Holiday Spirit & a FUN Tradition You SHOULD DO!!

To answer my own question, after Silver Dollar City it is near impossible to NOT be in the Holiday Spirit!!
Therefore, despite my careful planning for a FALL Tea & meeting, it turned into a JOLLY CHRISTMAS TEA.
 A few pictures of my Tea and our Festive November House!

Welcome




 

 

 

 

 

And now that you're pumped up for Christmas this is a
FUN, INEXPENSIVE TRADITION
that I declare a MUST if you have young children!!
 

 This year, we turned our chalkboard door into a Christmas countdown!!  Each day we will color in our "ornament" and open our BOOK!!
Yes, a Book!  I put our Christmas Books away with our Christmas Décor last year, and then pulled them out and wrapped them with our OLD wrapping paper!! 

Each book has a coordinating number.  I have also written down the titles bc I have certain books I like to do with certain activities.
For example, #25 is The Elf on the Shelf as this is the first day of December and when our Elf, Ollie, comes to visit! 

We did this last year, and it was a BLAST!! I mean what child doesn't like opening a present each night!!  The girls were so excited about bedtime reading!! 
Click Here to see my Last Years Explanation
"Regifting" Books...  SUPER FUN

 

Silver Dollar City

No, we are not at Santa's workshop, but close...
Silver Dollar City!!
 

This absolutely made my year.  I LOVE Silver Dollar City at this time of year, OVER 5 MILLION Christmas Lights, an Enormous Christmas Tree that changes to music, a train ride telling about the Birth of our Savior, and my FAVORITE, a Dickens Christmas Carol and Hot Chocolate!
 LOVE LOVE LOVE
We were unable to go last year so Claire didn't really remember, but I don't think she'll soon forget.
They are both now tall enough to ride all the rides.  The ones we're interested in anyway. :0
Oh and the BEST part, they were able to ride the frogs ON THEIR OWN.  No squeezing or feeling queezy for Jed and I.  Jackpot!
 

The Ladybugs were just too slow.


But the Butterflies were AWESOME... I Love this picture for multiple reasons, but mainly Jed smiling at me while Livie helps Claire push the button to make their caterpillar fly.

The girls were even able to wait in line on their own.  They're too big. 

I love the toothless smile1
 

Watching Frosty the Snowman.
 

The Balls are a big hit!
 

The girls ALMOST like them as much as Jed.  It can be awkward.
 

No Seriously

We had to take this one!  2013

And a Glance Back 2011
 Claire has grown a little.

 

 

 

And Finally MY FAVORITE
a Dicken's Christmas Carol and HOT Chocolate!
 

 

Afterwards, this happened :)
 

Two Happy, Tired little girls.
 

Are you feeling the Holiday Bug?!

Happy Halloween!! from Tinkerbell and a Bumblebee

Easiest year EVER for Halloween Costumes!!  The girls both knew in September what they wanted to bee.  Livie is into the new Tinkerbell movies and wanted to be Tinkerbell.  As it turned out, my sister was Tinkerbell, and with one safety pin, the costume fit perfect and looked great!
We did try something new though... Hair Spray Paint.
 

Have you used this crazy stuff?  It is NASTY!  Our recommendation, fix your hair first and then spray.  We made the mistake of spraying and then trying to pull it into a ponytail...NOT GOOD.  Your hair is like cement!!
 

She looks soooo weird.
 

Livie was the bumblebee a few years back.  It was right up Claire's alley.  It has a tutu and "You can STING people!!" 

We trick or treated Great Grandparents the night before.
 

 

 

This Grandma has LOTS of candy.  When Livie got in the car she said, "WOW is ALL I can say!"  We're talking bags empty to bags full in 1 stop!
 

Halloween began at Grandpa and Grandma Connie's where we met up with The Man in the Yellow Hat and Curious George.
 

 

Then on to Trick or Treating with Friends!
 

 

 

 

But, the BEST part was handing out candy in our neighborhood.  We are the Halloween Neighborhood.  Everybody in town come to our neighborhood.  It's crazy... like 400-600 trick or treaters.  Not quite what we are used to, but the kids LOVE it.  We always run out of candy.
 

Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin Carving

I LOVE traditions.  Whether they are only yours or may be every other families as well.  I LOVE looking forward to something each year or each week whatever it may be.  It helps us create great memories and our family feel stable in this crazy world.

Well, one of ours is carving pumpkins. We picked our pumpkins at the pumpkin patch just for this!
 

The girls always draw their faces and Daddy is the official carver.
 

I love watching them develop each year.
 

Livie made a plan on paper first this year.
 

Even though Daddy works a LOT.  He always makes time for our traditions which means the world to me.
 

 

 

 

Neither of our girls will really get in there... they BOTH asked for spoons. )
 

 

The finished product.
 

I LOVE how Jed carves it exactly as they drew it.  So Cute!

Hope you're enjoying your traditions!