A few of my Favorite Christmas Memories

 The Monday before Christmas I decided to copy the Young Women's activity we had the first week in December and tweak it a little.  Denise had taken a talk by President Howard W. Hunter entitled, The Gifts of Christmas, and cut from it a list of things we can give our Savior during the Christmas season and throughout the year.  Denise had a gift box filled with strips of paper listing things from the talk and had the girls draw out and read each thing.  I did the same thing for my family but found these shadow boxes at Michael's Craft and painted them silver.  I had the kids paint the wooden back of the frame with chalkboard paint while I read to them from President Hunter's talk and then had them add the picture of Christ to the shadowbox while that paint dried.  Then we drew from the gift box I had put the strips of paper in.  I had them choose one or two of the things from their strips that they could do over the next week, place their strips in the box and then write with chalk who they were going to do those things for.  Then we hung their boxes from silver string onto the Christmas tree.  I'm not going to lie.  It wasn't the most spiritual FHE we have ever had.  In fact, J had the older kids doing push-ups and other exercises after we were done because they had been less than respectful while I was trying to teach the lesson.  On the upside they were fully penitant afterward and I plan to use the boxes every Christmas (and perhaps throughout the year as well).

 Dinner Christmas Eve: Homemade pizza and sparkling grape juice.  Pretty simple, but everyone loved it!  After everyone was done eating we opened Christmas pajamas.  
This is actually the first year we have done Christmas pajamas and it was so fun!  AP and D went around calling each other twin.  AJ had her and her doll's matching white nightgowns that I had made last year so I just gave them matching red and white striped socks.  It was really cute and she was very happy.

Here we are Christmas Eve reading the Christmas Story in Luke.  D, AJ, and I drew nativity pictures while we listened to J and AP read.  Everyone was quite well behaved which made me happy.

Opening Christmas Eve presents.  D is in the background sporting his Super Cape designed and given to him by a cousin (sewn by his dear aunt), and AJ is enjoying a journal that came in a duct tape bag, also made by a cousin.  Love those creative cousins!

AP opening card and money from Grandparents.  The card said, "We hope all your Christmas wishes come true and not the just the ones money can buy."  He shook his head, smiled, and said, "I just love how Grandma always does funny little saying like that to go along with her gifts."

 These next ones are out of order and totally jumbled up, but I don't have time to fix them, so I apologize for the confusion in advance...
Decorating cookies for Santa, checking out stockings, and snuggling with Dad before heading down to see what Santa left.

"Wow!  This is the puzzle I said I wanted.  How did Santa know that?"

Sporting the Super Hero shirt from AP

One of my FAVORITE moments was that as soon as we got downstairs AJ headed to the kitchen (without even a glance toward her presents), so that she could get rolls and hot chocolate for everyone to enjoy while opening presents.  Love, love, LOVE that girl!

Baby Jesus that AJ and D set up a couple of weeks before Christmas

A boy after his father's heart... building legos together!

Another favorite moment.  We always let the youngest go down first.  D was halfway down the stairs when he noticed a little pile of legos sitting there from the night before.  He stopped,sat down, and started playing with them completely oblivious to the toys waiting for him downstairs.  After he was done building he turned around and went back up the stairs to share his legos with AP and AJ and it was a couple of minutes before he became aware that there were toys waiting downstairs.  Such a sweet boy!!