Bring on the New Year!

May all good things "swing" your way in the New Year!

*Note to family (and those who care to look): To see a few more photos of family from our Oregon trip - click here.

An Oregon Christmas

This year was our last "traveling" Christmas. From now on, we plan to stay at home and create traditions celebrating with our children in our own home (though we will miss being with extended family!) So...it was our "turn" to go to my family's home in Bend, Oregon. We had such a great time visiting with family and celebrating Christmas. Sawyer was so "into it" this year, it made it so much fun. We only got him one gift, and then, of course, Santa brought him something special (I am not sure how he guessed it, but every time I said "who is going to come visit tonight?" he would say "Anta! Anta!" and then, "Choo-choo!!!" I guess somehow he knew he was a good boy and that Santa would bring him a train set?) Somehow, Santa stuffed some extra things in his sack for Sawyer and between Grandparents, Great-Grandma, and a couple of doting Aunts who were there as well - we ended up coming home with practically a sleigh full of toys for our boy! (I don't like the word "spoiled" but he was certainly showered with gifts! We were, too. Thanks, family!)

You would think with his obsession with trains, he would've gone for the train set first - but no - he went for the push toy instead. I think he was overwhelmed with so many new toys to play with (which first? what next?") The only toys he has really had, until now, are Legos, Books, and some Cars/Trucks. It will be nice for him to have more variety to choose from as our new baby arrives and we will be stuck in the house for a while.

Sawyer was just in heaven with all the family around. He got everyone's names down quickly. It was so beautiful to watch him build relationships with family we rarely get to see. I suppose that would include my youngest sister's dog, Tommie (a female). Sawyer just adored her. He would run around the house looking for her, saying "Nommie! Nommie!" And she was great with him! I guess that is a true sign that we should prepare ourselves for in a few years when he starts begging us for a dog!

Christmas Eve was actually sunny and warm, for Central Oregon. Christmas Day, however, the world was white. Not with snow - although it almost looked like it - but with a thick frost and heavy fog. It was beautiful and dreamy. I heard the dog barking and stepped outside to find some deer in the front yard. They were pretty skeptical of me and my black camera pointed at them, but I did catch them before they turned and hopped off to the forest (my family lives next to the Deschutes National Forest). They were so beautiful and graceful!

We had a wonderful trip. We even got to stop and see my brother's family (including my new 6-week-old nephew) for a short while as we were heading home and they were heading over Mt. Hood to visit family. We got home late last night with a very loaded car and a very tired family. We sure hope everyone else had a relaxing and enjoyable Christmas! Bring on the New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Love,
Tysha, Jacob, & Sawyer

"Yites"

Last night, we drove over to Bellevue to the Botanical Garden d'Lights. Someone had told us they were very cool and worth seeing...so we thought we'd check it out. We probably picked one of the busiest days of the season to go, but oh well ;) Besides the hordes of people and me waddling along, it was quite a site to see (I know, I don't look that big...but let me tell you, when you're a small person, carrying around an extra 20 pounds on your front kinda kills the back...not to mention that I keep having {painful} contractions if I walk too much...oh the joys of pregnancy!)

We told Sawyer we were going to see some lights and he kept shouting out "yites, yites" (his version of "lights" of course). He was pretty excited. There was one snowman of lights, and besides that, it was all what it claimed to be: a garden of lights. There were flowers, palm trees, spider webs, peacocks and ducks, a water fountain, and more flowers. Oh, and lots of butterflies. So, festive in the sense that there were lots of lights - but not really Christmas-themed. I told Jacob it would be cool if they did it in the summer sometime (although they'll have lots of real flowers to look at then...) So, they created a beautiful garden of lights when all the flowers have died off during the winter. It was beautiful, even amidst the downpour that happened while we were there. Luckily, the weather itself has been relatively warm (55ish yesterday).

Anyway, I will quit rambling. It was beautiful. It was fun. Sawyer obviously loved it as the rest of the night he kept talking about the "yites"..."pidohs" (spiders)..."flyes" (butterflies)..."no-man" (snowman) and "ya ya's" (flowers - we're not sure how he got ya ya for flower, but he's been saying it since before his first birthday that way). Hooray for YITES! that brighten up the cold, dark winter nights!

*ps*sorry about the grainy photo quality...all the more reason for me to be excited about saving my pennies to get that dream camera I want (someday...) with ISO that goes up to 6400 with low noise :)

You know...Dasher & Dancer & Prancer...

I have probably mentioned that each week of our Advent we have had to be a little flexible this year. Well, the blame can fall on me. Yes, it's the whole preggo thing still getting in the way of life as I would normally live it. (SOON, though, it will all be a distant memory and we will have our tiny baby girl in our arms!) So...I got a tip from a friend about this Nursery (Swanson's Nursery, in Ballard/Crown Hill) that is actually super close to our home, I just never knew about it. It is a beautiful nursery, and at this time of year they happen to have a couple of Santa's Reindeer visiting, along with a Camel and Donkey. Oh, can't forget the Koi Fish Pond in the cafe (yes, this nursery has a garden cafe - how cool is that?) and Sawyer will not let us forget the Holiday Trains they have set up in one of the nice, warm, greenhouses. So, that's what we decided to do instead of the Teddy Bear Suite this week. Of course, there was also some nice equipment for boys to play around...

Seeing the camel was fun for me, and reminded me of (again) my mission, where on my 23rd birthday, I got to ride in a camel caravan. It felt like a time warp, it was super cool. Also, in Spain, they celebrate "Three Kings" on Jan. 6th (they also have a small visit from Santa...but the Kings stopping by on their way to visit baby Jesus is the big deal. Kids leave out there shoes with some hay or straw for the camels to snack on, and the Kings leave them a gift...a very fun tradition). I remember going to a big parade, where the Kings made their way through the warm, busy, streets of the island of Lanzarote on camelback. It was awesome - really painted a picture of how it must've been...way back then. Strangely, it was on my mission in a warm, sub-tropical climate that I tried Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire. Go figure...

We had another good, busy week. Jacob and I had our date last night and went to Mint Design's Christmas Dinner at the amazing Canlis. We felt truly spoiled. (And a little bit like fish out of water, it is that nice - they don't even let you park your own car :) Sawyer had the time of his life with his little buddy, Max. He didn't even want to come home (a good thing, right?) Well, it's our turn tonight, and Max gets to come over here. We decided against another visit with Santa, since Sawyer was so scared of him last week, and instead, the boys will get to help make some Spritz cookies tonight. Well...I'm not sure how much they'll help make them...but I'm pretty sure they will be very helpful in eating them ;) Christmas is coming...quick!

Our Little Wild Thing: 18 Months Old!

Here is Sawyer wearing his new t-shirt. We went into the Gap looking for a Christmas-y shirt and came out with this. It was on sale, or else I wouldn't have got it. He's never been so excited about a t-shirt! He says "Max" and "grrr". He loves those Wild Things! (and luckily we found the Christmas shirt at Target on sale for $4 - can't beat that!)

*warning: another long post about our boy.

It's pretty amazing that Sawyer is now 18 months old...and even more amazing that in a few short weeks he will be a BIG BROTHER! When I got pregnant, Sawyer was 10 months old. We found out 3 weeks later. It was planned, but at the same time, I kept looking at him and thinking "but he's still a baby..." Now that I've started pulling out his old newborn-sized little onesies and t-shirts, for his sister to wear, I realize he has grown a lot! But he is still my baby, and (like it or not) he always will be. And, he's still little (good thing we kept him rear-facing in the car seat until he was 15 months old!). I think he will be one of those awesome forwards in soccer - the small but quick ones. And cute, to boot!

Stats:
Weight: 21 lbs. 12 oz. (5th percentile)
Height: 31 inches (10th percentile)

According to our pediatrician, Sawyer is extremely verbal for a boy of his age (as if we didn't already know that!) He has just barely started putting a couple of words together and our favorites are: "Oh no!" and "Here you go". She also encouraged us to begin potty training him. I guess he meets the 4 "readiness" criteria that they look for, and most kids around the world are potty trained at this age - or before. I am not quite sure how well it will work since we'll have a big transition coming with the new baby...but we've been talking about it and we got him some "big boy" underwear that he proudly carries to the toilet. He understands much more than I thought he would. We are just waiting for the "big boy" potties to arrive and after Christmas I think we'll give it a go! Who knows? If it works, great, and if not, we can try again later. Apparently (and it makes sense) kids at this age are more likely to get excited about trying something you introduce...but if you wait too long (ie 2-3 years old) they might be more defiant about it. I'll probably have a whole post about this theory in January. (Anyone who has potty trained a child this age...feel free to offer some advice!) I figure it's a good time to try, when we'll be indoors because of the weather and me being hugely pregnant, waiting for the Little Miss to make her grand appearance. Okay...

Some favorites:
Lately, he has been so excited about Santa and Snowmen. I even caved in and let him watch a couple of the classic Christmas shows (I am normally a stickler for NO screen time for kids under 2...but, hey, it's Christmas, right?)
He LOVES reading. Amazingly, he looks through full picture books (not just board books) and is careful with the pages. He will sit with a stack of books on the floor and look through each one (of course he knows all the stories because we read to him a LOT). He says a few words or makes noises about the stories, sitting there totally content sometimes for a good 30 minutes. It's wonderful. Some favorites lately (they change about every 2-3 weeks) are: Where the Wild Things Are (hence his new t-shirt - he was STOKED to put it on), The Polar Express, Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel (yes, the whole book! Thanks Aunt Erin!), oh, and funny enough, he loves to sit and look through the National Geographic Magazines Jacob receives each month. Seriously? (I think it's because there are usually lots of photos of animals...?) He seems to be a pretty visually-oriented kid (understandable with who his parents are). He also seems to favor his left hand.

He continues to LOVE Lego Duplos. It has been really fun to see him start with them at a year (we got them for his birthday) and develop the coordination to put them together and take them apart...and now that he's got that down, it's amazing to see what he "creates" and builds with his own little imagination. He tends to build cars, trains, and tractors.
He also LOVES anything outdoors. He actually doesn't have very many toys (on purpose) so we are always looking for ways to interact and be creative. He likes to dance. He is pretty proud of his somersaults (and he's got them perfected, nonetheless!) He loves outings to the Zoo, the Park - where he especially enjoys riding his little bike. On rainy days, sometimes we pull the car out of our tiny garage and let him ride around to his little heart's content. (Next Birthday or Christmas he'll get one with actual pedals!) He, of course, loves the library (and taking plenty of books off the shelves to dig through - I'm sure the librarians love us :)
He also loves taking showers lately (though he still loves bath time, too!). It used to be, I'd try to set him up with some toys while I took a shower - but he kept playing peek-a-boo with me through the curtains and getting water everywhere...so one day, I asked him if he'd like to join me. He loved it! He sits in the back and plays with his alphabet letters or water toys, and then stands under the water. It enables me to take a longer and more relaxing shower.
He likes to be a "helper" He loves to vacuum, sweep, and swiffer. He likes to watch when we are cooking. It won't be much longer until he can "help" even more.

Every night at bedtime, after we have read books, said prayers, and had a drink of water, we turn off the lights and he requests a song. For a long few weeks it was the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" (he says spider in such a cute way) and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" among others...but this month, he always says "Anta, Anta" and so we say goodnight with "So...you better watch out, you better not cry..." and he LOVES it. It is SO cute how excited he is about Christmas this year. We just have to keep reminding him that among all the fun activities we do, the real reason we celebrate is the birth of Baby Jesus. He loves our Nativity set. But it's pretty hard to really "get" Christmas when there are so many different messages and different traditions and fun things about it that also have nothing to do with Christ (where'd the snowflakes come in?) All in time.

Well, this is long enough. I just wanted to take a minute to jot a few of these things down. Time is flying by. Sometimes, too quickly.

Gingerbread Houses and more...

We've had a great time with our advent activities this past week. We've had to be flexible with a few, but they have been accomplished nonetheless. My favorite activities this past week were 1) picking two tags off the "Giving Tree" (I can never just pick one). We picked one that is for a little boy Sawyer's age, and one that is for a newborn baby girl, like our Aspen will soon be. The hardest part is shopping for the toy trucks the boy is hoping for with Sawyer (although Sawyer also makes it easy to pick out the winning toys!) and 2) Seeing the Christmas Ships and Carkeek Beach on Friday night. Our friends, the Parkers, joined us and we all huddled together on the beach, our babes so bundled they could hardly move (it was cold). The boys loved the Seattle Children's Chorus songs, with Forrest signing "more, more" and Sawyer staring at the big star on the ship "star". Sawyer also has not forgotten that trains go by this beach, so every 5 minutes or so he would turn and say "choo choo" - he really had high hopes of seeing a train. Jacob and I just loved snuggling together and taking it all in. It was a clear, cold night. The lights on the ships were bright and welcoming, and all of us on the beach got to join in song for the last Christmas Carol "silent night" which is one of my favorites. The air was actually colder than the water, so their was this cool steamy-mist floating on the water, and the tide was out so we could walk out quite a ways. I just love this tradition: it's so magical. Saturday, instead of walking around Greenlake, we went to a Christmas Party at our new church building. We got to meet some of the people and Santa even stopped by. Sawyer clung to our legs like his life depended on it and wouldn't get near the bearded man in the red suit. We are re-thinking our trip to Nordstrom (since there is usually a minimum 1-2 hour wait to see Santa - and what if Sawyer just wants to get away from him after all that waiting in line?) Although, honestly, who can blame kids? Sitting on a strange man's lap - I think I'd feel a bit nervous, too.

Our dinner with our old neighbors was fantastic last night. We really need to have people over more often. It was great to catch up with them and their two cute little boys. It is the best thing in the world to have great neighbors :) Anyway, because their boys are on an earlier bedtime schedule than ours, they weren't able to make Gingerbread Houses with us...so we made them tonight, instead. Our Family Home Evening was focussed tonight around Norwegian Christmas Traditions. I couldn't help but think of my dear friend, Karoline, who spent Christmas with our family a few years back, but is now back in Oslo. We even had some glog and some gingerbread toffee (thanks to Ikea). It is so much fun to learn about how people in different parts of the world celebrate Christmas.

Sawyer didn't get to help with the Gingerbread Houses this year (it was too late once we got started). Jacob and I turned on a great Christmas mix and went to work. Mine ended up being more of a lavish home, while his was a little more modest this year. We always have a wonderful time creating. I think Aspen was kicking away because of sugar overload (I don't even really like candy, but if it's right in front of me, I just keep eating it!)

The countdown to Christmas is going fast! We still have a lot of fun to look forward to. Oh! Sawyer also, as of this weekend, is 18 months old! (more on that later!)

Especially for Hermana Biornstad

I know, I know. You probably thought I would never get to my last "Especially For You" gifts this year (I have until February by the way!) BUT. This one was requested to be delayed. An awesome girl from the University Ward congregation was the first to comment and get on my list of surprises. However, she was getting ready to leave and go do 18 months of missionary service for the church in Southern California (speaking Spanish, no less). SO. I held off until the last week of November...when I shipped her surprise off. I remember being a missionary in Spain's Canary Islands, where I was living on the island of Lanzarote during Christmas. We only got mail once a month...and so my "Christmas" didn't come until January that year. It's always nice to get a letter or package...but something about being remembered during the holidays is especially important. For Rachel, I sent an advent list of Scriptures from the Bible relating to the life of Christ (the same one we do). Rachel had expressed to me last year that she loved the idea...and so I remembered it. I sent her holiday-scented candles to she and her companion can read their advent scripture by candlelight each evening. I also sent her some photo cards she can give or send to someone special. (I would've sent some treats but all the -stateside, anyway-missionaries told me they get way too many treats and if they want to stay thin, other things are just as welcome ;) Of course, I also wrote her a letter giving her updates on the happenings here and with our family, too.

I'm glad to report that in her weekly email to her family (which was forwarded to me) she had received the package and was enjoying the advent and candle.

It was really great to be able to send something to someone far away from home this Christmas. It also brought back memories of when I was a missionary. It made me reflect on the "real" reason for this season: which Rachel knows all about as she is out serving the people in her area, and through that service, is serving the Lord. Hooray for spreading the Good Word! I know she won't be able to read this, but, I sure am proud of her :)

Here's a little blast from my past, just for fun...



ps-I do have one more Especially For You surprise to do...but Dena is gratefully patient and understanding and to do what I'd like for her...it will be coming next Spring ;)

Holiday shopping made easy...and all for a good cause!

I occasionally blog surf and once happened upon this new blog, BLOOM. It's great. What I didn't expect...was that I'd happen upon such a story that would make my heart kind of spill over. I decided to donate some photocards to the cause - so if you want them...go bid! I dare you! Here's the scoop:

Looking for a way to provide service this holiday season? 
Here is a great opportunity. Starting Thursday, December 10th,
there will be a charity auction at BLOOMto benefit Claire and Benson Skinner.

As explained by their parents, "Benson and Claire were born with a rare
genetic disease in which their liver produces too much oxalate--called
primary hyperoxaluria. Claire's condition has progressed much faster than
Benson's. She has been on dialysis since she was 3 months old and is on
dialysis 3 hours a day, 6 days a week. She is now on the waiting list to
receive a combined kidney / liver transplant. It is expected Benson will
eventually need similar transplants."

You can read more about the Skinners' experience HERE.

All proceeds from the auction at BLOOM will
go directly to Claire's COTA (Children's Organ Transplant Association)
account to help pay for her transplant.  Please head over to
BLOOM Thursday-Saturday for the auction!

Winterfest

We've had a great time doing our small activity each day on our countdown until Christmas. The Christmas Letter is all written (by me) and designed (by Jacob), I just need to go pick up the right paper so we can get it all printed and sent off. We read some favorite Christmas stories...which, honestly, we do several times every day, but it's still fun to put on our advent list. It's especially fun when Jacob and I stay up after Sawyer and read some of ours (short stories instead of picture books ;) by the Christmas tree. We had a wonderful time listening to the street carolers at Figgy Pudding. We had a bite to eat and made it to the mainstage in time for the final performances. They even had a special performance by the Seahawks Drumline, which was super fun. Santa even made an appearance in tap shoes, along with all his reindeer, and Sawyer's jaw pretty much dropped. It was so fun to see his face light up. I think his favorite part, however, was wearing mittens along with babylegs (legwarmers) on his feet all night (I forgot both the backpack and his shoes (pregnancy brain? yikes!) We used the stroller and Daddy's shoulders instead of the backpack, and the mittens on the feet couldn't have been too embarassing, since we bundled his lower half up with a blanket anyhow). Actually, his favorite part was the big, huge, lit up Macy's star. He just kept staring up at it, saying "star, star" and he is still talking about it.

Last night, we went to the Seattle Center's Winterfest. It was also as good as ever. Sawyer took a ride on the carousel. (Actually, he took two rides since photographing him in the dark and on a moving object that progressively got faster and faster made for some blurry photos the first round. I figured out my strategy a little bit better the second time ;) We also saw the ice-sculpture that had been created earlier in the day, and stood around a bonfire listening and singing along to some carols. The highlight of the evening, of course, was the Train & Village. I took a bunch of pictures of all of the details of the village but didn't want to picture overload our blog. If you live in the area and want to check it out, it's more than worth it. Kids can even take a turn "conducting" one of the two engines circling about the village. We watched the trains for a good twenty minutes and then made our way home.

Tonight, we missed the broadcast at our church. It was just one of those days. Jacob had been at church a good 8-9 hours and once we finally got settled and at dinner we just didn't feel like getting dressed again and going out. So, instead, we had some peppermint ice-cream and watched "Mr. Krueger's Christmas".

This has been a really busy week for us (Jacob is super busy at work and I've been super busy - 5 photo shoots this week to wrap things up and now a bunch of editing and print orders to fill and deliver before the 15th! then, I will get a break!). It has been nice to look forward to at least a little something special and a break from routine each day. We are looking forward to next week's activities!

Hello Winter: Christmas Advent 2009

Well, it's that most wonderful time of the year again, where we get to continue with our family tradition of counting down the days until Christmas by celebrating in a small, simple, yet fun way every day. Remember last year?

As I've been looking into activities for a while, I've found even more fun things to do this year, hence, some of the activities are the same as last year, and others are something new to try. Since it is late and I'm still a little jumbled on what to do when, this list is subject to editing in the next few days, and dependent for certain events on the weather...but until then...here's a good idea of what we have to look forward to each day! I will also work on compiling a list of things we've done or would like to someday do at the bottom (may take me a little while). As always, if you'd like to join in on an activity, just let us know! Or, if you have an activity we should add to the list, also let us know - we're trying out 2 this year that were tips from others last year!

Happy Christmas Season to all!

Day 1: (today!) Deck the Halls!
Scripture: Luke 8:41-56 (Jesus Christ was compassionate)

Oh my goodness! Sawyer had the best time helping decorate the tree (we actually did that part last night for Family Home Evening). We did the rest of the decorating today. I know Sawyer doesn't really "get" who Santa is yet, but he has seen Santas, Snowmen, and Nutcrackers everywhere we go so he is now obsessed with the book "The Polar Express", which we read (in full) about 6 times a day. He is so cute, he says "Anta". I think he's going to enjoy Christmas this year even more than last year!

Day 2: Write Christmas Newsletter/Address Envelopes
Scripture: Luke 7:36-50 (Jesus Christ was forgiving)

Day 3: Read favorite Christmas Stories (ie. The Gift of the Magi, The Polar Express, The Animals Christmas Eve, etc.)
Scripture: John 4:46-53 (Jesus Christ has the power to heal)

Day 4: Go downtown to enjoy the 23rd Annual Great Figgy Pudding Street Corner Caroling Competition (we've gone for the past 3 years and it's one of our favorite events to look forward to each year...we'll be looking for the Llew Crew and the Starbucks Choir...)
Scripture: John 2:13-17 (Jesus Christ was reverent; opposed evil)

Day 5: Enjoy some time at the Seattle Center Winterfest and listen to some live Christmas music: The Seattle Girls' Choir & the NW BoyChoir has a free performance in the Center House, there is an amazing Train & Village for Sawyer to drool over (and perhaps take a turn conducting?), Ice-skaters to watch, a historic Carousel to ride ($1/ride), and if we stay late, there will be bonfires with more casual choirs performing outside. They have wonderful (and mostly, free) activities happening all month long!
Scripture: Mark 4:35-41 (Jesus Christ has power over the elements)

Day 6: Watch Broadcast of our Church's World-wide Christmas Devotional
Scripture: Mark 10:13-16 (Jesus Christ loves little children)

Day 7: Family Home Evening: Pick a name from the "giving tree" and shop for a child who is less fortunate than we are. (We usually visit the tree at University Village).
Scripture: Luke 10:38-42 (Jesus Christ made people happy)

Day 8: Have a Hot Chocolate Party before bed.
Scripture: Luke 22:41-45 (Jesus Christ sacrificed for others)

Day 9: Visit the Children's Museum Festival of Light. This week the cultural focus is on Scandinavian traditions and Santa Lucia.
Scripture: John 13:3-17 (Jesus Christ was humble)

Day 10: Bake some Christmas Goodies to share with our neigbors.
Scripture: Luke 6:12-13 (Jesus Christ as prayerful)

Day 11: Enjoy a bonfire on the beach and the Argosy Christmas Ship and fleet, along with the choir on board, at Carkeek Park. This is also a favorite tradition. The Christmas Ship and fleet of boats are all lit up with lights and good cheer, and they have great speakers that blast Christmas Songs and the live choir performance for a good 20 minutes. Add the bonfire and the beach and it's pretty much perfect (even if it can be pretty darn chilly, too!) *note* you can buy a ticket and actually ride the Christmas Ship, we just never have. I'm sure it would be delightful!
Scripture: Luke 2:51-52 (Jesus Christ obeyed his parents)

Day 12: Go to a Christmas Party! (Ours will be one put on by our Church)
Scripture: Matthew 3:13-17 (Jesus Christ was obedient to God's law)

Day 13: Invite friends over to make Gingerbread Houses (we've invited our former neighbors from Queen Anne/S. Lake Union neighborhood for a long-overdue dinner and fun to follow!)
Scripture: Matthew 5:2-16 (Jesus Christ gave wise counsel)

Day 14: Family Home Evening: Christmas, Culture, & Traditions: Scandinavia & Norway
Scripture: Luke 2:42-49 (Jesus Christ, even when 12, was a great Teacher)

Day 15: Wrap & drop off gifts to the Giving Tree.
Scripture: Matthew 6:9-13 (Jesus Christ taught how to pray)

Day 16: Watch a Christmas Movie.
Scripture: Luke 8:5-16 (Jesus Christ taught with stories)


Day 17: Visit the Reindeer, Camel, Donkey & Train at Swanson's Nursery.
Scripture: Luke 15:4-7 (Jesus Christ helped sinners)

Day 18: Wrap Presents
Scripture: Luke 10:29-36 (Jesus Christ was kind)

Day 19: Go downtown to visit Santa at Nordstrom (and be prepared for a long wait in line...but it's worth it!) Then, walk on over to the Sheraton Hotel and check out Gingerbread Village.
Scripture: John 14:26-27 (Jesus Christ promised the Gift of the Holy Spirit)

Day 20: Go see some Christmas lights. This year, we are going to venture over to the "East Side" and meander through the Bellevue Botanical Garden d'Lights.(we got a tip last year to go check it out!)
Scripture: Matthew 14:15-21 (Jesus Christ made miracles)

Day 21: Family Home Evening: Watch the Charlie Brown Christmas Special and take time to reflect about our Savior and our personal relationship with him. Sing some favorite Christ-related Christmas songs together.
Scripture: John 11:40-44 (Jesus Christ raised the dead)

Day 22: Have a Twinkle Party. Turn off all lights except for Christmas Tree lights and enjoy gazing at the lights while listening to favorite Christmas music.
Scripture: Luke 1:26-33 (Jesus Christ is the son of God)

Day 23: Weather permitting: play in some snow
Scripture: Luke 2:1-11 (Jesus Christ fulfilled prophecy)

Day 24: Annual Kemp Christmas Eve Gathering (family, friends and neighbors) There is usually a traditional dinner and a small program (and tons of good people, conversation, food & festivities!)
Scripture: Matthew 2:9-12, Luke 2:12-16 (Jesus Christ was worshipped)

Day 25: Merry, Merry Christmas to all!



Other Ideas: (I will complete this and have it ready for next year!)

X=No-Cost Activities
$=Low-Cost Activities
$$-$$$=Gotta have some Cash Activities