Red Envelope 1-23

Last year we started a new thing for our family. Every day through December we open a red envelope. Inside is something for our family to do to prepare and enjoy the season. Some things are big, some are little. Some days we go somewhere other times we stay at home.

This year so far: (and I will update this list through out the month) Some of these may end up having their own post, and some might not.

Day 1- Go to the lego store and make Holiday Lego wreaths
Day 2-Light new Christmas Candles and read two stories from Julie's blog of her Christmas devotional
Day 3- Go listen to Christmas Choir Music (Savanna's show choir)
Day 4- Go take photos with Santa and cousins
Day 5- Go to the Creche Exhibit (Nativity exhibit at church)
Day 6- Have rootbeer floats and watch the First Presidency Christmas Devotional
Day 7- Yell up the chimney to Santa
Day 8- Put out more Christmas decorations, set up Christmas tree and eat Christmas Candy
Day 9- Read a christmas book by candlelight and tree lights
Day 10- Get out Christmas dishes
Day 11- Drink hot cocoa during morning devotional, Eat Christmas lunch at school instead of packing one from home
Day 12- Watch a holiday movie + Santa Jammies Surprise!
Day 13- Go look at Christmas lights (Chesapeake and Nichols Hills) It will take us more than one night to go look at lights!
Day 14- wave to Santa at the mall and add any other wishes!
Day 15- Write Christmas Cards to Teachers.
Day 16- Receive ornaments for everyone's trees
Day 17- Go watch the Nutcracker at school-
Day 18- Add ornaments to the big tree (pics tomorrow)
Day 19- Accidental red envelope- We were going to make cinnamon ornaments from Julies blog, for our families little tree, but I did not have any applesauce- (we will do it next week) So we ended up watching the Polar Express (twice!) and Jack and Savanna go to share holiday fun with their friends! (once again, friends save the day!)
Day 20-Enjoy the last Sabbath before Christmas! Plan out lists for siblings of things we need to acquire to make/finish gifts. And this.
Day 21- Our Caroling Party!
Day 22- Go to Barnes and Noble (just like then)
Day 23- Work on sibling gifts

Red Envelope # 20

We watched this tonight:



The Christmas Spirit


We talked about giving. We hear all the time that its not what we get but what we give. We talked about what we can give. It is not about the monetary gift giving. How can we give of ourselves? How can we make things for each other? How can we give with meaning? How can we keep the spirit of Christ?

Red Envelope # 15

Write Christmas Cards to teachers-
Wow was this a fun one. I had no idea the kids would get so into it. After Luke had already written, signed and sealed two I realized he was writing full poems. I am tempted to go open them up just to see what he wrote.
Tucker joined along and used up half a pad of paper that I had just received. (and today he was using his left hand)
Jack and Savanna had fun picking out just the right vintage card for each of their teachers.

Red Envelope # 12 +extra!

Today's Red envelope was watching a Holiday movie together. Plus we had a "surprise" visit from one of Santa's helpers. Savanna looked outside and saw that there were pj's on the porch!


What a surprise!! The kids kept asking and wondering when the "santa jammies"would get dropped off. And it finally happened tonight! Perfect timing for watching a movie together dontcha think?



When we lived in Oregon, Santa started delivering jammies to us on Christmas Eve- they would magically appear out of nowhere, just in time to get ready for bed... I think it must have been from hanging around our friends the Barnetts so much. They always got "Santa jammies" delivered on Christmas Eve, and Santa must have figured we were part of their family so why not go ahead and keep the tradition going with the Spear family. After we moved to Oklahoma, Santa continued to drop off jammies on Christmas Eve. But a strange thing happened when we moved to the house we are in now. The jammies came early. As early as Thanksgiving weekend some years. I think that Santa new how much this mommy doesn't like waiting for surprises. Plus isn't it more fun to get to see the kids all tubbed and scrubbed and snugged in their cute jammies throughout all the holidays?! I think so.

Red Envelope- December 7th

Yelling up the chimney to Santa.

I have fond memories of making a Christmas wish list and then yelling up the chimney my list with my brother and sisters.
The idea is that the smoke from the fire carries your wishes all the way to the North Pole.

It was fun to watch Tucker tonight. He was not sure at first. I called out, youngest to oldest, Tucker you go first. He walked to the fireplace then quickly walked away and said "no." We asked if Luke should go first and show him what to do. He quickly agreed that would be good.
So Luke went first.

He was quick. Only one wish- Lego Indian Jones

After watching Luke- Tucker was confident.



He yelled up- "all Thomas the train things" then yelled up his name. It was the best he has prounced his name yet. It did not sound the least bit like lo mein or domain, because he did not say his first and middle name. Just his first and last. It sounded kind of like "ta-beer."

Then there is Jack- he felt like he was a pro and started rattling off his wish list.



Legos star wars Indiana Jones, or pretty much any other type that "would suit me best." "Especially any that would be hard for me to save up for."

Then Savanna went ahead ... you know you have to let your wishes be known.

Who would say no to letting Santa know what you want? Pretty normal 12 year old stuff was on her list.

It is always fun to hear what the kids want. It is fun to hear if it differs from what they told the mall Santa the week before. Its even way more fun to compare these two list ideas to the several more that will change day after day over the next few weeks up until the night before Christmas. It sure keeps that Santa on his toes!