Is there room {on the Christmas tree}?....& the Christmas pennant banner

Our tree is getting crowded with all of the kids ornaments, but I just love seeing so much of our family on the tree.  I'm finding it hard to just give one ornament per person each year.  This year they'll each get 3!  ....the decorated gingerbread cookie in the shape of their first initial, the ornament they made at the local pottery shop, and a picture ornament {in the making}.  The ornament tradition is one of our family's most favorite Christmas traditions.  The kids all try to find themselves on our tree.


This year I added a Christmas pennant banner to the tree.  The triangles are 3" long and just over 3" across with space in between to hang from tree limbs.  To make the banner I cut diamonds {lots of them!}, folded them in 1/2, hung them from a long piece of heavy white string, and zig zag stitched across the top.  I trimmed all of the thread connecting the triangles, so just the string is showing.  I used ticking stripe and Christmas fabric from The Dizzy Daizy.   Flannel prints would be fun too!  I love the cheer it adds to the tree.

The banner was so long I had extra to hang elsewhere...

Merry, Merry Christmas!

Little surprises

I set up our Christmas advent calendar a couple days after Thanksgiving.  Grace immediately was on me to fill the cupboards.  I didn't get to it right away, and when I finally did on Dec. 1, I found little surprises behind each door... a pebble, a penny, a jingle bell, a mini eraser, etc.  I love the excitement the kids have for celebrating Christmas!

The Magic Gumdrop Wreath

It disappears a little more everyday....

Of course the consensus is, "Wesley started it!"

FYI--- I used about 2 1/2 pounds of gumdrops, a styrofoam wreath base (just under 12" diameter), and lots of hot glue sticks to whip up this holiday wreath.  Wes was licking sugar off the table when I was done... such a good helper!

Yep, it's laminated!  :)  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Halloween!

Most of our kids learned a new word this Halloween: resourceful.  I told them that they needed to make a costume out of things we already have.  Our dress-up stash overfloweth.  Here's what they came up with...

Christina was Jessie from Toy Story 2 & Wesley was Woody.  Christina made a sheriff star for Wes' shirt, he wore Caroline's boots, and a hat from Trek.

Thomas was a zombie tax collector.  Christina and I did his make-up.

Grace was a ballerina and Caroline was a witch.

We went to our church Halloween party.  Christina and the Young Women were in charge of the face painting and arts and crafts room.  They did a great job!

Wesley's Preschool Portrait

Even Wesley was laughing when we saw these...

We just couldn't love you more, Wes!  

xoxoxoxoxoxo