our field trip/ vacation ornaments to hang up. While unwrapping each ornament the kids and I talked about where we bought it, who we were with and what we saw on each trip.
Remembering the last 2 years through our Christmas ornaments was a lot of fun! Buying ornaments from our field trips and vacations is one Christmas tradition we'll have for a very long time.
Making Kid's Christmas Tree Ornaments
Seeing all of our field trip ornaments inspired me to make new memories with my children. So this non-crafty mom really got her craft on the first couple of weeks of December!
We made spiced dough ornaments, hand and foot angel ornaments and candy cane reindeer ornaments. Now our little Christmas tree is really overflowing with ornaments!
Not all of our crafts have been ornaments. My children begged to make gingerbread houses this year so we made individual graham cracker gingerbread houses. I'm not sure which was coated with more frosting - the graham crackers or my children. Either way building with frosting and decorating with gum drops is delicious fun!
Learning the Nativity Story
Our Christmas crafts and books have been fun but the real reason for Christmas is celebrating the birth of Jesus. I want my children to understand and remember the Nativity story so we've been reenacting the Nativity with storytelling blocks, Little People figures, and finger puppets.
We also have nightly family devotions using A Jesse Tree Journey. My children listen as my husband reads aloud the scripture passages and corresponding thoughts. Each child takes a turn hanging the nightly ornament on our tree. A Jesse Tree Journey really is a sweet way of remembering the real meaning of Christmas as a family.
Well, that's just a peak at what we've done this month. I love the saying "it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful" because that describes the Christmas celebration at my house. Our decorations are few but meaningful. And our crafts are messy but memorable.
What have you done this month to celebrate Christmas?
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Linked to 2011 Christmas Tour of Homes.
2 comments:
Hi Stephanie. We are also using Ann Voskamp's Jesse Tree devotionals each night. I've never seen the nativity blocks. They look interesting! It's always great to see other mamas striving to keep Christ at the center of the celebration! Have a blessed Christmas!
I like the kids' ornaments and mini gingerbread house.
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