Christmas Traditions, 2011

It has always been a Christmas tradition in our family to set up, and decorate, a Christmas tree each year for Christmas. Here is a picture of what our tree looks like this year:


The kids had fun helping me decorate the tree by hanging ornaments...which were later re-distributed to the remaining 75% top half of the tree once the kids were in bed.

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This will be the second year our family has used a truly unique and one-of-a-kind, actually two-of-a-kind (cousin Alli has the other one), advent calendar for the kids.

Each morning in December, until Christmas, Jackson and Jessica wake up and excitedly run down stairs to open a small gift.
Thanks again, Mom, for passing down your hand-made tradition Laura and I enjoyed as children!
Next year Lia will be old enough to take part in this fun Christams tradition too; however, we're not quite sure how it'll work to hang three gifts on the calendar? - two is difficult enough...just have to use smaller and more light-weight gifts I guess.

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We have a new Christmas tradition in our family this year -thank you, Grandma Barb, for the early gift!
It is the 'Elf on the Shelf' Christmas tradition.


The kids named our elf "Freckles Star Power." It has been sent directly from Santa's workshop to come and visit our family each year. Our elf arrives shortly after Thanksgiving and stays until Christmas Eve. It sits upon a shelf (or lamp shade, picture frame, curtain rod, etc.) and watches/listens to the kids throughout the daytime.

The elf then flies back to the North Pole each night to give his "report" (whether good or bad) to Santa. When he arrives back at our house in the morning, he is in a new location. It has been a fun game for Jackson and Jessica to 'find the elf' when they get out of bed in the mornings!

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And, of course, we still have the Christmas tradition of sending out family holiday cards. I was able to get this picture of the kids yesterday, after bribing Jackson and Jessica with a lollipop!

We plan to use this shot as one of the pictures on our holiday card this year.

We hope Christmas traditions will add lots of fun and excitement to the holiday season for you all!