12 weeks 'till Christmas

I know! I can't believe it either! We have been actively trying to pare down the crazy of the holidays, and amp up the meaningful memories and traditions here at the Cardinale house. I love this post at SimpleMom.net, a great timetable to help get ready for Christmas. Some of our new traditions include:

• Advent Calender and devotions together every evening
• Making and bringing meals to a family once a week
• One heirloom-type gift for each child, & one "this is what I want" gift each child from mom & dad
• Local Christmas Tree farm, followed by hot chocolate, homemade cookies and a movie first week of December
• And this year we hope to find some more opportunities to minister to others. As the children get older, hopefully this will be easier!

What kinds of traditions does your family love?