Tis the Season!

I have seen a few blogging ladies write out a list of their plan for the Christmas season. Things and activities they desire to do during this beautiful, cozy month. I, myself have never made a list but I love the idea. Besides the fact that I am a big time planner and I love to make my lists, I find this to be an awesome idea. This season is a season to especially be intentional with our children, as we are drawing their hearts nearer to Jesus and feeding their hearts with the reasons we believe. So here goes mine, I know its not going to include everything but most.

1. Birthday Cake for Jesus- This will be a first for us this year but I have already been talking to Cayden about baking and decorating a cake for Jesus. The entire process will be so fun. I am sure Camden will enjoy taste testing ;-) And on Christmas day, we will sing Happy Birthday to Jesus (as we do each day) and cut the cake to share.
2. Cookie Cutters: I have a set of cookie cutters that tell the birth story of Jesus. These were gifted to me last year and we will get to make them this year!
3. Gingerbread House Party: I love to make gingerbread houses (hot glue them together everyone!)...we will get together with a couple neighbor friends and enjoy decorating mini houses and playing. I have decided to make it small and quaint this year.
4. Our Annual Baking Day: My mom, sister and I love to select the cookies we will make each year and we enjoy a day of christmas music and baking. This year Cayden gets to join in on this tradition as he LOVES to be in the kitchen helping. We also build a big ginger bread house together each year too. This day is a favorite tradition of mine.
5. Christmas Party: Cayden has a few friends he has been with since birth, they will all come over and we will have a day of cookies, crafts, singing carols, and play. They are all the best of friends, all five of them.
6. Naples: We love to walk the canals of Naples all bundled up looking at the beautiful lights and houses right on the water. We do this usually a couple times, great fun!
7. Warm Home: Our home is decorated and the white lights are shining. The more white lights the better!
8. Nativity Story: This year we are enjoying our stuffed animal nativity set. Its been fun to create the birth story of Jesus with these. Cayden can tell the story now, a big goal I have set this year for him and us. To learn it every day. To sing Happy birthday daily. And to talk about why Jesus came.
9. Car drives: Cozying up in the warm car, singing songs and looking at the lights. Plain and simple and a blast.
10. This year we have been invited to a party at our neighbors which will include a visiting Santa. It will be fun to have the magic! I remember a neighbor of ours doing this as a young girl and it was so fun and magical for my sister and I.
11. Church Party: We love having great friends over often and this is our annual dinner and white elephant that we do. We will have awesome food, desserts, white elephant game and sit by the fire with hot drinks.
12. Ruby the Elf: Hide our little fun Elf each night for the boys to find. We started this last year and it turned out to be fun. I dont do the whole Elf gig as I am not to keen on it, but the hide and seek part of it is adds to the fun.
13. Advent Calendar: Each day we will read part of the Christmas story and of course a little surprise will be there for each day along with a tiny ornament to hang on the tree.
14. A Christmas Story: Ryan and I cozy up on the couch each year and watch this movie together. Its something we do and have done since we were dating <3
15. A Charlie Brown Christmas: We started this  fun to watch show as a family last year and we will have popcorn and goodies to go along.
16. Christmas Eve: One of my favorites since a tiny girl. Christmas eve service at church followed by an Italian dinner at my parents house. A wonderful night. 

Okay, I better stop there! I know many other little flings and crafts will be mixed in there, but these are the ones on my heart tonight. I so love this season, and as a family we are so excited about it.

Tis the Season. 

Thank you, Lord Jesus.