First off, I love my tree. Yes it will never be featured in a magazine but it means a lot to me.
A lot of my ornaments are homemade by family and friends from when my husband and I were going to get married. The tree is from my niece and the Santa from a client of mine (I used to work with people with disabilities).
My friend put cute bows on a bunch of these cooking pig ornaments. She knew I that I love pigs.
So as I am hanging them up it always warms my heart and I have wonderful memories of the amazing people that have touched my life. Like this one. My sister made them with two of my kids hand prints that were then made to snowman. They are one of my favorite ornaments on the tree. And when I see them they will always remind me of what a wonderful sister I have and how much I love her.
So I am still thinking of how to teach these special angels that have been put into my care about the true meaning of Christmas.
I look some more and notice I have a lot of stuff that is "commercial", as one sister would say.
And this cute one likes the commercial aspect of it all. He HATES the stories of Jesus when he knows they are Jesus stories. When he found out I was going to be telling a story about the birth of Jesus tonight he groaned. (This is how he dressed for our ward Christmas party. He chose to wear the tie but whenever someone commented he would put his hands up to cover it. It was very cute.)
And then some more commercial decorations.
I do have A TON of Santa decorations. But these are from my mother-in-law and mean a lot to us because they came from her.
So I had an idea of maybe how to at least help bring more of the Spirit into our Christmas.
A family member of mine buys a new Nativity every year. This is one she got this year. I LOVE it. It is so beautiful.
And this is one of hers also. I don't know why, but I just love it.
So this year I have an idea for a Nativity that I want to make. A simple one with wood blocks and stickers, but the kids can play with it. And that is a good thing. :) And I hope to add more in the coming years and less of Santa.So as I tell the story of the birth of Jesus tonight, I hope that somehow I can get a small spark into my children about what it really is all about. And hopefully next year it will be about Our Saviour and less about the man in the red suit.
P.S. I saw a picture once of Santa bowing down in front of the Nativity scene. It was very beautifully done. If anyone finds it, feel free to get it for me. he he. Or just let me know where I can get it. I know it has Santa in it but it just felt amazing when I saw it. And if you have any ideas, let me know.
Merry Christmas everyone!
there is a store my moms thats in Gardener village. it is fill with x-mas stuff all year around this is were we got a lot of ours throw out the years. its call the village christmas shoppe. also around x-mas they have elves everywhere around gardener village. also at when mom always put the nativity set up on the first of dec then put up the tree about a week or two before x-mas cuz x-mas is about jesus birth not the tree and everything else. then on x-mas eve we ready the story of jesus birth from luke. also we do a lot of serves this time a year to.
ReplyDeleteI want a dinosaur nativity set!
ReplyDeleteIn the stores I saw a nativity set that was designed for the kids to paint the nativity set. Maybe your two older could enjoy something like that next year.
ReplyDeleteOr another thing, teach them the fun of doorbell ditching cookies on people.