It's the MOST wonderful time of the year!

Ahhhh, it's finally here! I feel like a little kid every time December hits, knowing we get to spend the whole month doing fun Christmas activities and being together a little extra as a family. Only now it's a million times better than being a kid, because I get to live it all through my kids' eyes, and NOTHING is better than that! Our kids are at the funnest ages, too, because they are so super into Santa this year and there's such a precious naivety to how magical their belief is! It makes it so much more fun as a parent! I know this is such a short window of time when they ooohhh and ahhhh about all things Christmas, still think that Santa is bringing their presents, and are so easily pleased when it comes to gifts and such. I am LOVING it this year!! One of my favorite things this year is when we go on drives to see Christmas lights. Our kids started ho-ho-ho-ing every time they would see a really good house and now that's what they do every single time they see a house with lights on it! It is so funny! Even Avery gets way into it and her ho-ho's are hilarious! I love it! "Ho-ho-hoooooo!"

We started an advent calendar this year and it has been so fun planning each day! Some days are just little treats. Other days send them on a little hunt to find some little gift. And then there are the activity days! We thought of as many fun things we wanted to do together and jammed the whole month full of fun outings and places to go and things to do! So far, it has been awesome!! We made our Christmas count-down rings the first night. Then we had a North Pole party, complete with snowball donuts, reindeer poop (marshmallows), hot chocolate and treats! This was also the night the girls got to meet their elf (our first year doing Elf on the Shelf)! This has been the funnest thing yet!! They named her Frozie-Rosie (love that!) and you should have seen their faces as we read the story about how she is here to see if they are being good, how she will report back to Santa every night, etc, etc. I seriously thought their jaws were going to fall off! They totally believe this, 100% and it is hilarious! Every morning, they go search for her and get so amazed and excited when they find that she is hiding in a NEW place! It's great! We have also found Christmas books to read. Another night, we went to this little park that they have really decorated and lit up cute, followed by steamers and sugar cookies at Kneaders -- YUM! I am so excited for all the fun we will be getting into, big and small, for the month! 

We are totally in full Christmas swing! Isn't it just the happiest time of year?! We had our ward Christmas breakfast and got to see Santa, then got to go and see some live reindeer, which the girls thought was the coolest thing ever! The house is all decorated beautiful and everything is sparkling and we are loving it all! Every night we tell the girls bits and pieces of the Christmas story and it has been really special to reflect on the real meaning of Christmas every day, amidst all the other fun. They love hearing all the little parts about Christ's birth and all about His life. I don't ever want that to get lost in the shuffle of the busyness and fun of the season. And all this time with my little family? Well, that's the greatest part about it all. It's what makes my heart truly the happiest, just being together, doing nothing, or doing something really fun. I love them so much and am grateful for our moments and memories together. It is what life is all about for me!

So, here's to a fun and exciting and happy month ahead!! Can't wait for it all!