New This Year

Christmas is everywhere around here. A few things are new this year, which is always exciting.
Lulu wrote her first letter to Santa:

and put it in the mail:

Daddy got the Grinch last year in his stocking, but then he was boxed up for Christmas season play only.  So this year, here he is!  We have really enjoyed playing with him:

Nobody loves him as much as Baby. It's pretty hilarious actually how much he loves the Grinch. He talks to him in the sweetest little voice. Sometimes he screams at him. And there's usually a lot of giggling and trying to eat the Grinch's face off:

Oh, and Baby is new this Christmas too.  :)  Here are my 3 kiddos trying to pose for a Christmas card picture.  I took about 30 and this one, believe it or not, was the best.  (I didn't use it though.  I decided to try a different approach):

Umm, this isn't really new, but I just thought the shadow of the Christmas tree on the wall looked kinda cool:

The stockings for Lulu and Hammer aren't new, but Baby's is.  So is the way I strung them up on the wall instead of just laying them on the couch.  I do wish we had a fireplace.  Maybe some day:

Lulu made me a Christmas keepsake in preschool.  Love it:

I bought some words from the dollar area of Target for our ladder by the front door:

I made these tissue trees that I saw on Pinterest, but made them in a mini size.  I made them for our Ward Relief Society dinner, and they turned out super cute, so they are now being displayed by some of Ollie's nutcrackers:

I made my Grandparents gifts this year. I found this idea on Pinterest too. I made some coasters. My Grandma's are made with old family pictures, and my Nana's are made with an old map that I had around the house. Both turned out cute. They are being delivered tomorrow!

We also tried a new recipe for Red and Green fruit-flavored popcorn to give to our neighbors. I wish I had taken a picture of it, because it was really pretty! Here's the stock photo from the website I got the idea from, Our Best Bites:

Also new this year, we had a Christmas jar where we had an activity or treat for each day of the month. It has been fun to have something Christmasy to do every day, especially since it's been miserable outside and we've been cooped up inside all day. Every day since like Halloween. We did lots of cute things, but I think that needs to be it's own post because there are quite a few pictures and ideas there.
Lastly, we have a new Christmas card this year too. I will post that in the next few days too. Christmas is almost HERE!
Which reminds me, pray for us that we'll get better so we can get out of the house, especially for Christmas. Not only has the weather been miserable, so have the kids. We have a respiratory virus over here. Yuck!