Christmas Activities part 2

Acting out the Nativity

Audrey gave baby Jesus her blankie.  Really, what more can you give?  That blankie (AKA "nigh nigh" is the world to this little girl.  She also gave baby Jesus lots of kisses.  Audrey does have a sweet and gentle side!  She didn't make baby Jesus "roar" or "growl" as she usually does with baby dolls.  I didn't have the camera handy when she started giving kisses, but after awhile, I had to get it and capture it because it was too precious to forget!

We act it out repeatedly, since the girls all want a turn as Mary.  Landon wanted to be Joseph and lead the donkey each time.  He got his lines down!  Daddy, as always, is the donkey!  

{note more kisses from Audrey!}

Making sugar cookies...  well eating them anyways!! 

Handel's Messiah

We attended Handel's Messiah performed at ISU as a family.  What I heard of it was awesome, but mostly I roamed the halls and climbed stairs with Audrey.  I went with a pocket of suckers, thinking that would keep her quiet, but by about the third song she had bitten the sucker off the stick and I tried to get it from her, but then she through it into the isle and screamed.... maybe we will try again in a few years! 

Alyse, Lexi, and Alaina were able to play with the Ferarra family at a nurisng home (yes, Parma people, Bro. David Ferarra our seminary teacher's family, his wife teaches my girl's music lessons :)    It's a phone picture, because I forgot my camera.  Alyse and Lexi can hardly be seen at the far left and Alaina is in the center with her cello.  It's actually the only picture I have of Alaina and the cello! (I'll fix that soon!)  It was touching to share the Christmas spirit through music to the residents.  Alyse and Lexi also play "Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel" in Sacrament meeting the Sunday before Christmas.  They were asked last minute, they had 4 days to prepare and their accompanist was out of town for 2, but they pulled it off with some intense practicing that week.   After all the music things in December they performed for, they were happy to put the violins away for awhile over Christmas! 

My favorite Christmas activity is reading Christmas stories.  Our Christmas read alouds this year...

It was my first time reading Charles Dickens and loved it.  Also loved the new "Jacob T. Marley".  "Memorable Christmas Stories" is another new favorite; practically every story in it made me cry.

And I love Christmas movies too.  Scott and I watched "It's  A Wonderful Life" for the first time ever, really.  We loved it!

A favorite Christmas tradition of the kids' is to have a sleep in under the Christmas tree.  We let them 3 or 4 times this year!

Our new (and my most favorite) tradition we started this year was our Savior tree. We made ornaments with pictures from the life of Christ, on the back was a scripture or quote we read together as we placed the ornament on the tree.  And 30 ornaments, each with a different name for the Savior (Christ, Comforter, Lord of Lords, Prince of Peace, etc.).  These I placed in a basket and we had to do a random act of kindness to place an ornament on the tree.  I hope the children remember the random of kindnesses we did much longer than they remember what they opened on Christmas day!   It helped us all to stay focused on the Savior throughout the season.