December: 'Tis the Season

December was jam-packed with lots of festive things.  We had planned to be more on the ball with our outdoor decorations this holiday season.  Right after Halloween I started telling Josef how we were going to put lights on our house the Saturday after Turkey day, but one thing or another kept getting in the way and we couldn't find the lights that we wanted.  Apparently other people are not procrastinators like us and purchase their lights before Thanksgiving (like the day after Halloween).  The good lights were hard to come buy when we finally got around to looking. 

Finally we gave up on the idea of putting lights up and bought a couple other decorations to make the outside of our door look nice.  Well those things sat in our living room for a couple weeks until it was Christmas Eve.  I couldn't believe it was Christmas Eve already!  All my family was on their way to spend the evening with us so Josef and I figured we may as well put up the lighted garland around our doorway since we only had one day left.  We finally got it put up about 20 minutes before everyone showed up. 

"Ding-Dong!" I opened the door to welcome my family in, and low and behold that garland that had taken us 3 weeks to put up had fallen on top of my sister's family.  It didn't fall down all the way.  Only half way. 

And their it stayed dangling on the side of our doorway until half way through January. I know, I know. Pathetic. Next year will be better.

The kid's December was filled with sickness.  Mason started with a cough at the end of November that continued. Then he contracted pink eye that spread to both eyes.  A week later the pink eye was gone, but the cough had developed into RSV and croup, and an accompanying ear infection.  Sofia did not escape unscathed.  She picked up a nasty cold around the same time, but lucky for her it passed quickly.


This picture was taken at our church Christmas party which we dragged our kids to even though they were not feeling well.  I had been cooped up in the house with those kids for days and I needed to get out!

That is Little Lamb Sofi in the middle as the primary children acted out the Christmas Story.

We do not have tons of Christmas traditions but we do have a few. Sorry for the terrible picture quality from these cell phone picture.

 We love going to Merry Main Street in downtown Frisco.  They have many booths, fun activities, performances, as well as the largest choreographed Christmas light display in North Texas.  This year it was 70 degrees outside!  We usually walk around and look at the lights, stop by our favorite popcorn store for a treat, see the train display, and head home.  Sofia was happy to have missed the fireworks.  Loud noises scare her.

 

 

Sofia has assumed the responsibility of putting out our nativities.  She takes great pride in carefully arranging all the little people and animals.  Her favorite piece is the baby Jesus.  It is always fun to see what new toy additions will be included in the display throughout the season.

A new tradition we started this year was a Christmas book advent calendar.  I collected books from discount bookstores, preschool book orders, deal sites, and my mom's house.  We all loved this tradition.  It helped to put us in the Christmas spirit and was a pefect way for Sofia to visualize how many days were left until the big day.

Frisbee our family's elf came back to us on December 1st.  He is not an overly creative elf and he doesn't really get into mischief like so many other elves I have seen all over Pinterest.  But he is loved at our house. 

Christmas Eve morning we delivered a big box and bag of donation items, gift cards, and a couple new toys to the homeless shelter in a neighboring town.  Afterward we visited the nearby historic downtown area to get hot chocolate and pastries at a cute little cafe. This was a major highlight of our Christmas and I think we will be making service and hot chocolate a Christmas Eve tradition!

In the afternoon on Christmas Eve my family came for dinner.  Afterward the grand kids acted out the nativity while I read from Luke at record speed.  Later we exchanged presents and ate yummy treats.  Of course we had to take our traditional family portrait where Dad sets up his camera on a tripod along with fancy lights.  My mom, my sister, and I just smile as he frantically tests the lighting over and over, frames the shot,  and impatiently poses wiggly family members.  The set up is tense and Dad is frustrated.  Once everyone is in place we have to take several shots because the flash doesn't go off, eyes are closed, and children are not smiling.  This is a scene that is well known to our family.  The faces in the picture may be more aged and we have little additions to our family, but the Knight Family portrait process is always the same. And I hope it stays that way.

Sorry for the terrible picture quality again...

When everyone left Josef (with very little help from me) set to work putting together Santa's big gift to the kids.  It was a long labor of love, but the kids loved the surprise waiting for them in the garage the next morning.

I did not take one picture Christmas morning!  After we opened presents, ate a delicious breakfast, and Mason took a nap, we headed over to Oma and Poppy's house to celebrate with Josef's family.  These are the only two pictures I have Christmas with the Lucas Family. Stolen from Amy.

6 out of 7 grandchildren

Our festivities were cut short by the weather.  We had a White Christmas! Of course the snow was exciting, but we were also aware that the fluffy white powder that was quickly accumulating would make the roads treacherous as the temperatures began to plummet.  Not wanting to risk driving home in the dark, we packed up and left a few hours early.  This picture above is my view from the passenger's seat.  I am so grateful to be married to a man who spent two frigid winters in Austria driving on roads much worse then this.  I hate driving on ice.

It always seems that I head into each December with all these grand plans and visions of the amazing and numerous festive activities and adventures in which we will we partake. Oh and don't forget the decadently decorated home that is imagined, dreamed, and "pinned" about.  These things never quite come to fruition. The demands and realities of life set in, priorities are reevaluated, and when all is said and done our Christmas is always magical and memorable as we have capitalized on simple opportunities to teach our children about the true spirit of CHRISTmas!