birds of a feather

Four year old Missy Moo called me today and excitedly said, "grandma, it snowed." "It's Christmas!" Winter is coming.

She asked if I were going to put up the BIG Christmas tree this year. I told her I wanted to put up a smaller one this year. She said, "but I like the BIG one". SO NOW WHAT!

When we built the house a couple of years ago, I knew exactly what Christmas was going to look like. The two story entry would have a beautiful 12 foot Christmas tree in front of the curved stairway leading to the second level. The banisters and rails on the stair case and overlooking the family room and front entry would have beautiful sweeping green garlands decked with red ribbons and white lights. It requires a full day of doing just the tree and banisters, with the kids' help. And it is beautiful! The first year with the new tree, each of the grandchildren got a glass ball to decorate and hang on the tree. It has their name on it with the year. They look forward to hanging them every year. But this year is different.

Every five years we take all the kids on a trip to the Homestead Inn Resort in Midway. We spend three days there, ending on Christmas Eve, enjoying each others company and doing winter activities together. I try and get all my shopping done in November (NO BLACK FRIDAY for me... I avoid that day at all costs). This year is easy... the gift is the trip. Being together and creating memories as a family far outweighs any material gift they could ever receive. So I have been told. They are all looking forward to the trip. So this year... we will follow a few traditions and make a new one or two.

This year's Winter bucket list will be centered on Family, featuring SNOW and CHRISTMAS!

1. Countdown to Christmas always starts the first day of December. I get each family something to help count the days to Christmas. I change it up every year to make it exciting, and it usually includes service projects and family activities. This year each family will get a book written by Emily Freeman, A Christ-centered Christmas, and a Nativity set.

They will learn more about Mary, Joseph, the Shepard, the Wise Men, the angles, Jesus, and the animals as they count the days to Christmas and place each figure in the creche.

2. Decorate the house. Nativity sets are displayed around the house and are the focus of my decorating scheme. After all, Christ is the reason for celebrating the season.

My list includes:

A cardboard paper scene I got in Primary 45 years ago, and it will still sit on the piano I played 45 years ago, too!

Willow Tree Nativity set

Miniature Thomas Kinkade Nativity scene that lights up

A hand-painted porcelain Nativity from my mother's collection

Translucent white Nativity figures that light up

Miniature resin Count-down to Christmas Nativity set

Candle-powered creche from Germany

Large porcelain and fabric covered Nativity set

Large picture of the first Christmas scene that I hang on the wall in the front entry

A cradle filled with straw set out under the BIG Christmas tree. A doll representing baby Jesus is placed in the cradle Christmas Eve.

3. Make Turtles (I made turtles with my mother for over 30 years and will continue to do so with my daughters for the next 20 years or so, too!)

Homestead Inn Christmas... all 29 of us!

What will we do....

4. Make snow angles

5. Build snowmen

6. Tube down the hills at Soldier Hollow

7. Ice skate

8. Play games - inside board games and outside games like Fox & Geese (does anyone remember that one?)

9. Watch "It's a Wonderful Life"

10. Cook together; Eat together

11. Drink Hot Chocolate, snuggled up in a blanket in front of the fireplace.

12. Read and Act out the Christmas Story

So there you have it. This year's WINTER BUCKET LIST for December is simple, fun, and at someone else's place! I can just enjoy the kids and grand kids throughout the month of December without any worries, stresses, shopping, or hassle. We'll just play and bake!

We'll see what January and February have in store....

What's on your Winter Bucket list?

writing prompt #1: Share your winter bucket list

When I read the word "flooded", I thought of a thousand different things I could write about... like a flood of memories, ideas, incidences. I couldn't narrow my thoughts down, so I went to my pictures to get some inspiration.

Last year, August 1, 2011, we were lucky enough to receive the effects of a Monsoon. That means we get a lot of rain in a short period of time due to changing patterns in the atmosphere, land and sea. It usually does not make it as far north as where we live, so it was exciting to see the FLOOD the Monsoon brought with it. We live in a very dry state, and when we do get a monsoon, the flooding can be devastating to homes and property depending on where you live. However, it's usually a welcome sight for us living in the north end of the state.