Jingle Bells isn't about Jesus!

Recently I listed some ideas the H family has to celebrate the Advent season.

A little update:

1. Visit Santa 
2. Pick out a new Christmas book
3. Find Elf
4. Make paper snowflakes and snowballs (B loves wadding up paper so we'll let him make some 'snowballs' and I'll make a couple snowflakes to put up with them so hopefully it wont look like we just hung garbage up in the window) ;)
5. Choose a friend from the local angel tree to shop for
6. Wrap presents (we might do this one after bedtime... or let him 'help' by wadding up paper again)
7. Christmas movie night (with popcorn and green & red M&Ms)
8. Christmas with the OK family (make gingerbread men!)
9. Make reindeer feet
10. Choose something from the 'serving friends' list to complete
11. Decorate cookies/make Christmas treats
12. Caroling (with cookies but maybe not so much singing)
13. Take a meal to someone
14. Sock snowball fight
15. Jolly Holiday Lights
16. Go out for breakfast with Santa & Rudolph
17. 'mistletoe' feet
18. Hot cocoa by the fire (straight from the 'north pole hot cocoa bar' of course)
19. Take Christmas pictures
20. Visit the library to read Christmas books
21. Take a treat to a neighbor we haven't met
22. Christmas at the cabins
23. Make Christmas ornaments
24. Read the Christmas story
25. 'camp out' under the Christmas tree (sleep in the living room)

So far we aren't doing too bad. With 8 days till Christmas night (because #25 we'll complete that night), we still have 13 to complete. With 5 on our 'to do' list for this weekend, we are in pretty good shape (and pretty good Christmas spirits too!). 

Last weekend, we completed #12 with two of my favorite Christmas cheer spreaders. Mo & Madd took B out for his first caroling trip. 

Mo & Madd decorated the goodie bags and filled them with a few little treats. (Isn't that artwork pretty great?!?) We visited a few people that live close to grandma's house- uncles, great grandma, and the sweetest lady that we grew up going to church with. It was her birthday that day (86th maybe?) so we made sure to sing extra loud for her.

One stop down and I was pretty impressed with how great the littles were doing. They sang 'Away in the Manger' and rocked it! (You know, as much as you can 'rock' Away in the Manger.)

Next stop: 'Jingle Bells'

The Jingle Bells were definitely not rocked. After one foot being stomped on (accidentally) and one crabby boy mad we sang Jingle Bells instead of Away in the Manger (because JINGLE BELLS ISN'T ABOUT JESUS!) we weren't sure how many more stops we had in us. We muddled through and finished strong and overall it was a good time! You may notice R is missing from the evening... he was still at basketball so we may have to have a repeat performance so he doesn't miss out on all the Christmas celebrating! :)