Follow the Star

This year with our Classical Conversations Homeschool Group we were able to go to the Follow the Star Nativity. We tried to go last year, but it was sold out by the time we were able to get there. It was AWESOME! The kids loved it, we loved it and plan on going every year. We started in the church singing Christmas songs while we waited for our group to be called. Every 8 minutes new groups go with a tour guide following the star to Bethlelham. It was so well done and the kids saw Roman Soldiers, Shepards, King Herad and our final stop, Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus.

Christmas Eve&Christmas

Ross and I decided that we would spend Christmas Eve as a family just us and the kids. We have loved doing this the past 4 years. This year we decided to serve in the kidszone at our church, come home and have a nice dinner and then the kids opened their Christmas Eve Box! This included a Veggie Tales Movie (which we watched that night!) and a new pair of jammies for everyone.
Our tradition also is for daddy to read the story of baby Jesus out of Luke. This is probably my favorite part. Nothing warms my heart more than to watch my husband reading God's word to our children. They absolutely love their daddy time.

Ross reading a Christmas Story to the kids at church.

Reading Luke.

Our Christmas Eve box!

Christmas Breakfast, Cinnoman Rolls, sausage, bacon, fruit and hot apple cider

 

Everyone got nerf guns, which resulted in a huge Roberts family battle! It was a blast and we have had many battles since.

Golden Tickets

 I think my favorite one was our Polar Express Ride. This however was done in our bus/giant van. I printed tickets and hid them in the kids beds. While I tucked them in daddy warmed the van, loaded the hot chocolate and bags of popcorn. When they found their tickets they were so excited and we loaded them in jammies in the car and drove to look at Christmas lights for about an hour.

Christmas Time

I had so much fun with advent this year. Instead of our typical calendar we use and fill with candy or little treats, we used this opportunity to plan different family activites. Some were while daddy was gone and some we did together. Some examples were decorating Christmas cookies, making gingerbread houses at church, watching a new Christmas movie, read a new story etc. Below are some pictures.
One other thing we did this year was every night before bed starting Dec. 1st was the kids opened one new Christmas book and we read together as a family. This was a huge hit! I found most books at Salvation Army and Goodwill for pretty cheap.

 

 

 

 

 

Catching up!

So I realized that I mailed out our Christmas Cards linking everyone to our page if they wished to follow our family and then I didn't post for two months!! So I have A LOT of catching up to do. Through most of the month of December we took time off from our "typical" school day and took time to focus on Jesus and the true reason we celebrate Christmas. So here we go...our adventures through December and January up to now.