Much Needed Updating: Christmas Season 2012

We love the fall holidays and the cheerful feelings they bring. As the kids get older, it has become more fun to celebrate. This last year in December 2012, we had so many things going on toward the end of the year. The Allen boys were busy squeezing any free time away from their day job into building their brother and Dad a new home on a dirt lot that they helped their brother buy so that they could get the kids into a better neighborhood and have a place for their dad to live (an attached built-in Casita). The kids got to have their cousins over when it was moving time so that their parents could get things done.

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In  December, we did many things aside from decorating to get into the holiday spirit. I did many Christmas crafts with the kids throughout the season. Our favorite were Elf hats and the kids' life size Elves. The kids had a blast putting the elves together. We loved it.

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This past year, the kids were finally introduced to their Elf on the Shelf. The kiddos were way too excited when they saw him for the first time. They had heard stories from their cousins about theirs and wondered if they would ever be assigned an elf. So, when they finally had one too, they beamed with pure happiness. They decided that they wanted to name their elf, Zippy Zander. They watched the movie and were told about the rules of not touching him. It was so cute to watch the kids searching for him every morning and hearing them laugh so hard whenever they first found him in a new spot each day. {I was so relieved when the season was over and he had not forgotten to be moved each day!! ;) } They enjoyed him until it was time for them to say goodbye. I cant remember how exactly I told the kids but, it was something to the effect that their elf didn't need to rely on Santa's magic anymore to get him home because he knew the kids had such great Christmas Spirit and that would carry him back this final time. So I let the kids give him a quick hug. I set him back on the shelf and an hour after playing in the other room, they went back and checked on him and, he had already left.

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Of course, we made sure to do a lot of looking at Christmas lights during the month. . Like most, we love to make yummy holiday treats and sip on Hot Cocoa during December. We had to make a trip to Utah (for unfortunate reasons) so the kids got to play a little in the snow. They always love that. We enjoy our annual Allen Family Christmas Party that we have about a week before Christmas. On Christmas Day, David and I like to carry out the tradition and expectation of putting Christ first before presents. We like to either watch a movie of the birth of Christ or talk about it. We know the kids are still young but, before we open any gifts we try to help them and especially us, remember what Christmas is truly about.

After an hour or so, we finally get into the fun of opening gifts. We love to see the kids' face light up when they see that 'Santa' has left each of them a present.

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Aside from the holiday stuff, we spent our December playing a lot outside despite the cool weather. We loved to play at the park A LOT.  I don't think the kids were ever off of their four wheeler very long before the next ride. We enjoy going target shooting. Let's just say, we do a lot of outdoor things and we enjoy every minute that we have together when doing what ever it is we do.