Thank Goodness for Sudafed!

Sorry I didn't really post last week! I finished the book New Moon in just over a day, but then I got all bogged down in a horrible head cold. My couch and I spent some quality time together and now I am feeling much better.

I am super excited that Amy and crew are coming this weekend. We are going to see Santa fly in on a helicopter, visit the National tree in DC and go to the Polar Express 4D at the National Aquarium. I think we might even get a chance to ditch the husbands with the kiddo's and go to the Cheesecake factory!

I am finally getting started on some Christmas stuff. We make almost all of the gifts we give, but we are keeping it pretty simple this year so I should be in good shape. My family usually goes to a cabin in the Mountains over Christmas. We each bring a present for a Yankee gift exchange (where you pick a number and steal gifts) instead of buying for each person, and then spend the week playing in the snow, shopping and eating. One year we got to eat breakfast at a lodge and then take a horse drawn sleigh ride through the snow, complete with bonfire in the Forest and hot cider, what's more Christmasy than that? For you Oregon folk, Leavenworth Wa. is soooo worth the drive at Christmas time. The place looks like a movie set of the North Pole! This year we couldn't do the cabin (mostly because of us) so my awesome family is flying out to see us! Because the airplanes have such steep luggage fees we are just keeping it to stocking stuffers for the adults this year. Thanks to all of those crafty blogs I have a couple of cute ideas for the stockings but I can't post them yet because I think sometimes my family might actually read this!

We try to keep gifts to a minimum for our kids. We would rather use the money to do things together as a family, like cutting down a tree, outdoor Ice Skating, and the Santa train. I am making J a tool belt and we will fill it with tools, he also wants shark toys and dinosaurs. Z wants Ice skates and lessons, and I am making her some hair bows, an art apron, a crayon roll, and a fancy tutu. I already got them a couple of movies, and of course we will have to get some Webkinz!

We have a ton of Christmas traditions, but I think my favorite is the 12 days of Christmas. Starting 12 days before Christmas we doorbell ditch little gifts on a family's doorstep. Each of the gifts has a tag that goes along with the song i.e. "On the 5th day of Christmas my true love gave to me 5 golden rings...well sorry but golds a bit steep these days so how about 5 golden things" the gift we give with that one is 5 golden wrapped chocolate bars (some people do pineapple rings). All of the gifts are inexpensive and silly, and we always include an inspirational story or crossword, or Christmas trivia with each one. It is a blast to try and be sneaky and to plan our delivery each night. If you google 12 days of Christmas there is about a bajillion different versions. Some people deliver a different piece of the nativity for 12 days so that at the end the family has a complete set, which I think is pretty dang cool! We have even shipped all 12 gifts and stories in a box to relatives for a Christmas gift, it was a pretty big hit!
Another tradition of mine is hand making Christmas cards, and then never getting around to filling them out or mailing them!
I can't wait to read everyone's traditions and ideas!