Christmas Eve and Such

We had lots of fun with Advent this year.  We opened a Christmas book every day and read it, we put an ornament on our "Names for Jesus Tree", we did "Kiss for a Kiss" (and I got some awesome kisses, especially from L who tends to be stingy when it comes to kisses), we did our magnetic manger scene and read the book that goes along with it, and we did our stocking advent which I filled with the activities from Truth in the Tinsel which involve reading the Bible and making a corresponding craft or ornament.  We also did our "Gifts for Jesus Tree" and at the end of each day the kids would tell what they did that day for Jesus and we would write it on an ornament and hang it up.  I loved that this year, the kids really got it... it was wonderful.  

Our elf, Christopher Popinkins came to visit on December 1st, mailed straight from the North Pole with this special letter from Santa himself:

Dear Hogan, Lauralee, and Maryann,

Hello to three of my favorite kiddos! 

I have some exiting news for you three but first I want to tell you how very special all three of you are.  I know that you are filled with love for each other, for your parents, but most importantly you are filled with love for Jesus and I know that he lives in your hearts.  He lives in mine too, so that makes us all especially special!

I have to let you know something pretty important.  You know that “Naughty and Nice” list that people are always talking about?  Well, I don’t really have one of those.  Because I know Jesus I also know a lot about grace and about getting what we won’t deserve.  I know you know all about that!  Like when you make the wrong choice and you choose to sin, Jesus gives you grace and loves you still.  I know that your parents give you grace too, like when you do something wrong and deserve to be disciplined but they give you another chance. 

I know that kids are not perfect, I know that y’all are not perfect.  But I know that Jesus loves you all the time, and so do I.  So you don’t need to worry about being on my naughty or nice list.  If you believe that I will come to your house on Christmas Eve and leave you some special surprises…I will!

This package I’m sending has a very special friend in it – one of my little elves.  I think you have met him before… his name is Christopher Popinkins.

Why am I sending him?

Well, this time of year – this time we call “Christmas” – gets very busy and kind of crazy.  A lot of people just focus on “want, want, want”.  Have you been telling your Mommy and Daddy what you want for Christmas?  It’s okay to want a few things, but I’ve seen people – grown ups and kiddos – get very selfish with all the stuff they want.  They want so many things that they forget the whole reason we even have Christmas…

 Jesus – God’s son who was born a long, long, long time ago…

The very first “Christmas present” ever given to the whole big world.

I don’t want you kiddos to forget about Jesus as you prepare for Christmas.  I want you to enjoy all the fun – hot chocolate, singing Christmas songs, candy and presents – but I don’t want you to forget the most important present :  God’s love for us and His son, Jesus.  I don’t want you to forget that it is always SO important to love others… to be nice to other people… to help other people (even your Mama, Daddy and each other)… to show people how wonderful Jesus is.  So, the little elf in your box is here to help y’all remember these important parts about Christmas:  Jesus, God’s love and our job of joyfully sharing that love with others through our gifts, kind words, and loving actions (the things we do for one another).

I am hoping that by watching you Christopher will learn even more about the love, joy, forgiveness and grace that is found though knowing our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  I hope he will see you:

- Love each other

- Speak nicely to one another

- Help each other

- Help your friends and neighbors

-Give to people who don’t have all the stuff you have

- Remember that God loves you so, so, so, so, so much.

Take care of my little friend.  He and I will talk every night about how you are doing this Christmas season.  During the day he looks just like a toy but at night he comes alive and sometimes does some silly stuff… elves are like that you know. 

I love y’all so much and I am so happy that you know Jesus and are going to bring him glory through your actions this Christmas Season!

Lots of Love,

Santa

Christopher was found in some pretty funny places each morning.  The first morning he was hanging by the ceiling fan with a pair of Hogan's underwear.  Hogan asked us to please take him down because it was "embarrassing".  One morning while the girls and I were still eating breakfast Hogan went upstairs and found Christopher in the bathroom holding the toothpaste with a toothpaste message written on the mirror.  I could hear Hogan saying, "No, Christopher!  NAUGHTY!!  That was naughty!"  And by the time girls and I got upstairs Hogan had put Christopher back on the shelf, put away the toothpaste, and cleaned off the mirror.  That kid cracks me up!  One day Christopher made snow men by writing on marshmellows with markers and stacking them.... L snuck away with all the marshmellows and ate them before I could blink an eye.  

I also finally finished MK's stocking :)

 This will be the last year with this Christmas Tree.  I bought it when I first started teaching and Adam and I have used it for the first 6 1/2 years of our marriage, but it has seen better days.  Goodbye tree, you have been good.

Here are a few of the fun Christmas crafts we made this year.  The elves are my favorite.  The kids LOVED their elves.  MK wanted to carry her's around with her everywhere she went.

Christmas Eve morning we gave our first gifts of Christmas to Jesus.  Hogan and Lauralee both decided to be extra kind to each other and Maryann in this coming year.

We went to Christmas Eve Service at Northecliff Baptist Church.  We invited Noni, Tom, Uncle Noki, Nana, Grandpa, Hayley, Emma, MayMay and PopPop to come with us and then to come back home and have cuban sandwiches and birthday cake.

Here are our pre-Church service pictures :)

I did the prep work and Adam put the finishing touches on the cuban sandwiches... they were amazing, as usual.  And the birthday cake for Jesus was equally delicious.  Hogan and Lauralee made it, they even got to crack the eggs.  Exciting stuff :)

After dinner the kids opened their Christmas eve gifts.  They were really confused once the wrapping paper was off because I used cereal boxes to package the pajamas in.  They just sat their looking at the cereal boxes and L said, "Why did you give us cereal?"  Even when they thought their gift was cereal they were sweet about it though :)

The kids were getting pretty worried that if they didn't get in bed soon Santa would pass on by so we let them hurry up and sprinkle their reindeer food over the balcony, read the Bible and tucked them into bed.  

And....

Santa came :)