dear emily,
i have been thinking about the fun Christmas traditions we enjoyed with our kids. the first craft was to make red and green paper chains with 25 links. each day the kids would take turns cutting off one link to show how close we were to Christmas day. we decorated yummy Christmas cookies and gingerbread men and assembled gingerbread houses that were loaded with every kind of candy imaginable.
my aunt fern started me a collection of Christmas books that we treasure. some of the loveliest tales ever written are Christmas stories. i especially love one about a lonely young bride who makes a Christmas dinner for her family and the farm hands. it paints a moving picture of selfless love, simplicity, and gratitude.
as an act of rebellion, i play Christmas music on halloween and throughout the season. it makes me happy that at Christmas i can hear Jesus' name lifted up in all the places He is no longer allowed! i have stood in endless grocery store lines humming along to "do you hear what i hear? and o holy night." that only happens at Christmas. my kids think i am nutty about Christmas music.
when the children were really little, they enacted the Christmas story. isaac was joseph, shelby played mary, max was the donkey, sunday and hailey traded between being sheep, shepherds, angels, or the inn keeper. we also memorized luke 2 and recited it each year. the little ones inevitably said, "when quirinius was the governor of cereal." i didn't have the heart to correct them, because it was just so sweet.
merry Christmas,
lea
