Christmas fun!

Finally I am having a chance to blog. : )  I know we are all feeling really done with Christmas-y type things, but just in case you are itching to hear about ours...Here you go! 


Every Christmas season, we make these pretzel treats and give lots of them away to people (and eat a bunch too.)  They are so easy and yummy--Square pretzels, topped with a hershey kiss or hug, melt in a 200 degree oven for a couple minutes, and then quickly put an m&m on top of each one. 

We also make gingerbread houses every year.  Only, we do it the cheap way and use graham crackers. : )  Maybe one day we will spring for the real stuff...

And, we make cookies!  This year darling Cassandra did the baking with the kids when Hubby and I were out.  Bless her soul...

Sarah thought the flour on her hands was pretty hilarious : )

Each year we choose someone to bless at Christmas time.  Last year we gave toward clean water for a village in Africa.  This year we bought some special gifts for current bone marrow tranplant patients, and filled some goodie bags for all the kids on the oncology floor.

Our kiddos with the nurses on the floor.  (We treated them to some yummy pretzel treats too!)

On Christmas Eve we leave Santa some cookies, and of course eat some ourselves...

I don't have pictures of all of our traditions.  We also try to go see Christmas lights as a family (but this year we didn't) and we play a silly Christmas game I've had since I was a kid (that's still on our list of things to do before New Year's...)  Also, the kids all draw each other's names out of a hat early in December and get gifts for each other.  Ben was sooo excited to get this cap gun from Sarah.  We let them open them on Christmas Eve along with their new jammies..

And my favorite tradition is, on Christmas Eve we all think of something we want to give to Jesus this year.  We write them down on slips of paper, and put them in a box, so that if we forget, we can look in the box again throughout the year.

Then on Christmas morning, Scott and I don't let the kids go downstairs until we get up so that we can capture their reactions on camera. 

Then one of the kids reads the Christmas story.  This was Josh's first year...



And then we open presents!

Next, we pack up, load up, and head to Grandma and Grandpa's house!

Sarah's favorite gift--a willing patient for nurse Sarah!

Best big sister....EVER!

Jacob got a pocket knife that belonged to his great-grandpa, and some CASH!

Checking out what the cousins got : )

So much fun with Grandpa!

Coming back from sledding

Grandparents are great for snuggling, too. : )

Our kids are blessed with terrific grandmas and grandpas

Woo Hoo!  What a great Christmas celebrating Jesus with family!

I hope you all had a very merry Christmas too.  : )