A Wonderful Christmas Morn

Christmas morning was a very relaxing and enjoyable time this year. The kids managed to get us out of bed about quarter to eight and we headed to the family room to open our stockings. There we found that Santa had left us a note and some treats in place of the cookies that we left him. We all had fun opening our stockings and seeing the fun things Santa left us.

Then we had the hunt for the Christmas tree ornament to see who got to open the first present. Tyler found it this year so she was able to start the presents coming. Then Robert began passing out presents to everyone. We had a good time seeing all the gifts that each member gave to each other. Then we read the service gifts that we gave each other. Robert saved Santa's gifts for last. This year Santa gave the family a few gifts instead on giving everyone individual gifts. He left the family a Wii and some games to go with it. This got a rave reaction from the kids. Santa also left mom a special present of the Wii Fit (Mr. Claus kept it a surprise that he had found this incredibly hard to find object from Hannah for quite a while as we continue to search stores for it, I guess he lucked out that we couldn't find it any other time). We then had our traditional Christmas breakfast of cinnamon rolls, oranges, and Little Smokies. The rest of the day was spent hanging out, cleaning up after the presents, shoveling some snow, playing outside, having our Christmas dinner, and learning to play the Wii. Overall it was a great day to relax and enjoy being a family.

O Holy Night

This has been a wonderful Christmas season. I love how as the children get older, they can more fully understand the wonders of Christ's birth. Over the past few years our family has really focused on switching the focus of Christmas from Santa and the commercialism of Christmas, to the remembrance of the Savior. We still talk about Santa and put out cookies for him, but we really try to focus on the Savior. So I was really excited when I found an article at Meridian Magazine that talked about having a Shepherd's Supper.
I started out making these meat pies for dinner. The recipe was more elaborate than I was willing to make, so I just took some canned biscuits and covered them with hamburger and cheese.

Then we filled our knapsacks with our meat pies, grapes, cheese, and an orange.

Each person tied their knapsack around their waist with a cup for juice and dressed in pj's and towels to represent shepherds.

Here are my darling shepherds ready to begin the journey.

We then turned off all the lights in the house except the Christmas tree. We started out by the bedrooms. Jesse had made a great candle at scouts this week and so we used that as our guide to help us make it to Bethlehem.

On our journey, we stopped to eat our dinner (the lights were still out, I just used the flash so you could see the picture). We ate our dinner as the children told us the Christmas story and we talked about the sacred shepherds that guarded the temples sheep.

After we finished eating. We talked about our gifts we could give the Savior. Each person wrote down a service they would offer the other members of the family as their gift to Christ this Christmas. Each of the service gifts were them placed in a basket to give to Jesus.

Then we continued on our journey to Bethlehem. Faith carried the basket and when we reached the Christmas tree, she placed the basket next to the baby Jesus under the tree. We then read the Christmas story in Luke and watched the Nativity movie. After that, we sang our favorite Christmas carols and then drove around town looking at the Christmas lights. It was so neat because Jesse and Faith were so attentive during the Shepherds Supper, they were totally focused on events and didn't start struggling until we were looking at lights. We then came home and set out Santa's cookies and the kids headed to bed. It was a great night!

Merry Christmas!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Christmas Traditions

I decided I wanted to write down some of the Christmas traditions our family has. Some of it is so I remember and also so I can pass them onto my children.

1. We put up our tree and decorations the weekend of Thanksgiving.
2. We have a nightly devotional the month on December where we read a scripture, sing a Christmas hymn, and read a story related to the true meaning of Christmas.
3. I have several Christmas books that I will read throughout the month. These books include The Polar Express, The Night Before Christmas, etc.
4. On Christmas Eve we dress in our PJ's, read Luke Chapter 2, and then go drive around and look at Christmas lights. When we get home it is time for bed.
5. We make cookies for Santa each year and set them out on the table on Santa's plate with a glass of milk and a note to Santa. Santa then leaves us some red and green M&M's in place of the cookies and a thank you note.
6. Each year we make cinnamon rolls to deliver to friends. We always save a couple of pans for breakfast Christmas morning. We also eat the oranges Santa leaves in our stockings for breakfast and Little Smokies.
7. Christmas morning when everyone is awake we open presents. We always start with our stockings first.
8. Hidden on the tree Christmas morning is a green Christmas tree ornament. The first to find the tree opens the first present.
9. Christmas afternoon we have a big feast with turkey or ham and all the works.
10. We watch the First Presidency Christmas Devotional, attend ward parties, etc.
11. Santa always leaves an orange, a chocolate santa, and some peanuts as well as a few presents inour stockings.
12. We have a few countdown decorations that the kids rush to be the first to change each morning.
13. We send out Christmas cards with a letter of what we did throughout the year to family and friends.
14. A new tradition last year was going to Caldwell's Night Light parade.
15. Each child gets to take a date with mom or dad to the dollar store to pick out presents for the other family members.

Some new traditions that we are starting this year are:
1. We have small manger with straw and a cloth baby Jesus. Throughout the month of December each time someone does a good deed, they add some straw to the manger. On Christmas Eve baby Jesus is added.
2. On Christmas Eve we will dress up as shepards for our Shepard's Supper. Each person will have a sack of goods for dinner (bread, cheese, grapes, etc.) and a cup tied around their waist with juice. We will turn the lights out, walk through the house with flashlights seeking the baby Jesus. Along the way we will sit and rest to eat our supper. We will then proceed to the baby Jesus and read Luke chapter 2 and sing Christmas carols when we find him.

So what are some of your Christmas traditions?

Day and Night of Lights

Today was another whirlwind day for the Hamilton's Robert had to work both jobs today. Tyler started out the day with a fashion show for the stake achievement day girls. I had planned on going to the temple early this morning so that I could be back before Tyler had to be at the stake center at 9:30. However Faith was up at 4:30 am and didn't fall back to sleep until around 6:00. So I couldn't go until after Tyler was done at noon.

So then I went and did some ordinance work at the temple and then picked up Tyler's friend Katie on the way home. Katie was coming over to put up our lights since Robert was working all day. Katie puts up her families lights and really enjoys it. Rob ended up getting off an hour early, but he still let Katie and Tyler put up the lights. The girls did a great job and Jesse and Faith really wanted to help.

After a quick dinner of leftovers, we all headed out to Caldwell's Night Light parade. The kids enjoyed watching the beautiful floats and Katie's mom joined us to watch the parade. I let Tyler and Katie be in charge of the camera and they did a pretty good job. After the parade, Tyler went with Katie and her mom to watch Twilight (again) while Faith, Britain, Jesse, and I went home for some nice hot chocolate. Overall it was a great, busy day.

Here are Britain, Jesse, and Faith after the parade.The finished light on our house.

The Nativity with The Breath of Heaven

A Wonderful Gift

BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications has given a gift to the world. A free download of an amazing song and video available at Joy to Everyone. It will truly touch your heart!

Great Finds

This morning I was browsing SugarDoodle and found some great sites. The first one is a template for the Family Proclamation that you can download for free. You insert your pictures and can print it off or send it to be made into a book.

Next is a blog about having a Christ centered Christmas. It is an amazing site full of stories, FHE ideas, recipes, etc. all to help focus on the true meaning of Christmas.

Lastly is a site that has some great homemade gift ideas. It has some great ideas such as cards, ornaments, pictures, etc. Hope you can use some of these resources this Christmas.

'Tis the Season!

Well tonight the kids and I set up the Christmas tree and put out some Christmas decorations. Last year I divided up our ornaments into themes so this year our tree is a nativity and music tree. It took me several years to finally relinquish control of the tree and allow the kids to decorate it, but the last few years they have put up most of the ornaments and they love it. Jesse hung up all the stockings, Tyler set up one of the nativity sets and helped put up the decorations, Britain and Faith helped as well. After decorating we listen to some Christmas music and ate popcorn.

This is the kids favorite Christmas decoration. It is a very simple one, but they love making Santa shimmy down the pole.