Earlier this month, I began reviewing my Christmas Checklist from my Holiday Notebook. This was a delightful time as I remembered Christmases past and reflected on our special family traditions. Here are some of my notes:
Read Jotham's Journey aloud during Advent--the four weeks prior to Christmas. (This will be our first year through this book.) Contemplate John Piper's The Innkeeper and his other Advent Narrative Poems
Have a special devotional time with the kids using Adorenaments, which consists of twelve ornaments each focusing on one of the names of Jesus: Savior, The Good Shepherd, The Light of the World, etc. For the twelve days prior to Christmas, we read an excerpt from a story, then the kids hang the corresponding ornament on the tree.
Bring out our favorite Christmas books: One Wintry Night by Ruth Bell Graham; The Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski; Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg; Mary's First Christmas by Walter Wanegrin Jr.; Why Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect by Richard Schneider; The Tale of Three Trees by Angela Hunt; The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado; and Annika's Secret Wish by Beverly Lewis.
Watch Christmas videos: A Charlie Brown Christmas, Little House on the Prairie: Christmas at Plum Creek, It's a Wonderful Life, and White Christmas.
A scene from last year: Daniel falls asleep on
the staircase. Christmas takes so long to arrive!
Read Linda's favorite holiday books: A Quiet Knowing Christmas by Ruth Bell Graham and Treasuring God in Our Traditions by Noel Piper.
Pass out candy canes attached with The Legend of the Candy Cane tags. Make Apple Butter, World's Best Cookies and Gingerbread Cookies and enjoy some of them with hot cocoa.
Sing Christmas hymns and listen to Handel's Messiah as well as our favorite Christmas CDs (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
Visit our friends at the Nursing Home, pack shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child and participate in Angel Tree.
Most importantly, remember to keep Christ in Christmas.
What are your favorite Christmas traditions?
"Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:10-11
During Advent, we do family devotions, and with each sunday in Advent, we listen to selections from Michael Card's CD "The Promise." We also allow the kids to pick a selection from their CD's to share with us.
ReplyDeleteOn Christmas Eve, after church, we all put on our pyjamas and eat "finger food," appler cider, and home made cinnamon buns. We light a fire, watch the Alistair Sim "Christmas Carol" or "It's a Wonderful Life" while playing games. My dh and my youngest like to play chess. We usually open one small gift each
I am hoping to keep Christmas more simple this year. I think I'd like to checkout the book suggestions you had, Linda.
Alex and I were laughing b/c we do the same or similar things for the Christmas season also! Don't have that Carpenter's album though. ;)
ReplyDeleteYou and your family might enjoy
The Best of Andy Williams' Christmas Show. It is our family's favorite Christmas video. We watch it over and over. When Chas was tiny, every morning he would beg to watch it in his little toddler voice and a great big hopeful smile on his face, "Watch Andy Williams?". It was so cute.
Speaking of cute, love the picture of Daniel on the steps. Children are just precious!
Kim, your family traditions sound very special. I just bought mulling spices and have written apple cider on my grocery list. Perhaps we will have some on Christmas Eve this year! And as we sip, we'll be thinking of our friends up North in Canada. :-) I love Michael Card's music--his lyrics are so thought-provoking. Thanks for mentioning his CD; I will be on the lookout for it.
ReplyDeleteMeredith, great minds think alike! ;-) hehehehe...
ReplyDeleteOh, you must listen to the Carpenters! Nothing like Karen's voice, especially as she sings "Merry Christmas, Darling." (Unless you're sick of hearing it on the radio, that is.) I think even our library carries this CD.
Alan got a big kick out of your Andy Williams suggestion! I think I may get it for his stocking just to hear that roar of laughter again. ;-)
Meredith, I just read the Amazon description of that Andy Williams video! It has the Osmond Brothers on it! How cool is that? I remember watching them on Christmas specials when I was a young girl. Now we'll have to add this to our collection! :-)
ReplyDeleteThe Osmonds were a big part of the Andy Wms Christmas Shows, so they are all in the video. I had forgotten how incredibly they could sing.
ReplyDeleteLinda what a wonderful idea having a Holidays notebook! This is exactly the type of thing that I like doing and will probably be starting one today *grin*
ReplyDeleteSherri
www.upsaid.com/aptghomeschool
Oh yes and one more thing that I wanted to mention... dont forget to rent "A Muppet Christmas Carol" - a wonderful adaptation of the story of Scrooge!
ReplyDeleteIts out families favorite
Sherri
www.upsaid.com/apthomeschool
Thanks, Sherri. So who plays Scrooge--Oscar the Grouch? ;-)
ReplyDeleteTry "Christmas in Noisy Village" by Astrid Lingren for a delightful tale that will please the little ones!
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