Living Life One Cheerio at a Time

I love the traditions we have at Christmas.  I've tried out a few and they have fallen by the wayside, but some have stuck. Traditions I've not kept... Having the children buy gifts for one another....too many kids, to much hassle Opening a gift on Christmas Eve (this is one from my childhood) 4 gifts only (something to do, read, wear, and fun)...I try but I'm much better at sticking to a budget. Sorry some kids get 47 gifts and some get 1. It evens out in the end. BUT the teacher in me always gets them a book.... Traditions we've kept... Going to a Christmas Eve service Getting a new Christmas ornament each year for each kid that signifies something special from that year. Baking sugar cut out cookies from the recipe that my Jr. Church leader used to make when I was a kid. So this year, I decided we'd do something new. I'm really trying to instill a servant's heart in my kids. And t...

I've been wrestling. I do it each year at this time. Wrestling with Santa. Do I keep up the pretense or do I tell them that he's not real? Well, this year week, I was overcome with the fact that I needed to stop the charade. We had never done a big deal about Santa. Never did presents from him, or photos or hoopla. Usually, Santa was just they guy we left cookies for on Christmas Eve. Sometimes we left oatmeal or carrots. Whatever was convenient. I was a lazy Santa. We've never done Elf on the Shelf or what have you...again, I'm lazy. Child number one hasn't believed in a few years. She just kept up the pretense. She would say something "Santa related" and wink at me. My little boy is real sensitive to the Spirit. He began questioning. He would say things like: "So Santa and the Holy Spirit do they talk?" "Do the elves work for God, too?" "Is the story of Rudolph real like the story of Jesus?" ...

It has been awhile since I've posted a Ten on Ten. Today we were away so you of course get the traveling version...and maybe a little Traveling Jesus! An early morning selfie Only the best potato chips ever! I can only get them in NW Ohio, so when in Paulding County! Traveling Jesus mad it once again through the plains of NW Ohio It's Christmas time in Antwerp! Grandma Norma, the girls, the baby and Mimi Becky...what a full house! I couldn't decide between cherry or blueberry pie, so I chose both! The sister and sister in law helping with the kids craft Add caption Leaving my parent's home Grabbed dinner out

Annual cookie baking has begun. It took us a few days to finish all the fun. We rolled out dozens and dozens of sugar cookies.  Then the frosting and decorating...or as we like to refer to it as sugar coma inducing time. the VERY serious supervisor of the elves Nothing like purple, yellow, green and blue to say Merry Christmas! The frosting is thick and the toppings are too! Lots of sugary fun! Even though this may be a crazy time of the year taking time to make these memories with my kids is so worth it all. Merry Christmas to all our family and friends from the Cheerio gang!

We had a great Christmas and lots of fun with the family.  Here are some random pics from the week of fun!