Tree Lighting Fun

It is so fun to live a few blocks from downtown Silverton. We are able to walk to festivities and not worry about parking. The first Friday in December we were able to walk down to the tree lighting and enjoyed hot cocoa, snacks, carols, and watching the tree light up. Here are a few photos of the evening.

Hot Cocoa.

Marissa and I enjoying the cold night.

Whoa!!! Lights on the tree.

Dan and Marissa.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

Tree Hunting

This year (like many others) we went to Reinhart Tree Farm with our good friends the Bennetts to find the perfect Christmas Tree. Dan and I promised eachother that this year we would cut down the first good tree that we saw. Well we did and it proved to be a good one. Here are a few pictures of the "tree progression".

Marissa picking out a tree (not quite sure why she wouldn't walk up to it).

Marissa cutting down the tree (ok, she really didn't cut it).

Marissa carrying the tree.

Marissa got tired, so Dan had to help her carry the tree.

Marissa putting the lights on the tree.

Marissa putting the star on the tree.

The final product!

Enjoying hot cocoa (lukewarm and watered down), the Christmas tree, slippers, and talking about Jesus...what could be better!

This year I bought a nativity Advent calendar (Fisher Price). Each day in December (most days) we have put a new character on the Nativity calendar, played the song Silent Night (from the calendar), made hot cocoa, sat on the couch in the living room, waited for the Christmas lights to turn on, and talked about what we learned that day from the Advent Calendar. It has been so fun to hear Marissa respond to "who was born on Christmas", "who was Jesus mommy", and "who was Jesus daddy". I can't wait for Christmas' to come when she will truely understand the meaning of all this hustle and bustle.

Here are a few more pictures to enjoy:

Family Photo in the warmth.

Spencer and mom staying warm.

Schacher and Bennett Families. It is hard to get all of them to look at once.

Cousin Photos

Here are a couple pictures that we took for my mom's Christmas letters. It is incredibly hard to get 4 children 3 and under to smile (let alone look) at the camera.

Marissa and Spencer with Gracie and Aiden.

Aiden with the girls :0).