The First day of the Advent

Around here we have been very excited to get to December 1st and start our countdown to Christmas. I have tried to carry on the way I felt growing up which was that Christmas was the best day but the days leading up to it were amazing and fun and full of traditions as well so that the entire month feels like one big celebration.
After dinner Abi and I made brownies. It was cute because she kept saying " I love making chocolate brownies with you mommy." In that moment I realized we need to do stuff like that more often. I let her help with things sometimes and occasionally we make cookies or something but it really isn't that often. It was also the first time of the year for our Christmas aprons!



While they were cooking we had our first Family Home Evening. We talked about the advent and what we will be counting down to. We discussed how Christmas and Santa and all the fun things are great but that the main reason we celebrate Christmas is Jesus. Then we did the first day of our advent streamer (Abi got to have the first turn).

Then we let her get out the first prize in pocket #1 of my advent tree.

It was an Angelina book "Christmas in Mouseland". This was given to us by my sisters family on our last Utah visit but I tucked it away to use for this so Abi hadn't seen it yet. We read it as a family.

We then attempted to play a game of Christmas Checkers but as you can see, Abi's pouty Snicklefritz face showed up and so we stopped.

We had listened to a Christmas song on her primary song CD for opening song and so I put on another one called "The Nativity song" for closing song. This perked her right up. Who knew that you could dance so animatedly to a slow song about the first Christmas?





The wise men even showed up at the end...

I love December!!!