Sunday, December 25, 2011

Christmas 2011

Dear Kids,

As is our tradition, we started off the night of Christmas Eve by decorating our cookies for Santa! It is so exciting...and messy!

Carinna and Caden both picked a cookie to decorate for Santa (Cooper was already in bed).You two had icing, frosting and sprinkles to create your masterpieces for Santa!
There was much concentrating...and lots of eating of sprinkles!
The Christmas tree was Caden's cookie, the snowman was Carinna's and we picked the gingerbread man to represent Cooper's. I think they turned out fantastically! I am sure Santa has rarely seen such fine looking cookies!
Dad read the Polar Express just before we got ready for bed. Caden, you love this story...probably mostly because it centers around a train! The night before and throughout the day on Christmas Eve we read the nativity story in several different formats. This sparked many questions from Caden about how, exactly, Jesus went from Mary's tummy to the manger. I tried my best to brush over it...but Caden wanted specific answers. Dad and I were sweating it there for a while!
After dad finished reading the Polar Express we set out the cookies and milk for Santa and the carrots for the reindeer! Then it was off to bed to see what what Christmas morning would bring!
Santa went a little overboard this year on Christmas gifts! He brought some games for our family to play together. He brought Carinna a market stand, cash register, grocery bags, a puzzle and nail polish! Cooper got a walker and Caden got a Toy Story 3 play set, Cars 2 cars and a puzzle. Everyone got warm cozy jammies!
Caden and Carinna went right to playing...
but Coop didn't quite understand what was going on!
After watching you guys play for a while...
he finally went to check out his goodies!
Santa also left you lots of goodies in your stockings. Caden was a good big brother and got every one's stockings down for them!
Later we opened all of our gifts. You all helped each other and were genuinely excited to see what the other got! It was a sweet time!

Cooper still didn't really understand what was going on, but Carinna was more than happy to help him open his gifts! I am not positive he appreciated it though!
Later he snuck off and tried to eat my Peppermint Bark!
It was a good Christmas and I think you all enjoyed it very much!

I want you all to remember, though, that Christmas is about so much more than gifts...it is a time for us to celebrate the birth of Jesus. It is an important time for us to also show the love of Christ to those around us by being generous with our "gifts" to them...whatever those things may be. You guys are so young now and it is hard to keep that greed from taking over in your minds when you think of all the countless things you want for Christmas! I hope that you will always remember to celebrate Jesus by your actions and attitudes all year long...and be especially gracious and generous at Christmas!

Merry Christmas & lots of love,
Mom

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