Christmas Traditions

Over the past few weeks we did our best to enjoy as many Christmas activities as we could! We repeated some traditions that we started in past years, and we also added in a few new traditions this year. As a family, we have really enjoyed getting in the Christmas spirit together! Sometimes these weeks leading up to Christmas can seem exhausting and stress-filled, and while there were many moments like that during December, we were still able to find some time to stop and enjoy the holiday season. Our girls are at wonderful ages this year! At five and two and a half, they are just filled with Christmas wonder. It is so fun to see this very special season through their eyes. Take a look at the pictures below to see the fun Christmas activities that we have been enjoying!

This was a new tradition this year: wrap 25 Christmas books and unwrap and read one each day beginning December 1. The girls have really enjoyed this! In addition to reading our book of the day, we also read from a special Advent book and had a special ornament that we turned every day to hear a part of the Christmas story.

Of course we had to make time for Christmas baking! We didn't do all of our baking at once this year. Instead, we did it on a few different days spread out over the last few weeks. This was our first baking day: chocolate chip cookies with red and green chocolate chips.

We went to the mall to visit Santa. I love this tradition because I really love having the beautiful professional photo from each year! This year's photo was my favorite one ever.

After the long wait to see Santa we always let the girls ride the train. This photo was blurry, but it was the only one I had!
 

Making a gingerbread house!!

This was the same day that we saw Santa, later in the evening.

Cuties!

My mom and dad were able to come over on a Monday. Nana made Spritz cookies with the girls.

Another new tradition this year: getting in our jammies, getting hot cocoa, and going out in the car for a drive to see Christmas lights. I had wanted to do this in years past but we never got to it. This was one of my favorites!! Savannah really enjoyed it and told us, "Oh, I could cry happy tears!"

Decorating sugar cookies.

After doing all this baking (we made fudge, too) we froze some, which we plan to bring out when we have our family over on Christmas day, and took some to our elderly neighbors.

Wearing cute Christmas dresses before church on Sunday morning!
Hailey is wearing the dress Savannah wore when she was two, and then I just got Savannah a coordinating sweater and skirt for this year. The reds are a little different (the red on Hailey's dress is more burgundy and Savannah's is a brighter red) but I still thought it looked pretty close.

I think this one is my favorite.

This one is adorable!

Haha, Savannah's face in this one! I told Hailey to give her sissy a kiss and she was very happy to oblige! 

Daddy and his girls.

Mommy and her girls.

I took this one because I wanted a photo of their hair. :)

I love Hailey's curls.

Savannah's hair is getting so long!