Holiday activities...

This week, we continued celebrating the Christmas season with many fun activities. In addition to our advent calendars and christmas carol sing-a-longs, the kids helped me make chocolate crinkles for my cookie exchange with my women's small group. The had a ball rolling the dough in powdered sugar!

We then decorated christmas sugar cookies with Godsisters Sofia and Eva and Godmother Erica. It is hilarious watching toddlers decorate cookies. I think everyone frosted their tongues more than the cookies, and the amount of sprinkles consumed was...well, more than any one person should consume.

Here are the girls in the christmas "smockets" I made them...(well almost. I still have to sew on Caroline's pocket. Yes smock + pocket = smocket). I will be making Clayton an apron too, but using a different pattern that's not so girly.

We got to go through the holiday lights display in Vernon Hills at the Cuneo museum (which I highly recommend if you've never done it.)

Then we decorated gingerbread houses with the Sontag family.

Austin even helped...by sucking on a gingerbread boy. He really was quite happy doing it. I think "the look" is one of worry that I will take the cookie away!

Our masterpiece

Caroline's school christmas show

Bad video quality because it was so dark in there, but here it is anyway...

A Prayer for December

A Prayer For December:

Dearest God,

Please never let me

Crowd my life

Full to the brim.

So like the keeper of Bethlehem’s Inn,

I find I have no room for Him.

Instead, let my heart’s door

Be ever open,

Ready to welcome

The newborn King.

Let me offer the best I have

To Him

Who gives me everything.

--author unknown

Some christmas pics...

Stockings

My mom has lovingly hand-needlepointed stockings for all three of my children. They are so special to us.
Here they are proudly displayed on our mantle. Aren't they beautiful?

Visiting Santa

Austin's first sit upon santa's lap. At first he was a little leery, but then he came around.



C&C on santa's lap. Caroline asked for a Cinderella doll and blue clip-clop shoes. Clayton asked for chocolate.

Decorating the Tree

Daddy Love

Santa hats, snow, and finding christmas trees

This week, we decorated the house for Christmas. I LOVE decorating for Christmas. I love everything about Christmas - everything from the true meaning of the season and the constant wonderful reminders of our Savior, to the tastes and smells (the cookies, the cider, the smell of a fresh-cut tree...), to the sights and sounds (the decorations and lights, the beautfiul music...) The stockings were hung for about 2 minutes until Clayton decided to yank his down, big metal hanger and all. We ended up in the ER with a bad cut in his nose. Clayton is now OBSESSED with the christmas lights on the tree. (He has tried to remove them several times.) We gave him a broken strand that he drags around the house and tries to plug in when we're not looking. Caroline LOVES the ornaments and all the christmas carols.

We took the family to get our christmas tree. It was Clayton and Austin's first time. Austin just hung out with me, but C&C had a blast running around all the trees.

We also had our first snow. Caroline could not WAIT to get out there and eat the snow. (I know, so gross.) She, of course, introduced the concept to her little brother who dug right in. He loved playing in the snow. This was his first positive snow experience. Last year, he was not walking and HATED it. What a difference a year makes!

Matching christmas jammies!

(I am SUCH a sucker for matching clothing!)


Daddy and his big boos.


I am SUCH a good stander mama!