First, our ELVES have arrived! They flew in a couple of weeks ago and we have been having a ton of fun with them! Like I explained last year, my family was waaaaay ahead of the current elf trend thanks to my Gram and Popsie Cooper who started the tradition when their kids were little! We have four Elves because Mommy has a habit of collecting them and don't you know they all have their own name too! I tried to think of something new to add to the elf mix this year, so I decided to make an elf mailbox (don't worry, I'm aware that I'm a little nutty). Anyway, since the elves leave notes from time to time I thought it was a good idea and I knew Crewsie would like it. I bought a plain wooden one from the craft store and spiced it up!
He's not supposed to be touching them (we're working on that) and because he can't keep his fingers off of them we had a near-elf-death experience...yikes! For those new to the Elf thing there are 2 good books...Elf on the Shelf and Christopher Pop-a-Kins! Crew likes the Christopher Pop-a-Kins book best.
Greg wants me to try and sell them on Etsy....hahaha! Maybe next year.
One of our other family traditions is setting up the nativity scene. In my family, each year the three of us would take turns setting it up (and each year it turned into a fight as to whos turn it was!). Crew has no one to fight with yet, so he set it up this year (with help from Momma). He likes making sure that baby Jesus is close to his Mommy.
Another tradition I LOVE is collecting wooden Santas. This is a newer tradition that I started about 6 Christmases ago. My mom usually buys me one each year or I buy myself one. I always put them on my mantle surrounded my lighted garland. Currently, I have 7!
A new ornament from Yaya this year...Crewsie LOVES his trains!
Our first ornament together!
The year we bought our (second) house!
Have to have a Mickey!
Our first year we were a family of three!
Crew's first Christmas!
My dear friend Deb got me this ornament Christmas 2008 when I was preggers!
Crew loves popcorn, so naturally he loves this ornament!
His Polar Express bell from this year!
One of my aunts when I was younger gave us a Santa Claus face each year and we would glue a cotton ball on him each day in December. I've always liked the idea of Advent calendars and this year we got one. Thanks Yaya...he loves his new choo choo! Each morning an Elf leaves a hershey kiss in one of the little doors.
Crewsie and I have made several ornament crafts this season...this was a pack of little suncatchers that we painted.
Another little tradition we started was hiding a pickle on the Christmas tree. This is a German tradition and I believe we have German on almost all sides of our family! Although, Crew has a tendancy to throw the pickle in the tree and then I'm breaking my neck trying to find it! haha!
