One of our favorite traditions at our house are making “gingerbread houses” out of graham crackers (some day I’ll live up to my mom’s legacy and make the gingerbread from scratch! Or perhaps not, ha!)
This year we had candy left over from Johnny’s birthday party and I learned how to make the best cement frosting. Also the highlight was these awesome aprons from my mom:
She sewed the boys’ aprons and my Grandma Ogden sewed the girls’ aprons. Cate’s belonged to my grandma and Emma’s belonged to my Aunt Emilie. These aprons were a huge hit, I am so grateful for my mom sending packages full of Christmas magic.
Our Shepherd’s dinner is another family favorite. We make a simple dinner with dried fruit and nuts and eat on the floor around our makeshift fire. We talk about the shepherds and the significant role they played in the Savior’s life. We sing “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” with the kids singing verse 1 and 2 as the shepherds and the parents singing verse 2 as the town’s people. This year I had Cate sneak out and appear in all white reciting the scripture of the angel’s message then she sang a compilation of hymns imitating the heavenly message. It was quite moving. I’m always so surprised and grateful my kids engage so fully in this little tradition. They dress up and bring stuffed animals to play the sheep. I keep expecting them to outgrow the potential cheesiness of it, but each year I am touched by the sweet spirit we feel as sit on the floor together and testify of Jesus and the reality of His birth. We then watch “The Shepherd” produced by the Chosen.
Cate, Roan, and Claire
William, Luke, Grady, Latigo
Emma
Emma
Johnny and Emma
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