Our family's festive season usually starts the day after Remembrance Day, when all of us agree that we "need a little Christmas."
This year was no different :).
November 12, the kids set up their traditional toy scenes, which meant lots of laughter, singing and nostalgic fun.
We started watching Christmas movies (Alaina made a schedule that started with Netflix romances and ended with favorites like White Christmas, The Man Who Invented Christmas, Home Alone and Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas later in December), listening to Christmas music, and putting up decorations.
By this point, we'd already started to see Christmas trees and decorations everywhere, from the mall to the orthodontist (where, incidentally, Alaina got her braces off in time for the holidays!).
We visited the cemetery and took a wreath, which we hoped would last throughout the last half of November and all of December, despite windstorms, flooding, ice and snow.
(This year we had a big flood and lots of wind, but no ice or snow yet.)
Next, we had Christmas concerts. Eric played a "Feliz Navidad" duet with his teacher at two piano concerts, and danced in a Guatemalan Christmas play at his school's concert.
November 29, we picked out our Christmas tree! It wasn't easy to all agree, but we finally settled on a really beautiful one that fit perfectly in our living room.
Our church's Christmas party was the same day ... where Eric participated in the Primary's nativity for the last time (since he'll be 12 in less than a couple of weeks!). He played a very tall and reluctant Joseph :)
December also means final exams at the university. Ben had one, Janae had three, and I invigilated dozens more. The first weekend of exams was rescheduled due to our area's flooding, so both Janae and I had to wait an extra week to start winter break (December 20--really cutting it close!). Luckily Ben's only final was online and proceeded as planned :).
This year we made our own gingerbread and followed some very easy instructions to make A-frame houses. These were so much fun and definitely smelled like Christmas!
Once school got out, everything got even more exciting. Janae and Alaina practiced piano/cello duets of "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," which they even performed for us on Christmas Day.
Eric and Alaina also played some impromptu trombone/saxophone duets of all the beginner band songs :).
On December 22 our family went to see a big Christmas lights display that Jason had been telling us about, about an hour away. Alaina had smuggled her bunny (Rosie) into the truck, not knowing we'd be getting out to walk around the display ... luckily she had a carrier and a blanket, because it was a little chilly!
Then somehow it was Christmas Eve. The kids exchanged their sibling gifts, Jason made his annual bacon and eggs for dinner, and I made pulla and hot chocolate. We drove around to look at lights, then came home to watch The Muppet Christmas Carol and wait for Santa.
And he came!
The kids had fun opening presents ...
Rosie nibbled on some wrapping paper, and Pumpkin hid behind Eric's new volleyball rebounder.
Then it was turkey dinner, games, puzzles, crafts, and watching "Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean" with Grandma.
I'm so grateful for all the days leading up to Christmas, and for this happy day to celebrate!
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