Christmas in Ohio

We had an early Christmas in Ohio because Adam and I decided it would be best if the kids and I went to Florida before December 25th.    Adam has his Boards exam and Interviews in January so it was a good time for us to spend time with family.

H and L were really into decorating the Christmas tree so a disproportionate amount of ornaments ended up in clumps around the bottom half of the tree...but we like it that way :)

We did lots of fun Advents and Christmas activities with the kids this year... Some that we did last year like Kiss for a Kiss, Christopher Popinkins, Gifts for Jesus Tree, and our Advent Calendar and Book...

And some new ones...

This is our Names of Jesus Tree Advent.  The kids and I filled 24 glass ornaments with poms-poms, glitter, ribbon, and artificial snow and then I wrote a different name Jesus is called in the Bible on each one. Each day leading up to Christmas we picked one to hang on our small tree.

We also did a Christmas book Advent.  I wrapped 24 Christmas books and each day the kids got to pick one out to open and read.  

We also did a Stocking Advent.  Each stocking had a fun activity and craft project written on a piece of paper.  The craft was usually an ornament that corresponded to various Christmas related Scriptures, which we read and discussed before we made the ornament.

H and L decorated Christmas cookies.  They did such a good job and were really into it this year.

On Christmas Eve Adam made Cuban sandwiches, we each wrote down our gift for Jesus and put it in the gift box, we opened our Christmas Eve presents, put out cookies and carrots for Santa and his reindeer, and rushed excitedly to bed.

In the morning the (very excited) kids came into our room and waited while Adam went out to check everything out and make sure the coast was clear and the kids could come out.  H and L ran out holding hands and were so excited to see what Santa left them.  H got the Bat Cave he had asked for in his letter to Santa and L got a dollhouse.  All day long her dolls would visit the Bat Cave and Batman and Robin would make day trips over to her dollhouse.  We hung out in our pajamas all day, played with toys, and enjoyed being together. 

Thank you God for these three wonderful blessings!  


No matter how many gifts we give or get, or how many familiar


 carols we sing or holiday movies we watch~ Christmas will always 


be an amazing mystery. We celebrate the day that the uncreated


 entered creation, the eternal entered the temporal, and the infinite 


entered finitude. The Word became flesh, this is why we celebrate 


Christmas!