Forts, feasts, and wreaths as we prepare for Christmas

Some Christmas card outtakes 

This doesn't really have anything to do with preparing for Christmas, but the kids spent one day in December building a really great fort in the living room.

This part of the fort was Annie's office.  She set it up like Daddy's office and composed a great many letters to everyone in the family during her office hours.A

A new tradition:  celebrating the Feast of Saint Nicholas on December 6.  After skiing, the kids enjoyed candy canes in their hot chocolate.

Then we surprised them with Saint Nicholas gifts.  A puzzle for the big boys and books for the other three.

We get together with a group of Catholic home school families on the First Friday of each month.  After Mass in December, a few of the moms (not me, the Mom who breaks out in a cold sweat at the thought of setting up a craft for large groups of kids) organized various Christmas crafts for the kids.  My kids absolutely love making wreaths and arrangements with greens.  They. LOVE. it.    And they do a beautiful job.  Their creations make our home so festive!

Jakin created our family's Advent wreath.