I love family traditions...

My mom is so good at family traditions...she loves them and has passed it on to me!

I love doing some things she did with us when we were little and doing some new things of our own....

One of my favorite things that she did was the whole month of December we had a surprise of some sort each day until Christmas...sometimes it was a gift and sometimes it was something nice to do for someone else or something fun to do as a family....

we've done it every year since we had Jack and it is so fun because he kind of gets it this year!We made a calendar and each day we put a Happy Birthday Jesus sticker on the day that we are on...when you raise up the little card with the day it tells you how many days until Christmas and what we did that day...
Here are a few of the things that we have done so far....

The boy's school did a little live nativity program...it was really cute! They had live animals that they boys thought were really neat!
I love this picture of Bob with the boys...he had no idea I was right behind him and when I walked in he was holding both boy's hands...it was so sweet!
Before the program they had cookie decorating and crafts for the kids to do...all the kids wore their pj's...it was super cute!
One day we docorated the tree as a family...I was very impressed at how well the boys did...they were both very careful with all the ornaments and thougth it was really fun to look at each of them...
The boys found a great spot for their little people nativity scene...

One day someone special dropped off a little gift on the front porch....

It was the Elf of the Shelf book....it is so cute! There is a little elf that comes with it that you name and he hides somewhere new each day to watch you and report back to Santa...

Jack just thinks it is fun to find him each day!

Oh, and he named ours Suzy!

Last Saturday we made a gingerbread house together....

Jack was very proud!

We've done one of these every year and this year was by far our best one! I bought the kind that is already put together and you just ice it...in the past I have gotten the ones that you have to actually put together with icing yourself...this one was much easier!!!
Sammy thought it was lots of fun too...but he ate more candy than he put on the house!

The finished product!

One day we drew pictures and wrote a letter to Santa...

and then that night we went to see him and he read the letter with Jack,

it was so sweet!

The first day of December we spent the whole day with friends!

My sweet friend Melissa was in town and so we went to see her and her kids, Jackson and Jaycee. Jackson and Jack (who is really Jackson) were only born about a month apart and they don't see each other but maybe like once a year but they really play so well together! Missy and I have been best friends since 9th grade and we always joke that they just know that they have to be friends!

That evening we had dinner at the Tedesco's house. Paige made some yummy taco soup and we let the kids play a little...in this pic they were watching a movie...

how cute are Jack and Olivia sharing a little chair! (please ignore Jack's hand in his jammies...we really are trying to work on this...)

Here is a pic of Sammy, Jackson and Jack watching the train go around the tree....

December 1st: spend the day with friends. Jackson & Jaycee Brooks. Ella and Max for lunch. Olivia and Grayson for dinner

December 2nd: New movie ...Snowy Days (all of favorites...Bob the Builder, Thomas and Barney on one movie!!!)

December 3rd: Wrote letters to Santa and went to see him.

December 4th: New Santa plates to eat breakfast on. That evening we went to the Live Nativity Program at the boy's school

December 5th: Met Ella and Max for lunch and a play date

December 6th: Made gingerbread houses

December 7th: new bubble bath and Christmas soap

December 8th: Elf on the Shelf book and new sticker books (MiMi also bought the boys their new favorite movie, Herbie!)

December 9th: we rented a bunch of movies and had movie day! We got sleeping bags out and just spent the day snuggling and watching movies!

December 10th: The boys spent the day with their MiMi while mommy worked on some Christmas gifts she is making! We also went to our Life Group Christmas party. It was lots of fun!

December 11th: today Sammy stayed home from school and had a little one on one time with Mommy and MiMi. When Jack got home from school we decorated sugar cookies!