Jolly the Elf

I pray you all had the very best Thanksgiving and enjoyed your time with those you love the most! We had a wonderful Thanksgiving week with our families! We traveled down the road an hour or so to spend a couple nights with my parents the first half of the week. My parents have some land and my kids LOVE going down to their place and doing all the things they can’t do living in our subdivision. I saw some long-time friends that I haven’t seen in a while, which is always fun. One I’ve known for 25+ years and the other for really close to that. There’s just something special about those childhood friends! We then came back to Birmingham to spend Thanksgiving at our home with both our parents and later celebrated my father-in-laws 80^thbirthday with extended family. It really was a great week.

Today I am sharing our tradition for December 1. Obviously, these will be pictures of years past because it’s not December 1, so we haven’t done it this year yet. I wanted to go ahead and share though in case anyone else wanted to start their tradition!

Every December 1 morning, our elf, Jolly, shows up at the breakfast table with basically a little party! He decorates our table and brings something a little different for breakfast, as well as a few prizes (typically straight from the Dollar Store). Hahaha! The kids ooooohhhhh and ahhhhhh, eat and then Jolly always leaves a letter asking us to read The Star from Afar and start the activity, driving the focus to the real meaning of Christmas. This is really a precious book and manger scene set that directs your child to the true meaning of Christmas on a daily basis. The star moves around your home everyday. The kids wake up and have to find where the star has moved to and move the wise men to that spot, until the star finally lands on the stable Christmas morning. I highly recommend this set. The kids really enjoy the excitement of finding the star everyday and it just gives us a few moments everyday to talk about what Christmas is all about and why we even celebrate!

Have the best Monday! I love the start of the Christmas season!! I am truly like a kid on Christmas morning the next 4 weeks. Then when December 26 gets here, my husband wants to send me to the doctor for depression meds. LOL! I will see you friends tomorrow! Love to all!