Christmas Program at Tommy's school

Reading the Night Before Christmas

Anxiously waiting for Santa, ie hand in mouth because he is SO excited

When asked what they wanted for Christmas all the kids said a "surprise", I think they were nervous and just followed what the first kid said.  Tommy wasn't going to be a "follower" oh, no, he was going to make sure that Santa KNEW what he wanted the most....A Bobba Fett Costume :)

Penny wanted nothing to do with this Santa :)

Christmas Morn

This year we were at home for Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. Trent cooked a big meal on Christmas Eve and we went to service at church with Nana. It was fun to wrap presents in the late hours with Trent as we were both giddy with anticipation of Santa's arrival. We focus a lot on the true meaning of Christmas and we throughly celebrate the birth of our Saviour. But we also enjoy the excitement and whimsey of Santa and the loot he brings. We don't do a ton of presents in our home. The kids typically get one gift from Santa, one gift from their siblings and one or two gifts from us. We also do small stocking stuffers. Sometimes Trent and I exchange gifts and sometimes, like this year we both expressed larger items that we would like to have before Christmas (he wanted a flat screen tv and I wanted a family photo shoot), works for us!
 

The kids had so much fun looking at all the presents and figuring out which was there "Santa" present.  He usually brings the BEST. This year we had a dilemma.  Grandma and Grandpa Lydic asked what the boys wanted so I told them a few things that were on the "lists", however Tommy really only wanted one thing, a Bobba Fett costume.  They said they would get it for him and I figured we could find some other things that he would enjoy, win, win.  Well, on Christmas Eve there was discussion about how ONLY Santa could bring the costume because that is what Tommy had asked for when we visited Santa.  NO ONE else could bring, it HAD to come from Santa.  An emergency call was sent to Grandpa Lydic who chuckled and gave the ok for a present switch, and diverted a MAJOR catastrophe :)

We spent all morning in our pajamas and had a huge breakfast.  It was so fun to watch the kids enjoying their presents and playing nicely together.  Even Penny got into opening presents, it was precious and I felt overwhelmed with gratitude for our family and all the blessings we have been given.  My heart overflowed with love as I watched my dear sweet husband playing with our children, making us a lovely brunch and snuggled up on the couch with me drinking coffee and watching all the fun.  I am truly blessed on so many levels and thank our Heavenly Father.



And after all our fun at home we headed over to spend the afternoon with my sister and her family and my parents.  We had a nice dinner and exchanged gifts with them and the cousins ran around like crazy maniacs and everyone dotted over Penny who decided to charm us all and take her first steps from Nana to Grandpa!  Man does she know the way to my Dad's heart :)

It was a truly wonderful Christmas and I think we all needed to make some new traditions and be together as a family.

Homemade Christmas 2012

This year I decided to make it a homemade Christmas.  For years I have been wanting to really do this, dig in, find lots of ideas, and then actually do it.  I felt that we accomplished a lot of what I had planned to do and it was so fun crafting with the kids, making projects with Trent and staying up late working like one of Santa's elves!  I hope that everyone that received one of our homemade with love gifts, enjoys them as much as we enjoyed making them!

I found this printable on the internet and had it printed as a picture.  Then I put it in a frame and gave to family and friends.

The boys drew pictures and Penny scribbled on some paper or I traced her hand and then modge podge the pictures onto small white tiles to make coasters.  We then added felt to the bottom and gave them many clear coats of paint.  Wrapped with festive Christmas fabric bows and sent them on their way.

 

I modge podged a picture frame with wrapping paper and added a bow.

Hand painted R2D2 ornament for Charlie

Hand painted Boba Fett ornament for Tommy

The Symbols of Christmas tin

Altoid tins decorated with felt and filled with homemade magnets

Magnets made from clear stones, pictures from magazines glued to stones and then magnet glued on the back.

Hand painted train ornament for a friend

Notepad made from clear picture frame, sheet music printed from the internet that was put inside the frame and a post it glued to the front.  I ran out of time and next time would add more embellishment.

Homemade candy cane playdough in spaghetti sauce jars that we have been saving, wrapped in festive fabric and a cookie cutter tied to the top.

 

 

It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

Penny's hand print snowman ornament

Baking

Christmas of yesteryear

The ONLY reason we celebrate.  The birth of our Lord and Savior!

Command station, aka dining room table...just keeping it real people!

Santa nesting dolls Nana gave us...LUV!

Christmas cards

Santa WAS here!

Gingerhead cookies for Charlie's Christmas class party

Homemade box of magnets for teachers and friends

R2D2 ornament I painted for Charlie

It is beginning to looked a lot like Christmas.

A Servant's Heart

 For the last 2 or 3  years we have filled boxes for Samaritans Purse, Operation Christmas Child. And with each year that we participate we are blessed even more.

 Over the year I had saved odds and ends of little toys, party favors, extra crayons, etc.  It really helped to fill the boxes to the brim this year!  Each year we also go to the dollar store and the boys pick out several items for "their" buddies box.  This year the boys had been saving some of their chore money for this exact purpose.  I think they each had $4 dollars to spend and they were very careful on their choices.  Tommy knew right away that his "buddy" would love a truck and a Spider Man tooth brush.  Charlie choose a purple squigey porcupine ball and a tooth brush pack that had 2 tooth brushes in it.  He reasoned that his "buddy" would probably like the Spiderman tooth brush better, but this way he would have a toothbrush to share or just an extra one.  I was amazed at how thoughtful Charlie was this year.  He really got it!

This year we also included a letter to our "buddy" and our address.   We were told that often the children will write back to the family that donated the box.  We also registered our boxes online so we will know what part of the world our boxes went to.

I love doing activities like this with our children.  To teach them that it is always better to give then receive.  To show them how privileged we are as a family and a nation and that most of the world does not live like we do.  That we need to be mindful of those around us, help when we can, even if that means to say a prayer for someone. 

These are the moments that I hope are etched into our children's hearts.  These are the memories that I pray they will one day cherish for I know that I truly do!

Snowman Soup and Christmas candy

This year the boys made some cute little packages of Snowman Soup for some of their friends and neighbors.  As part of our Christmas preparations we tried to focus more on giving and doing for others like Jesus did,  then the presents that they would receive on Christmas. 

After washing our hands :), we let the boys stuff their little bags full of marshmallows, a candy cane, a packet of hot chocolate and a few Hersey Kisses.  Tommy was MORE then generous with his bags!!   We wrapped them up, tied on a recipe for Snowman Soup, and delivered them through out the neighborhood or gave them to friends when we saw them. 

It was a fun project that the kids could have a lot of control in and a great family project of giving to others!  Something we will certainly do next year!

Trent also made some of our famous candy cane bark for his boss and co-workers.  He really went all out this year and experimented with different chocolates and what combination went well together etc.  I believe that he settled on a dark chocolate base, then white chocolate and crushed candy canes on top.  I have to say that I LOVE working in the kitchen with my husband and we seem to do a lot more of it during the holidays!!

Country Christmas 2010

We spent Christmas down at Nie Nie and Papa's house this year.  It was good to be together Christmas morning.  There is nothing like watching the children fly down the stairs with excitement to see if Santa had brought them their treats!

On Christmas Eve we put out cookies and milk for the Jolly Ole Elf, carrotts for the reindeer and also special reindeer food, made form oatmeal and glitter, out on snow so the reindeer could find their way to the big house.  Santa obviously didn't have a problem finding us this year, even way back off the dirt roads in the country!

Santa even has special wrapping paper!!

Tommy and Charlie opening their "Santa" presents.

Tom was SO excited!!

Santa brought him the drum set he wanted

and the trumpet

All the boys got LEGOs

Charlie got the Buzz and Woody LEGO train set he wanted.  The fellas went right to work building it.

The day wouldn't be complete without a ride on Grandpa's loader!

There was sledding

and naps

rides on Nie Nie's tractor

and snow wagon rides with cousins

 musical shows being put on by the children

and lots of time to catch up

There was good fun in the newly remodeled kitchen (you DID IT Dad!!)

lots of smiles at the kids table

and a beautiful Christmas spread

We celebrated this little girls 1st Christmas

ah, I love that handsome man!

and of course, there was plenty of time spent with Grandpa and his Christmas train.

 

Our biggest gift this year!

We celebrated the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ, and thanked Him for the promise of eternal life with Him in Heaven.  This year, that has much more meaning to me then any other. For though we celebrated and laughed and ate and were merry, we were all missing our beloved Jane.