One of my favorite Christmas traditions

I can't believe it's Christmas tomorrow.  The years are going by faster and faster.  It is so much fun with kids in the house to celebrate this fun holiday.  They get so excited about everything.   We took them shopping the other day at the dollar store for each other.  Daddy took Max and I took Lexi and Sawyer.  They kept picking things that they would like and we had to keep reminding them ok What do you think they would like? not what you want to play with.  They had fun picking stuff out and I had fun watching them.

We had a lot of fun traditions in my family growing up but one of my favorites was Straw in a manger.  We had a small wooden manger that we set up next to our fireplace and we had a bowl of straw that we brought in from the barn. Don't worry it was clean and new.  The idea was to get the manger full of straw for baby Jesus to lay in by Christmas Eve.  In order to be able to put one piece of straw in you had to do a service for someone.  It could be anything, picking up someones socks, toys, or help them do their chores.  Any act of service worked.  It was amazing how quick things got done in December.  I'm sure my mom wanted to keep the manger all year round.  We also would draw names to have a certain person for a week.  That whole week we would focus on doing nice things for them, and not let them see or figure out who it was.  Then the next week we would guess who had our name.   We could also do nice things for other family members but this way everyone was sure to have service done for them.

As a kid I would love to look for things I could do to be able to put straw in the manger.  It creates a great atmosphere for the Christmas season.  It helps us remember the real reason for Christmas.  I am excited to be able to share this tradition with my kids.  

Either my dad or my sister made me a little manger a few years ago.  I haven't ever done it with my little family.   I bought some yellow craft pipe cleaners since we don't have any straw available right now.  I also need to make a baby Jesus doll so the kids can put him in the manger on Christmas eve.

We did this for a few days and then the kids kept getting it down and playing with it and it got all over.  Baby got a hold of it too.  So we put it up.  The kids were pretty excited to be able to put a straw in.  They were willing to help out more.   I think next year we will get real straw and try again.  They will be a little bit older and maybe understand it a little bit more and it will give me time to make a baby Jesus doll that will fit just right in the manger.  

I really just want my kids to know that Christmas isn't about getting presents.  Its really about the Saviors birth, and I think this fun tradition will help with that.   I love this time of year and how giving people get.  I wish we could remember this and be giving all year round.  I know I need to work on that as well.