Christmas traditions

I really love traditions and have been slowly introducing new ones into our lives ever since we were married (and carrying on old ones too). This year I'm really getting into the whole Advent calendar idea and have come up with something for every day leading up to Christmas day...here's my list:

Our Christmas traditions

1. Set up advent calendar and nativity sets

2. Read ‘The Three Trees’ then set up and decorate our Christmas tree while listening to Christmas carols

3. Make Christmas food: shortbread, rum balls, pudding, cake, meringues etc

4. Drive around and look at the Christmas lights

5. Choosing a charity to support

6. Have a family ‘movie’ afternoon

7. Go for a moonlit walk

8. Take a picnic dinner to the Cotter

9. Write down one thing we’re grateful for every day of December

10. Make mango smoothies

11. Sing Christmas music in the car

12. Dinner by candlelight

13. Make homemade pizza

14. Feed birds on the lake

15. Write down the 10 best memories of the year

16. Play board games

17. Have a ‘prawn night’ for dinner

18. Visit somewhere in Canberra that we’ve never been to before

19. Read the story of Jesus birth from the Bible

20. Find a ‘Carols by candlelight’ to go to or watch

21. Send Christmas cards with ‘Family brochure’

22. Have a birthday party for Jesus – with a cake and all

23. Make cookies to give to friends/teachers/co-workers

24. Host Christmas lunch for family and/or friends

25. Read Christmas story books

I'm really excited!! We're just gonna pick one thing each day and do it. This will be the first year we'll have a tree, and I'm really looking forward to the idea of reading the Three trees book to the kids as kinda saying that's one of the reasons we have a tree.

We set up the little people nativity set today (cause with the wedding on tomorrow we probably won't have time to do anything off our list) and Josh LOVES it. It think it's pretty cool too, and I love the way it opens the door to be able to really explain and show the account of Jesus birth. Josh was playing with it and singing, 'Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so'...LOVE IT! I am thinking of saving to eventually get a really nice nativity set...and a really nice advent calendar (saw one at Koorong and wanted it SOOO bad!! lol!)

Anyway, am off to bed for much needed rest before the wedding tomorrow. I am so looking forward to being matron of honour and having Aaron be best man! YAY!! Will post lots of photo's as soon as i get organised!