Christmas 2012

This year, we had a lot of fun with our Advent calendar.  We tried to do a special Christmas activity every day in December leading up to Christmas.  Hannah was excited every day to draw a card for the next day.  Some of our extra special activities included:

Visiting Santa at the Festival of Trees with Grandma Teresa (an annual tradition!)

Attending the library Christmas party and sending a letter for Santa with Mrs. Claus

Making a Mickey gingerbread house, a gift from Grandma Jody!

Drinking hot chocolate with whipped cream and sprinkles

Visiting Santa and riding the Christmas train at The Village Mall

Going to a live nativity at a local church

Doing special Christmas crafts at home

Making homemade flower shaped crayons out of our old broken crayons

Going to see a Christmas play (Peter Pan) and seeing Christmas lights in Danville

Making Christmas candies (smashing candy canes for peppermint bark!)

Receiving a letter in the mail from Santa.  Hannah was SO HAPPY to find out she was on the "good list."

Singing at church on Christmas Sunday

Our family Christmas celebrations were kicked off at the Gurtlers on the 23rd.  We went over after church and got to spend the afternoon and evening opening gifts and eating yummy food!  

Hannah was excited about LaLaLoopsy and Rapunzel's wedding dress.

Jake loved his new Mickey bike!

We tried to get the kids to pose in their matching jammies at the end of the night.  Landon was done-poor guy!

On the 24th, we went to my parents house, along with all of my siblings and all of our significant others!  We did a drawing this year for gifts, and that worked out perfectly.

Grandma Teresa made Hannah and Marie-Grace matching robes!  They are so soft.  Hannah was so excited!

That night, our family was involved in a small skit at the Christmas Eve service.  I love this picture that a friend snapped with her cell phone!

On Christmas morning, Hannah got a princess bike and some clothes from Santa!

Jacob got a tool bench and a basketball!

Santa left a note on his cookie tray.

Then we spent the rest of the day with Josh's dad's side of the family.  It's always a good day of yummy food and lots of gifts.  Jacob and Landon wore their matching sweaters from Grandma Jody!

Books I read in 2012

 

Wow, in 2012, I read at least 20 books!  I know that's not a lot for some people, but that's more than I've read in a long time!  Here's a list of what I read by category:


Marriage
Rekindling the Romance (good)
The 5 Love Languages (I know, I know.  I had never read this classic that is required in most pre-marital counseling.  It is a good read that I think could help a lot of couples.  We weren't sure on our love langues before reading, but we think Josh's love language is words of affirmation and mine is acts of service.)

Parenting
So You're Thinking About Homeschooling (Many of the moms that I admire are homeschooling moms, and this book was left in my office at church, so I read it.  Still not sure what we'll do, but it had lots of good thoughts.  I feel like God has asked me to at least consider this option that I never thought I would.)
Creative Correction (I feel like I should re-read this one in a few years.  It's better for parents of grade school children, I would say.)
No Regrets Parenting (This was ok)

Fun
The Help (Good!)
The Vow (Good!)
Misconception (Good)
Inconceivable (Good but heartbreaking....This is the flip story of Misconception.)
The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels (Good)

Spiritual Fun
Choosing to See (Good but heartbreaking....)
90 Minutes in Heaven (Good)
Kisses From Katie (Excellent-best book I read this year!)
Reshaping it All (Disappointing)
Heaven is for Real (Good)

Spiritual Development
10 Things Jesus Never Said (Horrible, poor Theology)
Don't Sing Songs to a Heavy Heart (Good)
Think Orange (Ok)
Not A Fan (Good)
Simplicity (Ok)