The Christmas Countdown

For several years, I've wanted to do a Christmas countdown calendar.  I bought one in 2008 that I really like (in Cambridge, of all places!), but each year December would come and go and the calendar hung on the wall empty.  It just seemed an impossible task to sort out the 24 daily activities before the month began.  But this year I decided to go for it.  I made my master list of ideas and stayed one day ahead, writing the night before what we would do the following day based on our schedule and what I thought I could make work.  More often than not, I forgot to write on the candy cane or christmas tree shape and had to sneak it while preparing breakfast before one of the kids drew the countdown paper out!  It's been so much fun and a great way to make this month more special as we celebrate Christ's birth. 

1. pick out our Christmas tree

2. Decorate the tree

3. make Marshmallow Snowmen

4. make peppermint pretzel bark

5. play nativity hide-n-seek - the kids loved this game!

6. make and deliver gingerbread party invitations to our neighbors

7. sing carols at the piano

8. family movie night with marshmallow popcorn (we watched A Muppet's Christmas Carol - lots of laughing out loud!)

9. make nativity characters out of salt dough

10. read our Bible story and books by the tree in pajamas before bed

11. make our own live-action nativity video

12. paint nativity characters - can you guess who only wanted to use pink and purple to paint with?!

13. host neighborhood gingerbread party - so much fun!

14. gather toys and clothes to give away

15. make Christmas cards

16. play the gingerbread man coloring game

17. read Legend of a Candy Cane and make candy cane cookies

18. host home group Christmas party

19. take Christmas treats to our librarians

20. read The King's Christmas List and pick out a "present for Jesus"

21. Christmas party at Kaye K and Big Daddy's

22. Uncle Sean, Aunt Jessica and Phoebe are here!

23. make gingerbread waffles for dinner

24. open Christmas Eve pajamas from Grammy Deb and G-Daddy with Cousin Phoebe

December 25th is here!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

She's Three!

We've been looking forward to celebrating our Gretchen on the 22nd!  She's three!  Gretchen keeps us laughing with the funny things she says and the silly things she does!  She thinks outside of the box.  Why color on the paper when you can color your hands pink and purple?!  She loves everything to be pink and purple and prefers to wear a dress and tights every day, but can hold her own in a matchbox car race at the same time.  She loves telling stories and playing imaginative games.  When she's sweet and in a good mood, she's an angel.  When she's not, look out!  Gretchen is spunky, fun-loving, opinionated, and really good at cuddling.  

We love you so much, Gretch!  Happy Birthday!   

Nine Months

I am crazy about this little girl!  She's nine months and now has been with us longer than she grew inside me.  I can't imagine our family without her.  Bridgette is just plain happy!  And her big blue eyes brighten my day.  She loves her siblings and usually doesn't like playing on her own unless someone else from the family is in the room with her.  She takes two naps during the day and is doing great with eating solids.  I've yet to give her something she doesn't like.  She has some fun noises she makes when "talking", but seems to be following in her brother's footsteps of observing what is happening around her before she makes herself known.  Only time will tell what her unique personality will be like!

  

She's officially on the move now!  It didn't take her long to go from putting herself on all fours to pulling herself across the floor to full on crawling.  

And I thought ornaments on the lower part of the tree wouldn't be a problem this year!

Gone are the days when I can put her down and expect her to just sit there!

Straining

Learning to crawl is such hard work!

The Tree

I think this is my favorite tree yet!  It was a family affair of picking it out, bringing it home, hacking at the trunk to get it to fit in our stand, putting on the lights and finishing it off with ornaments.  I love the Christmas season!

Fall

Just some more photos from November that I wanted to post.  Fall was short-lived (it already feels like winter over here), but we made sure to enjoy it!

Thanksgiving football

She thoroughly enjoyed her first Thanksgiving meal!  I didn't take any other pictures that evening.  I blame it on all the yummy food and delicious pies my mom made.

Posing with our 2012 Thanksgiving Tree.  I love this tradition more each year.