We always go to a pick-your-own tree farm where we can cut down our own Christmas tree, then head home to decorate it while listening to Christmas music and eating "Christmas Bark."  Every year the week before Christmas we have "bake day" where we make all kinds of goodies to give away to friends. On Christmas Eve we give our children new pajamas and have supper which consist of warm sandwiches, chips and dips and punch as we watch a christmas movie. My husband reads the nativity story with our children gathered in his lap and around him on the floor right before they go to bed.  On Christmas morning our kids wake up and gather in one bedroom and we wake to their singing of Christmas carols and giggling in excitement.  Before we open gifts we have the children sing Happy Birthday to Jesus just so they remember what the day is really all about. Since family lives elsewhere we stay home and enjoy each other and all our new gifts until dinner that night.

I love this time of year and all our traditions.  It's so fun to spend time doing these special things with family. 

I love driving around on errands at night at seeing how beautiful all the decorations look. I love listening to Christmas music on the radio (in the car while I am driving).

I also enjoy watching that old cartoon special - "Charlie Brown's Christmas."

I have started a collection of ornaments for JDaniel. Right now he has two. When he grows up, I will give him his box of ornaments to start his own tree. A friend did this for her kids.

We open one present on Christmas Eve.

I just heard a great one today. Have the shepherds travel to a new place in your home everyday. On Christmas Day have them finally arrive at your nativity scene.

I made what we call a 'Jesus shelf'. Took a curio shelf - not sure what to call it  (a display shelf for knick knacks about 18x24 inches?) - and painted it purple. Sewed up small bags of rich purple velvet with drawstrings of gold cords. Each bag (about 12 of them) holds an item that makes us think of Jesus - sometimes related to His birth (He came), more often related to His earthly or eternal life (WHY He came). Four or five evenings in mid-late December (whenever it works - we have yet to manage a regular schedule for this) we gather in the living room and several children take turns opening a bag. The item gets passed around with discussion of what they think it represents, then various children read the (enclosed in the bag) verses that go with the item and we talk about them a little. It's a very simple ritual, yet one that is treasured by all of us. 

We have a Christmas eve candlelight service at our little church.  It's always quite an adventure trying to prevent our little ones from dropping a candle:)  My 3 older kids (10, 8, 6) along with a few other kids from church recite Luke 2:8-15 and this year they will also say part of Isaiah 53:3-.  We sing Christmas hymns and have cookies after the service.  Then we go to my parents house for present time with them.  My mom says Luke 2 the whole chapter then the madness begins.  We have Christmas morning at our house and then either my in-laws come to our house or we go to theirs.    Now that my 8 yr old can play the piano she usually prepares a piece to play whenever we get together with family.  I'm sure she'll have a couple of Christmas songs ready by then.  I'm a little neurotic so I usually stand over the kids while they're opening presents with a garbage sack.  The paper never touches the floor if I can help it.  We, I mean I am really trying to cut back this year on presents so that it will be less chaotic and more peaceful.

I posted our annual tradition today.

Christmas Tree Decorating Party

we have started a new tradition of giving each child only 4 gifts...four MEANINGFUL gifts...to keep Christ at the center of Christmas.

http://mamahall.blogspot.com/2010/12/four-christmas.html