Cutting and Crafting

I was absolutely determined to spend some time during the Christmas break baking and crafting with the kids.  It's odd, because I don't love to do crafts in general, but Christa loves art, and I see so many great ideas out there, that I feel like a really "good mom" when we make something together.  I like to see what we come up with, and it usually forces me to give the kids my undivided attention for a little while, rather than attempt to unload a pile of dishes or sneak in a load of laundry during our time together.

 We decorated bags this year.  Christa decided she just wanted to color her bags, but Abby Kate and I discovered that it was great fun to use old necklace craft beads and hot glue them onto a Christmas Tree.  I thought this craft turned out pretty cute, and we may just try it again next year!  We also made a snowman bag out of felt and more beads for the buttons, face, etc.

 Christa begged to do a Gingerbread house, even pointing one out while we were at Micheal's, and saying we needed to get it.  She meticulously decorated the roof, and we had a lot of fun creating Christmas trees and window decorations.

 Hard at work, while Abby Kate and Elizabeth ate the decorations.

 Elizabeth insisted on being included, and was very happy as long as she had candy to eat.

 Christa decorated the whole front walkway herself.  I did the two Christmas trees, but she made little bushes complete with lights, and a colorful sidewalk.

Cline and I insisted on resurrecting a favorite Christmas tradition that seemed to have died a couple of years ago.  Cline's family has gone to cut a fresh tree from their farm every year until the tornadoes came through 2 Christmases ago, all but eliminating the supply of suitable Christmas trees.  Cline and I missed not going last year, and I think the year before, so we made it known to the rest of the family that we expected to cut a tree together this year.  In years past, we would all pile into a couple of pickup trucks and bounce around the farm together, laughing, and making jokes.  The family has grown so much that we all pretty much had to take our own cars this year, so it was different, but still a tradition we would love to continue with our kids.  

 Elizabeth was all for the idea as long as she had a jingly wreath to hold.  The older girls were not convinced that it would be fun, but we *promised* them it would be.

 Unfortunately, it rained, so I'm not sure the girls saw the fun in the experience.  But they did enjoy eating Mexican food with most of the family afterwards.

 Poppy is always the official "tree-cutter-downer."

 Abby Kate is there somewhere.  She is very sensitive to rain, sunlight, etc. so she was fairly miserable.  So much for that "fun" promise!  Cline and I enjoyed it, and are thrilled that our girls got to experience the tradition - rain or no rain!