Reminiscing......

Christmas Time...

First of all, let me start my saying Christmas is over?  It makes me so very sad!  I just finished boxing up all of our Christmas décor yesterday, and honestly, I hate to put it all away.  Christmas is definitely my most favorite season of celebration.  The kids this year were so excited about Christmas!  Yes, we were "that family" that had the elf of the shelf, his name is Chippy, and the kids are still sad that he left with Santa on Christmas Eve... they know he will be back at the beginning of December next year!  They loved reading Christmas books, dressing in red and green everyday (okay, their mother loved doing that to them everyday), and they loved that the whole season is celebrated because it is Jesus' birthday (my littles love a great birthday, and His is the greatest of all)!  We were able to do so many things in December, and I am going to do my best at getting them all documented.

Our month started with a Christmas party at the school.  I volunteered to help, and Aron took the day off, and then I volunteered him to help too (your welcome husband).  FYI, the kids loved having him there, they were super surprised and loved showing him off to their friends (I kinda understand how they feel, I love showing him off too!)

A fun and new thing that we did this year, is the school had a "Breakfast with Santa Claus"....

Well, Sophia loved getting to have a meal with St. Nick and then sitting on his lap and discussing how she had been a very sweet girl all year.

Brayden on the other hand, found Santa to be less than appealing, and felt his time was best spent sitting on the floor about 10 feet away from him.  We did not push it, and I was so sad that our Christmas picture opportunity with the kids and Santa was gone.  Next year I suppose, he will be ready for him then.

The day before our Santa breakfast, the kids and I came home and wrote letters to Santa.  The kids had a great time telling me what to write, and then I let them decorate however they wanted....

After our breakfast, we took the kids up to our town square where they had a mailbox for Santa set up.  They were pumped to be able to mail their letters.

A few weeks later, they were elated when the mail came and Santa had written them back!  (Seriously, that was the greatest, and will for sure be placed in their baby books!)  Sophia held onto her letter for the rest of the day, Brayden, well, he saw the letter and off he went.

I can only imagine how our next few Christmas' will be.  Oh, the excitement through a child's eye.  I love how they are just so hopeful and happy at the idea of a big man in a red suit traveling at night led by a group of reindeer delivering toys!  They do not really ask questions like how is that possible.... but are just so sure of it all.  I wish I could keep them this little forever.