I've been somewhat slacking in keeping my blog updated lately.
Between the huge bread sale fundraiser we did for my sister, my new church calling working with the Young Women, getting ready for Christmas, and all of us coming down with the crud that's been going around, there has just seemed to be no time!
So here's a little glimpse into what we have been up to this past month......
Decorating!
This was the first year in my adult life that I actually put some time and money into Christmas decorations. When we were in college we usually went home for Christmas so it seemed pointless to decorate, and last year we were both so busy working that the Christmas season came and went with our only decoration being the Christmas tree.
But this year, I had a blast decorating and my mother-in-law was here to help! :)
Kenadie had a blast decorating her first gingerbread house this year.
Kenadie also painted some ornaments for the tree and insisted on doing it "all myself!"
The girls had several opportunities to meet Santa and they loved it! They are some of the very few little kids I've seen to not scream in pure horror as their parents place them on Santa's lap!
My mom, Kenadie, and I displayed our excellent sense of Christmas style and beauty by dressing up one afternoon.
Kenadie has LOVED the snow and followed my sister, Sadie, outside one day to go "snowboarding" down my parents' driveway. I think a snowboard may be on Kenadie's Christmas wish list for next year!
We had a fabulous Christmas Eve party with Garrett's sisters and their families. I made a few big pots of clam chowder, rolls, Italian sodas, apple cider, etc. We topped off the evening with a reading of Luke 2 from the Bible while the children acted out the Nativity scene.
Then we kept with Christensen family tradition and did our annual Christmas Candle Burning!
When Garrett's dad was a little boy, he and his brothers nearly burned down their barn. After this incident, their mother told them that matches were OFF limits....but she let them have their little "pyromaniac fix" one day a year. Every Christmas Eve she would allow them to have a large candle and a box of matches to burn the candle with (supervised, of course!). And it has been a Christmas family tradition ever since.
We scour thrift stores all year long to collect as many colorful and Christmas-y candles as we can to burn in pie tins on Christmas Eve.
It is one of my most favorite Christmas traditions.
Then the girls opened their Christmas jammies, had some snuggles, and went to bed. I told Kenadie that Santa wouldn't come until she went to sleep, and for the first time in forever, she was fast asleep by 8:30pm. I wish every night was Christmas Eve! :)
The awesome thing about having such young kids is that they don't quite understand the excitement and anticipation of opening presents on Christmas morning; so instead of waking us up at 5am, we woke them up at 8:15am after a nice, restful sleep!
We watched a Nativity movie (to help remind our kids--and ourselves--of the true meaning and importance of Christmas), and then had a fun morning watching our girls open presents.
50 cent bags of beaded necklaces and 25 cent beanie babies from the local thrift store were this year's favorite Christmas gifts. Go figure!
50 cent bags of beaded necklaces and 25 cent beanie babies from the local thrift store were this year's favorite Christmas gifts. Go figure!
Grandma Willardson made these adorable neck pillow pets for the grandkids this year:
Playing with her cousin, Dallin, and sportin' some sweet bed head:
I have to say that Christmas is so much more fun as a parent than it ever was as a kid. I love it!
It has been a wonderful month.
1 comment:
Great pictures, Holly! I love the candle burning and the girls in their jammies--they are so stinking adorable.
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