the Fitzner Family: Christmas Festivities

I've been inspired to do a big long December post by Lindsay (since I've barely blogged all month), and I even stole her title. :)

This year is our first Christmas staying home by ourselves since we've been married. I've had mixed feelings about it. Earlier this week I was a little sad and missing family. But overall, it's been so fun and relaxing. I'm really looking forward to Christmas Day when our kids can actually stay home and play with all their toys. We've made sure to do lots of Christmas activities to keep us busy and happy, here's what we've been up to.

Our Elf, Star came back again this year. Jayna and Kepler would talk to him about everything. They would tell him where we were going whenever we left the house ("Bye Star, we're going to the library."), let him know what we were up to each day ("Star, today at school I sat by Scarlett at snack time..."), and made sure he knew to tell Santa if they were being naughty or nice ("Star, Kepler just hit me, AGAIN!")

The youngest gets to go on Daddy's shoulders and put the star on the tree.

We put Christmas lights up outside for the first time. Jayna was really worried that people wouldn't know that we were celebrating Christmas if we didn't have any decorations outside.

Putting "decorations" up inside too

Finally getting some cute smiles from Keira, she's the happiest baby, but I can never catch it on camera

Doing some Christmas baking with Brittany

Writing letters to Santa

Making gingerbread houses at school

(Jayna's school is an Apple School, so they used dried fruit to decorate)

Kepler pretending that Keira's bath sling is Santa's sleigh with presents on it

and that he is Santa on the sleigh

Making ice cream out of snow, it was yummy!

Some Christmas crafts

Making a gingerbread house at home

Finding another use for my empty advent calendar string at the end of the month, hanging my Christmas cards!

Keira wearing the Christmas gown that Jayna and Kepler wore at their first Christmas

Jayna's Christmas concert at school

Gibb and I will need to brush up on our French Christmas vocabulary before next year

Primary kids singing at the Ward Christmas party

I had to add this one in, because I love how squished Keira's cheeks are!

Doing crafts at Jayna's Christmas party at school

Jayna and her teacher, Madame Diane. Jayna LOVES her! She wrote in her Christmas card "You have the best ideas for kids and that's why school is so fun. Thanks for letting us decorate gingerbread houses. You're my best friend."