December: What a busy and FUN month.
I LOVE, LoVe, love Christmastime. I haven't always though. I would say within the last five years or so I have really taken a hold of the Christmas season and ran with it. Starting in November, right after Thanksgiving I start to feel it. The magic that IS Christmastime. I love all of it. The reason we celebrate, the music, the traditions, the baking, the extra time off with the boys, the smells, the feelings inside my heart, all of it!
This Christmas season was Ah-maz-ing!
~Each day started with our daily advent activity.
~We did a lot of crafts I got from Pinterest, like reindeer feet prints, yarn wrapped Christmas trees and candy cane reindeer.
~We baked. We shared our baked goods and we received baked goods from friends.
~We hosted two Christmases and loved it.
~We attended the Hillcrest Lutheran Academy band concert which was beautiful, LOVED it!
~All the time spent with family and friends.
~We bell rang for the Salvation Army. This was the first year we've done it as a family and the boys held up well. Abram lasted about 25 minutes before he was starting to get too cold, but after a quick warm up inside Walgreens he was ready to complete the hour.
~We went to a few Christmas parties.
~The boys each had their own separate Christmas school programs and did a fabulous job.
~We played games, LOTS of games. Jenga, Old Maid, Wii.
~We took a trip to the cities. After last Christmas, I was overwhelmed with the thought of them getting more "stuff" so this year we decided that instead of giving the boys gifts from us, we would take them somewhere instead. Ethan and I went to a Vikings game while Steven and Abram went to the Aquarium. We all had a wonderful time doing that. We stayed at the Mall of America water park & hotel and it was incredible! So!Much!Fun!!! The next day we went to the Lego store so they could spend their Christmas money from Grammy. Over and over again I kept hearing, "This is the BEST Christmas ever!" Steven and I decided that "Less IS More" and think we will make this a new Christmas tradition. They did however get stockings, still something to have on Christmas morning.
~We attended the most beautiful Christmas Eve service where I was so moved by the Spirit. I wanted to take a picture for fear I will someday lose that image of my family sitting in that beautiful church singing the most beautiful Christmas hymns and all being together. I closed my eyes tight and hopefully it's a sight I will never forget.
~We built Rice Krispie houses instead of gingerbread houses, way easier and the boys enjoyed it!
~We went to Johnson's, a favorite annual Christmastime tradition.
~The weather, oh the weather. This was the first December in the 9 Decembers we've lived here that we've had no snow! And not only no snow but it was warm! I wore flip flops well into mid December and it was 40 on Christmas day and the sunset, breathtaking!
Such a wonderful feeling.
~17! The boys had 17 days off from school. I have really enjoyed this time with them. All the things we've done, all the memories made, all the love felt...such an awesome Christmas break.
I can say that December was a perfect way to end 2011. Well...except we have all come down with a cold. Ethan had it for about 2 days, Abram still has a cough, Steven was down and out for about 5 days and it just hit me a yesterday. I am so thankful that it waited until after Christmas to hit us and it didn't hit our kids that hard, such a blessing!
(picture taken tonight from my bed where I've spent most of the day)
2011 was a fabulous year, I am looking forward to what 2012 has in store for the NessNest.
