Tis the Season!

Like everyone else right now, we are gearing up for Christmas!!!  LOVE THIS HOLIDAY!!!
This year, we started some new little traditions...we will see if they stick. :)
First, I bought one of those gingerbread house kits that I always see, but never get.  I thought this year we would give it a try. :)
Luckily, Jake brought home his class mascot, "Tigerrific" so he joined in the fun as well.

 Do you love Morgan's face???  A result of me trying to get her to actually look at the camera...she is INFAMOUS for looking away just as I snap a picture. :)

While M&J worked on the candy-licious house, Abby and Claire watched one of my all-time favorite holiday shows...Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer...you know the "original."  Gotta love that Abominable Snowman. :)

I thought while the kids were occupied, I would take a few pics of our holiday decor.  It was nighttime so the pictures aren't great, but I thought what the hey...I'm documenting right!?

I also wanted to try and make this Christmas more about showing Christ-like love to the people I care the most about...so as part of our Christmas countdown I tied a bucket for each of my kids on the countertop chairs.  In those buckets each day I write them a note of something I love about them, and a treat to go with it of course.  It has really been neat to see how much they love it!  Morgan is the only one that can read them on her own, but it is the first thing she does when she gets home from school is read her note and eat her treat.  She said to me one day, "Mom, I love my bucket countdown...can we do this every year??"  Those moments make it all worth it as a mom. ;)
Here are the buckets:

This is for my honey! :)  For his countdown, each day I write him a little note.  It is either a compliment, service to him, or a special date night I have planned.  He loves this too!  When he gets home from work the first thing he does is say hi to all of us...then he reads his note. :)  I am so glad he appreciates them. :)
Okay, back to the gingerbread house experiment...

So it turned out really cute...however...

This is what happened not long after the kids finished...it collapsed!!!  I think the roof was too heavy...too much candy...I don't know. Maybe we need to let the frosting dry first, then decorate???  Have any of you done this before??  What did you do?  I would love some suggestions for next year...if we attempt it again.  My kids were a little bummed. :)  But it was fun to decorate it at least. :)
Finally, Morgan's class put on a Reader's Theater.  They did "The Best (Worst) Christmas Pageant Ever."  It was really cute...the girls and I went.  We could barely understand the kids' lines but it was sweet nonetheless. :)

Well there you have it...it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here... :)  We are sooo READY!