Do You See What I See?

I posted on Facebook the other day that I think there are way too many twinkly lights in my living room, and I’m not kidding… there’s A LOT going on in here.

Seeing Christmas through the eyes of a child is just so magical.  I think especially at the age of three where she’s just really beginning to ‘get’ it.   She is so excited.

I’m also finding it challenging to bring things/traditions into our home that reflect the true meaning of Christmas, and not just make it all about Santa.  Most of the movies center around Santa, and it’s difficult to find age appropriate movies that tell the story of Christ’s birth.

One however that was a treasure to me when I grew up was “Nestor The Long Eared Christmas Donkey”.  A sweet story about a little donkey who was born, and didn’t know why God would give him long ears that caused him to be mocked, and persecuted.  Of course, God did have a precious purpose in giving him long ears… a purpose that no one else could do.   This movie also holds a special place in my heart because as a young child I watched it at my grandparents house, and was so upset by it, and cried so inconsolably that my grandfather was ready to call the TV network to give them a piece of his mind about showing things like that for kids.  Thankfully, my sensitive heart handles it better these days.

I did the tour of my home last year, and everything is pretty much the same this year with a few additions…

These candy canes were on our Christmas tree for about 20 minutes until Madalynn went through two of them… now they’re in a glass on the window sill in my kitchen.  Also, this year we have “Elf On The Shelf”… which Madalynn in all her literalness named “Elf On The Shelf”.  Every morning at 5:30am… we go on a hunt to find where he landed today on his journey home from the North Pole.

When I was little my grandmother made me a felt advent calendar with a Christmas tree, and ornaments in 24 pockets at the bottom, and each day you hung an ornament on the tree with the star as the final touch on Christmas Eve.  I LOVED this advent calendar, and of course I had my favorite ornaments each year.  While, somehow as the years passed we lost it… much to my dismay.  Last year I bought all the materials to make one for Madalynn… this is the end result.  I’m so thrilled to have it for her.  So, each morning after we find the elf we have to hang an ornament on her advent calendar.

What would Christmas be without Starbucks Christmas blend?  Much to my delight… this year they have an ESPRESSO Christmas blend… it has been yummy making it as an egg nog latte the last week… YUM.

We hope the Christmas spirit has arrived at your

home too!!