Christmas Cheer

Amelia loves to hear and learn about Jesus and his birth. So we had to stop and take a picture of a life-size nativity scene at a church near our house.

We have been in full swing with Christmas activities and it has been so much fun. There is so much to do and so little time. I love this advent season and the things we have been doing with the kids. It sometimes feels like I'm a kid again myself as I'm as excited as they are. On Wednesday afternoon we listened to Christmas music while baking some more cookies. We used some of the cookies for our Christmas goody bags and teacher gifts and the rest are a delicious treat for us to enjoy. 

My two fabulous cookie decorators. I couldn't have done it without them.

Friday afternoon, Amelia and I went to a play-date from our MOPS group, where the kids painted ceramic houses to create a Winter Wonderland and then decorated cookies. What a fun and crafty afternoon it was. 

Every Friday evening in December our town "Celebrates the Holidays" with music and performances, Santa visits, wagon rides and a spectacular light show (everything is for free). Since this was the last opportunity to join in on the fun, we took the kids on Friday evening downtown. Of course, we chose the coldest evening of this season, so we bundled up to stay warm. The temperature was in the 30s F with an icy wind blowing. At least it felt really Christmas-sy.  And the free hot cocoa they handed out, helped too.

 





Here come the horses: The wagon ride went along Main Street and despite the cold, it was a fun ride.

Next up, we watched the kids from Acro-Fitness perform a Grinch show. I was amazed that those kids were able to do the jumps and rolls, even in almost freezing conditions.

Then the Christmas Tree Lane lead us to Santa. Since there was no line, we all got a chance to sit with the big guy and take a picture with him:

 

We also had some food and more hot cocoa before stopping by at the Annual Holiday Light Spectacular, which is an orchestrated light show that includes over 85,000 lights set to music. The kids as well as the adults enjoyed watching the light show and a great night out in downtown. (I'm always amazed how much this little town is offering, especially since all of it is free).

After a night of temperatures dipping to 23F (-3C), we enjoyed spending a relaxing morning at home near the fireplace. I truly enjoy sitting by the fire or with a warm blanket on the couch admiring our Christmas tree and eating cookies when it is cold outside. Gives this season a totally different meaning than when it was hot and muggy in Florida. Saturday evening, we  all were invited to a Friend's Christmas Party in Huntersville. There was a bounce house, a chili contest, yummy food (I contributed Christmas Santa Hat Brownie Bites) and beverages as well as a gift exchange for the adults and a Santa visit for the kids. The kids loved playing with each other and the adults enjoyed stealing gifts from one another during the secret Santa game.

Amelia was the first one on Santa's lap and he even brought a gift for each kid. While Amelia never gets tired of seeing Santa, Elliot didn't care for him or the gift at all that night. He only hugged Santa when he was on his way out.

A group picture of the Mommy Chat group (with and without kids):

Another fun night filled with Christmas cheer and joy. After all, this is the season of joy, love, and being with family and friends. I feel truly blessed to be able to experience all these seasonal activities with my kids and husband and to spent time with friends. Great memories for sure!