Monday, November 28, 2011

The First Christmas

This is my hubby's and my first Christmas being a married couple {yay!} and we are excited to invent some family traditions. Our first tradition is going to be that we are going to reserve Christmas day and our "Christmas celebrations" as a time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas, remembering Christ's birth and all that comes with that. On the days leading up to Christmas we will read through different prophecies of Christ throughout the Bible, lighting successively more candles each night as the prophecies shed more light into our understand of God's promised Messiah. Or we might read through the gospels in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Or maybe something else....but we definitely want to take some time each evening to read Scripture and reflect on the wonderful Gift at that very first Christmas.

Then we will enjoy the next week of family time, and on New Year's Eve or New Year's, we will open presents to start out the new year. Hopefully with the presents time being separated from our "Christmas celebration," our {future} children will not confuse Christmas with materialism.

I also want to focus on time with family during the month of December, so I made up an "advent" calendar to use, especially once our children come along. {And next year, one of them WILL be here!}

So I made up this calendar, and I am giving it away as a free printable! You can print it on 12x12 paper at office shops or maybe a scrapbooking store? Not sure exactly...

The idea is, print out the 2 page download. Then cut three edges of each numbered box with an exacto knife and fold back on the uncut edge. Write in activities to do as a family (or a Scripture passage to read together) on the second page in each box. They are lined up to show through if you cut each box carefully. Glue/use double sided tape to attach the first page to the second. Voila!

Scroll down to download!

Download it here! Advent Calendar 2 pages