Our Christmas Traditions

So, I wasn't going to do it.

I wasn't going to put up the tree or any of the decorations before Thanksgiving. 

But, you see we're going to be in Iowa for over two weeks in December and I wanted to truly enjoy our tree, and our home decorated for Christmas. 

So we pulled out the boxes of decorations and it happened. 

Our tree has been up for over a week now and I kinda love it. 

I thought I'd talk a little bit about our Christmas traditions and share some of family traditions. 

We pray for every family that sends us a Christmas card, read more about that here.

Each of our children gets 4 gifts, read more about why and what here.

This year we're doing our first advent calendar, see it here. 

Every year we take a picture in front of the tree and put it in a frame ornament to place on the tree next year, we've been doing this since we first got married so it's been fun to see the pictures through the last six years, see them here. 

We also bake my Great Grandmas sugar cookies, and I love sharing those memories with my kiddos now.

Another new tradition my sister and I are doing for our kiddos is a Night Before Christmas box. I saw this idea online a couple months ago and I immediately thought of it for this year since all the cousins will be together. My sister and I bought all the kids matching Christmas jammies. We'll put them in a box for them to open on Christmas Eve, together with a Christmas movie, popcorn, hot cocoa and some other goodies. I plan on putting them in the same box every year to pass it down year to year have these Christmas eve goodies inside every year.

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?

Simple Paper Chain

Paper chains, they are some of the most simple things to make. I remember making these a few times in college to countdown some pretty fun moments. My sister and two nieces are coming to visit us in just a matter of days for Ava's birthday.

So after Ava's nap time one day we sat down and made two paper chains. One for her birthday coming up, and the other counting down till my Sister arrives with her littles.

These don't really need instructions, plus this was a really great way to put to use some of that left over scrapbook paper I have lying around.

I cut up a bunch of strips, as many as the days we needed to count down to.

I also didn't want to leave them plain, so I wrote on them and let Ava decorate them with stamps and stickers too.

Then we hung them up by the back door, we'll tear one off everyday till they get here. I think this is such a fun way to countdown events with kiddos. 

Do you do anything special to countdown memories for your kids? 

my new employers.

When I went back to work when Ava was just 8 months old, I thought it was only temporary. I remember that first day of work like it was yesterday.

Never did I think that over two years later that I would still be working. When I got pregnant again, I knew that in my heart that I didn't want to continue working outside the home.

It was my desire to do whatever it took to be able to stay home with both my children.

Thankfully the Lord knows that desires of our hearts. It's been a long road, lots of hard work and I'm thankful that the Lord has provided in many ways so that I could stay home with my children. 

These guys are keeping me busy & on my toes. But, I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm excited that I get to now stay home with them everyday.

During that period when I was a full time working mom I learned so much about my family. I learned the kind of mother I wanted to be, the kind of home I wanted to have. 

God gave me a heart for working mothers. Very few Mothers know both sides of staying home and working full time. I do. 

I know the struggle. I know how it hurts. I know how guilt comes over you when you're working full time outside the home. 

I know how you judge yourself because you think others are judging you. I also know how God redeems all that. 

How he gives peace and comfort when you're dropping your kid off at daycare when you wish you were in your jammies with them at home. 

As we settle into new routines around here it's a little nuts. They both are so different, but they have my heart. They are mine. 

I'm so thankful for this new season. And there's no doubt that God's going to use it and teach me new things.