Happy Christmas to YOU!

December was a busy month as always, yet I felt like this year I tried to focus more on our Savior and to have the spirit in our home. Which to me, made this December even more special than previous Decembers as I felt that special spirit in our home in abundance. I believe that having Christmas music about our Savior playing almost everyday really helped invite the spirit into our home. Yes, we did all the holiday fun and traditions, but it felt different this year. I am truly grateful for those precious moments that touched my heart this year. We are so grateful for our Savior and this time of year to celebrate his birth.   

We sent out Christmas cards, 3 different kinds of Christmas cards, because I am dumb like that and didn't order enough each time! And I still didn't get to everyone. So if you didn't get one, sorry! I am sure you really care! But if you do, let me know and I will add you to my mailing list! :)

This year we made 19 plates of goodies for friends and ward members and it was a lot of baking! I am not saying this to brag at all, just that I have never done that many different types of treats before for that many families and it was a lot of fun and a lot of work! I was excited to have a large enough kitchen to be able to do this. Ryan was a big help in making the peanut butter cups. And the girls helped out with the sugar cookies...

After 5 hours of baking and making a variety of treats, including chocolate/vanilla/mint covered pretzels sprinkled with... holiday sprinkles of course! We loaded the kids in the car with 19 plates and the girls would jump out of the car to deliver them to our friends. The girls loved it and it was so cute to see their faces light up as we went house to house. We told the girls to tell everyone, "Merry Christmas!" Avery said she forgot what to say at one of the houses and instead said, "A happy Christmas to you!" She was all embarrassed because she thought she said it wrong. hehe :)

We like doing a gingerbread house every year with our girls. As always though, it's just store bought. One of these years we will have to make our own gingerbread, but it's just easier and stress free this way and they don't seem to mine so neither will I! :) We always let them decorate it themselves. "Go at it," we say!

I wanted to share a few of the crafts I did this month....

I didn't have any nice Christmas wreaths for our home but didn't want to spend a fortune on buying any, so I went to the dollar store and bought most of the material there to make both of these wreaths. The bows were a bit tricky to do so they weren't quite like I wanted them to look.

This one I just used a clothes hanger and bent it in the shape of a circle...my circle is a little off, but you get the point. I found this wreath off Pinterest of course!

I wanted to make a felt board for the girls so we could re-inact the story when Christ was born. It turned out a little different than I wanted but it still worked pretty the good and the girls have enjoyed playing with it.

Close up of the felt grass. I laminated everything and added a small strip of velcro to the back and it works pretty good.

My friend Megan (that lives directly across the street from us) and I made these "Joy" Signs together for our front porch. 

We let the girls open one present from us the night before Christmas and it's always been a new pair of PJ's. 

Madisen and Avery took turns every other page reading, The Night before Christmas...

Santa came....

Christmas Morning...

Mom and Bob came and stay with us for Christmas for a few days. It was fun having them here with us. The girls loved having their grandparents here to play with.

It snowed a bunch the day after Christmas and Emily was ready to go out and play!

We hope everyone had a Merry Christmas or as Avery says, a HAPPY Christmas!! And a MERRY New Year!!!