First advent/ santaquin

 On the first day of advent we started our tree, a new lego girl advent calendar, and the candy streamer.

Our new book was My Little Pony Holly Jolly Harmony

Then we went to church with my mom and dad at my aunt and uncle's ward because my cousin was blessing her baby.

The girls and I ended up going down to Santaquin afterward to have dinner with my parents. Before going to their home I took the girls up Santaquin canyon to take pictures.

We had a great time hanging out for a little while at their house.

Christmas Tradition: Other Advent activities

We have many activities for advent. Along with the tree, we have this advent streamer. My mom made it for us and it is a tradition I had in my home growing up.

There is a ribbon for each day of advent and you use them to tie on a treat. We used to use mini candy canes but a few years ago I switched to tootsie rolls. Each night you switch turns to take off the treat.

Another activity we do each day of the advent is to read a Christmas story. We can pick from our book of advent stories my mom gave us or one of our Christmas books from our Christmas book basket. I love sitting by the lit tree with the girls reading Christmas stories! It's wonderful.

Christmas Tradition: The advent tree

The Advent tree is one of my very favorite of our Christmas traditions. I made it back in 2008 after seeing something similar in Pottery Barn. The first year I filled up the pockets with little toys and clues to things around the house.

Last year it was filled with little surprises, treats, and activities.

This year, we were gone for most of December but for the days we were here I filled the pockets with activities like 'make a Christmas craft', 'watch a Christmas movie and have hot cocoa', etc.

Next year I plan on making every day an activity again with the exception of the book on day one.

Advent

December 1st not only marked the entrance into my favorite month/ time of the year but also the beginning of the advent. Abi got the first turn at taking a Tootsie roll off the advent streamer..

Then she got to take out the day one prize from the advent tree I made last year. The first day will always be a new Christmas book.

we let her open it..

and she was so excited to find the Fancy Nancy Christmas book. It's so cute!

Post Halloween

Yesterday morning everyone was pretty tired around here and I think for the first time in who knows how long I had the most energy in the morning so I took down all the Halloween decor and put up the Thanksgiving stuff (all 4 things! Ha)
When my energy level started to go away I sat down on the family room floor and made this countdown to Thanksgiving turkey...

I got the idea from Family Fun magazine. Every day you take off a numbered feather and there is a clue on the back to a hidden piece of candy.. so I put 27 pieces of candy in a bag so she can still have all her candy but spread it out to one piece a day until Thanksgiving.
Most of the day was spent either sorting her candy into types, making lines out of it..

or doing this puzzle which I think may just be her favorite thing she got trick or treating Saturday. She says she is a big girl to be able to do it all by herself and it only took one time with help before she didn't need help anymore.

So far this morning she is continuing to do this puzzle over and over and over.....