Magic Moments...Christmas 2011

I love traditions and one of my favorite parts of Christmas is the opportunity to pass on traditions from mine and Marty's childhoods, while creating new ones with our own family. The past few weeks, we have made many beautiful memories in small magic moments. Here are a few that I am storing up in my heart from this Christmas...

Each year we do a family devotional to countdown to Christmas. This year, we added Snoopy to the mix. It has been a ton of fun anticipating the birth of our Savior together.

 

Sofie was home sick one day from school, and made this note for Santa...just in case.

 

 

 We have three Christmas elves that visit us each December. We summon them the night we put up our Christmas tree, using a magic snow globe. Lily was concerned that our elves might be scared of our dog, Penny. She wasn't with us this time last year. So, she wrote them a note just to reassure them that everything would be ok upon their arrival. Ha!

The kids were so excited the day our Christmas elves arrived for their visit from the North Pole. Let the mischief begin!



One Saturday morning, just after the Elves arrived, I woke up to this adorable scene...Little Bug watching cartoons with her elf, Penny.  She even shared the blanket so that Penny would not be cold. How sweet is she???  Sweet enough to make her own honey.

 



Since the kids are out of school, we loosened up a bit on our bedtime routine. The girls had a ton of fun having a "sleepover" together a couple of nights during the break. Listening to them whisper and giggle together until they fell asleep really tickled my heart. I love the friendship that is growing between my girls.

Little Bug has a December birthday, and we try very hard not let her big day get lost in the shuffle. I loved watching Jack and Lily hanging out together during Sofie's birthday party at McDonalds. We have a picture very similar to this one from many years ago with Marty and his sister. When I saw this, I couldn't help but smile.

 

The girls used our "magic snow globe", a gift a few years back from our Christmas elves, and gave Santa their Christmas wishes on their lists. They wanted to be sure he had everything right on Christmas Eve.

Hot cocoa with friends on a cold winter day.

 

Sofie wanted to be sure Santa knew where to find her...

 

 

I have a December birthday as well. This year, my birthday wish was that ALL of my babies will be with me for my next birthday.

Little Bug loves her puppy! It cracks me up watching her carry Penny, the dog, all over the house...whether she wants it or not!

I know it's a bit premature, but I just couldn't help myself. I placed a gift for Baby Buckle under the tree this year. Somehow, it made our chosen child seem as though he/she is with us by including him/her in our celebration this year. I let the kids open the gift...a book and a CD of lullabies. How I pray that we have four stockings on our mantle next year.

 

Our Christmas tree is funky and filled with sentimental ornaments. Some are from my childhood. Others, from Marty's. Some are keepsake ornaments that mark special moments in our life as a family. Our favorites are ones the kids have made over the years. I love this picture of them standing in front of our tree. It was such a fun night, looking through our memories and laughing together as a family. I hope the kids will treasure the ornaments on this tree when they are older, as much as they do right now.