So I figured I'd update the blog with December pictures before I'm overloaded with Christmas pics! :)
December has been a really fun month for us. I made an advent calendar last year, but Jenna was still too young to understand it. She's enjoyed it this year, but still doesn't have any concept of time (or days) so even though we tell her, "Only 2 more days until Christmas", it doesn't quite register. There are tins on the calendar for each day leading up to Christmas and inside the tins I printed off activities for us to do that day. I've really enjoyed having a planned activity to do with her each day and Jenna loves coming downstairs in the morning and learning what the activity will be for the day. Some of the activities included baking or cooking something Christmas related (snowman-shaped pizzas, Christmas cookies, Santa pancakes, a birthday cake for Jesus, etc), doing a craft project, reading the Christmas story about Jesus's birth, and more.
One of our activities was to go see Santa. We invited my parents and Grandma to join us, but first we stopped at McDonald's for dinner.
When we got to Santa's area, he apparently was on a break, so we waited a few minutes for him to return. While waiting we figured we'd get a family picture by the fence. Afterward the mall security guard came over and informed us that we're not supposed to take any pictures in the mall. Interesting...
Jenna and Grant looking at a Christmas book
One night I found Grant laying on the stairs hugging his Teddy. Jenna thought it looked like fun and joined him.
Love this little guy!!
She looks so grown up!
The final product! I thought it turned out pretty good. Jenna (of course) ate all the whipped cream, chocolate chips (on the eyes), and the strawberries, but didn't want to eat the actual pancake because it had "stuff on it". She's an interesting one...she eats her pancakes without any butter or syrup and spaghetti without any sauce.
Bailey's actually letting Jenna get closer to him now that she's older and more gentle. I grabbed the camera too late because just before this shot he was sitting on her lap, which is UNHEARD of.
On two separate days we baked cookies and took them to Jenna's great-grandparents. In this picture, we were delivering them to Grandpa and Grandma Shafer.
Here's the snowman pizza. I won't show you the finished product. It definitely did not turn out the way it looks below.
Couldn't resist taking a picture of Grant sleeping. He LOVES his teddy bear and snuggles with him all the time. Unfortunately for Teddy, Grant also likes to pull his fuzz, so he's starting to look a little worn. But he is loved!
This day's activity was to drive around looking at Christmas lights. We weren't sure if Jenna would enjoy it, but we were pleasantly surprised. She loved it and didn't want to go back home. Even now when we drive around town, she points out all the beautiful lights on the houses.
This day's activity was to have an indoor picnic by the Christmas tree. I promise we were sitting next to the Christmas tree...it just didn't make it in the shot. :)
This Christmas we've had the opportunity to start talking with Jenna about the birth of baby Jesus. It has been so neat to see her interest in it and her desire to see Jesus in Heaven. Obviously she doesn't understand what it all means, why He's in heaven, or how we get to heaven, but we LOVE seeing her interest in it and we pray that she continues to learn more. Each Sunday she brings home a card from her Sunday School class with a Bible story and memory verse on it. This week I started working with her on memorizing the verse. I was amazed at how quickly she learned it and that she was still able to say it from memory a few days later! The verse she learned is Luke 2:11 "Unto you is born this day...a Savior." Very special...
December has been a really fun month for us. I made an advent calendar last year, but Jenna was still too young to understand it. She's enjoyed it this year, but still doesn't have any concept of time (or days) so even though we tell her, "Only 2 more days until Christmas", it doesn't quite register. There are tins on the calendar for each day leading up to Christmas and inside the tins I printed off activities for us to do that day. I've really enjoyed having a planned activity to do with her each day and Jenna loves coming downstairs in the morning and learning what the activity will be for the day. Some of the activities included baking or cooking something Christmas related (snowman-shaped pizzas, Christmas cookies, Santa pancakes, a birthday cake for Jesus, etc), doing a craft project, reading the Christmas story about Jesus's birth, and more.
Jenna ready to open the 1st tin on the advent calendar. (Look at her posing...such a change from a year ago!)
One of our activities was to go see Santa. We invited my parents and Grandma to join us, but first we stopped at McDonald's for dinner.
When we got to Santa's area, he apparently was on a break, so we waited a few minutes for him to return. While waiting we figured we'd get a family picture by the fence. Afterward the mall security guard came over and informed us that we're not supposed to take any pictures in the mall. Interesting...
Jenna and Grant looking at a Christmas book
One night I found Grant laying on the stairs hugging his Teddy. Jenna thought it looked like fun and joined him.
Love this little guy!!
She looks so grown up!
Jenna's helping Daddy make the Santa pancake. I love the way she's looking at him.
The final product! I thought it turned out pretty good. Jenna (of course) ate all the whipped cream, chocolate chips (on the eyes), and the strawberries, but didn't want to eat the actual pancake because it had "stuff on it". She's an interesting one...she eats her pancakes without any butter or syrup and spaghetti without any sauce.
Bailey's actually letting Jenna get closer to him now that she's older and more gentle. I grabbed the camera too late because just before this shot he was sitting on her lap, which is UNHEARD of.
On two separate days we baked cookies and took them to Jenna's great-grandparents. In this picture, we were delivering them to Grandpa and Grandma Shafer.
Here's the snowman pizza. I won't show you the finished product. It definitely did not turn out the way it looks below.
Couldn't resist taking a picture of Grant sleeping. He LOVES his teddy bear and snuggles with him all the time. Unfortunately for Teddy, Grant also likes to pull his fuzz, so he's starting to look a little worn. But he is loved!
This day's activity was to drive around looking at Christmas lights. We weren't sure if Jenna would enjoy it, but we were pleasantly surprised. She loved it and didn't want to go back home. Even now when we drive around town, she points out all the beautiful lights on the houses.
This day's activity was to have an indoor picnic by the Christmas tree. I promise we were sitting next to the Christmas tree...it just didn't make it in the shot. :)
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