Snowy Day and Night at Bethlehem

We finally got some snow today! It was only a couple of inches but it was enough for the kids to be super excited. As soon as Carter got home for school they went out and played until they were soaked through and it was pitch dark outside.  I had made oatmeal cookies for their snack but they didn't want to waste time eating so I just put a plate of cookies and a bowl of grapes out on the back porch and they just snacked outside like little wet puppies. It was funny because Eli's cookie became frozen to his mitten and he couldn't get rid of it when he wanted to. I need to get some snowpants for him. For some reason, I don't have any size 3 or 4 snowpants. I must have left them when we moved. Anyway, he didn't seem to mind that his pants were frozen and wet.

Tonight for FHE we did a Night in Bethlehem. This is an idea I got from my friend, Brielle, who does such fun stuff with her kids.  I had hoped to make actual nativity costumes but didn't have time or money so we just made do with towels - which really bugged Carter. Oh well. I made naan and chicken curry which I realize isn't really Old Testament food but it was what I came up with. We sat by (fake) candlelight around the tree and everyone ate while I read the book "May God Bless Your Way." Then we talked about giving gifts to Jesus and wrote them on pieces of paper and put them in the branches of our Christmas tree. Then we sang Christmas songs but the kids kept wanting to sing Jingle Bells and didn't quite understand why I was saying that song  isn't about Jesus so we're not going to sing it.  It didn't go quite as well as I'd hoped but does it ever? Hopefully someday, sometime, the kids will actually feel the spirit and somebody might have fun with some of the traditions I'm trying to implement.

P.S. Do you like Eli's black velvet vest? That's the costume he came up with. Whatever - he's a dressy shepherd ok?