Christmas Festivities

We tried to do a bunch of Christmas activities with the kids this year. We had a sweet spot this holiday of Gemma being old enough to do fun things and no baby again.

Last year, we attended the Bethlehem night at a local church and loved it. Except it was freezing cold last year, which was bad for the kids but good for crowd control. We went this year and had to wait an hour for the line to let us in the "gates" of Bethlehem. Thankfully, the church serves cookies and has choirs performing in a tent so the kids waited there while I waited in line. We now know to come a different night and a different time next year. The kids had a blast again and we were impressed by the church's ability to organize such a large project/event.

He thought the guard was Iron Man.

 

We made gingerbread houses a few times. This often ended in chasing Gemma away from the big kids so they could keep working on it. I think next year, we may switch to building our own with graham crackers instead of the pre-bought box ones. That way, the three kids can just build their own instead of working together on one.

Our ward hosted a Christmas party. It was just dinner and then a few thoughts from bishopric members. I always prefer when the parties have kid-focused activities or else my kids just run wild and I am having to constantly remind them to calm down despite the other kids running wild. Ashton was sick so I just took Tanner and Gemma. I feel I should offer to help plan next year's event in hopes of making it more appropriate for the kids.

Ashton had her Christmas piano recital and played Away in a Manger. Then the following week, she was asked to sing a solo in sacarment meeting with the primary children. She got to sing the second verse herself and did wonderfully well. She enjoys singing and after getting over the initial fear/nerves, she does very well in public. We are practicing another song to sing this month with her and me (as long as baby girl's arrival doesn't interrupt that plan).

On Christmas Eve, we met up with some friends from Lake Jackson and spent the day at Brazos Bend State Park. It was a nice way to distract the kids from all the Christmas present excitement.

We came home from the park and did our usual Christmas Eve activities. The kids get a box on Christmas Eve with new pajamas and typically supplies for a movie night. But this year, I decided to switch it up and do a new game for them. Plus, I've had Candyland sitting in the gift box for two years now and was ready to gift it. Instead of a movie, we watched part of the BYU bowl game. We also had our Jerusalem meal with challah bread, olives, grape juice, and fish.

Someone found the black marker right before this.

Christmas Day was magical for the kids. We let Tanner and Ashton have a sleepover in Ashton's room and they didn't come downstairs until after 7am. Gemma stayed asleep until closer to 8am. I took the easy way out and bought cinnamon rolls in the can. I think that will become my tradition from now on. It was so much less stress that morning. The kids had a blast opening gifts. Gemma was happy to open one and then play with it for a while. She still had gifts to open on New Year's.