Each year we usually do the store bought gingerbread house kit. This year I found a cute little kit that gave you enough supplies to do FIVE houses. How perfect is that! Um...apparently I didn't look at the fine print. Each house was about 1 inch high and 1 inch wide. Not exactly what I was expecting but the kids didn't seem to care.
We also started a new tradition this year after the idea was given to me in Relief Society lesson. Early in the month we had a FHE lesson talking about who's birthday we were about to celebrate. We also talked about how interesting it is that for Christ's birthday WE are the one's that receive presents. The only way that would make sense is that if we started a new rule that on your birthday EVERYBODY else gets gifts except for you. After all, that's what we do for His birthday. The kids didn't like that idea. So we came up with a solution. This year we would each give Christ a gift. I wrapped up a box and made a tag
{ To: Our Savior. Love, The Hodges}
Each of us then wrote on a piece of paper our gift. Things like "be nice to my sisters." "Not argue with my mom" "Take time to appreciate the season"....
The plan was (but let's face it. I forgot). Anyway, the idea is that on Christmas day after the kids have opened all their presents and experience the joy and excitement of receiving their gifts you then open up THE gift and have everybody read their gift to Christ. You can talk about how they felt when they opened up their presents and explain how Christ must feel when he received ours. 
The month of December is the ONE time of the year that I actually can't wait to get the mail. I LOVE LOVE LOVE getting Christmas cards and seeing all of your cute families grow each year. Thanks to this cute Santa (a present from a friend) we now keep and store each and every card. One of our favorite things is to pull out all the pictures and see the changes in each family from year to year. So fun! So thanks for the cards. We love them!
Another favorite Christmas tradition is our yummy Christmas morning breakfast...sausage egg casserole and breakfast cake! Oh so good and oh so many memories.
The plan was (but let's face it. I forgot). Anyway, the idea is that on Christmas day after the kids have opened all their presents and experience the joy and excitement of receiving their gifts you then open up THE gift and have everybody read their gift to Christ. You can talk about how they felt when they opened up their presents and explain how Christ must feel when he received ours.
It was a wonderful idea and I can't wait to carry this tradition on with our family as we put Christ at the center of the season.
The month of December is the ONE time of the year that I actually can't wait to get the mail. I LOVE LOVE LOVE getting Christmas cards and seeing all of your cute families grow each year. Thanks to this cute Santa (a present from a friend) we now keep and store each and every card. One of our favorite things is to pull out all the pictures and see the changes in each family from year to year. So fun! So thanks for the cards. We love them!
Another favorite Christmas tradition is our yummy Christmas morning breakfast...sausage egg casserole and breakfast cake! Oh so good and oh so many memories. And quite possibly my favorite tradition is our Live and Learn books that we do with my dad's side of the family. Every November each family member turns in a scrapbook page detailing the lessons they have learned that year. We then color copy every one's page and on Christmas Eve each family is presented with a copy of the Family Live and Learn. It is priceless! What an amazing family history and perfect way to reflect on the year.
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