Preparing

Just a warning, this is a very picture-heavy post!  We are busy preparing our hearts and minds for remembering Christ's birth!  Christmas will be here before we know it and during this Advent season we are doing all sorts of fun activities!

Caleb and Mommy baked cinnamon dough ornaments!  Although Caleb was super excited about the  idea, he quickly lost interest when we were actually rolling the dough and cutting out the shapes.  Such is life with a two year old!  He did like watching them bake though and kept sticking his nose in the air saying how yummy they smelled!  Well, come to find out, understanding that the ornaments are for decorations and not for eating did not sink in with Caleb.  Over the next few days while they were drying and being decorated a few poor snowmen and gingerbread men lost arms, heads, or other body parts!  Funny thing is, they don't even taste good!!  We tried them.  Yuck!  However, Caleb still disagrees and can be found sometimes nibbling them while they're hanging on the tree!  ha!

So excited they're in the oven!!

Showing off the crumbs on his face from sampling the ornaments.

Checking in on them!

Looking super cute for the camera! 

While we were waiting on the ornaments to finish baking, Caleb asked me to take his picture.  Normally, he really doesn't like having his picture taken and often waits until I push the button to close his eyes, turn his head real fast, stick out his tongue, etc.  He knows that drives Mommy bananas so he's all for it and often rolls over laughing.  Such a stinker pie!  So, here are the pics that I took while we were waiting and he was in the mood for picture taking!

Yep . . . official "Class Clown" . . . if he just had a class!  Love our little nut!

Some friends of ours shared the other day about a really neat event at a local church called "A Walk Thru Bethlehem".  It was so fun!!  The church sets up the inside of one of their buildings to resemble being on the streets of Bethlehem!  You walk around to different stations, doing activities at each stop.  You get a stamp at each stop on your "map" and at the end you show your map to get a Christmas toy and snack. They even brought in a camel and donkey for riding and snow for snowball fights!!  Something even we adults were excited about!  So fun!  Thanks Schleichers for telling us about this awesome event!

Kim and Ian taking their turn riding the camel.

Caleb was VERY nervous at first.

but then LOVED his first camel ride!!

SNOW!!

Walking on the "snow" that is, by now, just pretty much a big block of ice in the 65 degree Texas "winter"!

LOVED throwing snowballs!

Mommy and Caleb are both enjoying the "snow".  To my "northerner friends", does THIS count as me seeing snow??  ;)

"I got you, Daddy!!"

Inside "Bethlehem", making his clay candle holder.

Learning how to play the Dreidel game.

Using a mortar and pestle to crush wheat for bread.

Caleb getting up close and personal with a goat.

Meeting "baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph"

Rolling a beeswax candle to add to the holder he made.

Learning how to weave reeds

Picking lentils from the market

We had a blast!!  Fun family day!

We have also been doing lots of other little things like putting up our Christmas tree, starting our daily countdown to Christmas, decorating the house, etc.  Aliceson and Kim also even hosted a table at our church's "Advent by Candlelight" ladies' event.  Fun times!!

Caleb enjoyed putting on a few ornaments this year for the first time!  He loved grouping the "like" ornaments together and trying to find the perfect spot for all the ones we made.

What's behind door #1??

Daddy, are you under there??

 

Kim and Aliceson, hostesses with the mostesses!

The best looking table at the event!

Friends Julie, Martha, Kim, Tanya, Jenn, Aliceson, Carole, and Kati

Thanks to the great idea from a friend, we made "salad spinner art" one day.  Caleb LOVED it!!

and also loved using the leftover "brown" from the inside of the salad spinner to paint "roads".

Our small group went caroling at a local nursing home.  The residents were so appreciative and Caleb loved giving hugs to all of them as we were about to leave. 

 Sorry for all the pictures but we have been so busy!  Just had to share our fun with you!!