What Have We Been Up To?

I have so many pictures, so many activities...so many things to do before we leave for Wisconsin for Christmas. Hopefully I'll get to add more to each of these later and post pictures and such, but to at least jog my memory and record some traditions (or traditions in the making), here's what we've been up to...
We went to a tree farm with some good friends and cut our own tree. This year it was drizzling, so we made it a quick trip. Santa was there! John and Eve both sat with him. Eve needed a little encouraging, but John knew exactly how to handle it like a professional. John asked for a race track that goes this way, and then curves this way, and then that way, and then around...(you get the picture). Eve asked for Cars and something else (I'll have to review the video), but we all know she's obsessed with Ariel right now. No hay ride this year, bummer. We did have hot chocolate, though, and again this year Eve rode home with no pants as a result.
We had fun decorating the house. John especially has enjoyed it and has asked nearly every day if we can decorate some more.
We made our own Christmas shirts. Last year we made reindeer with foot and hand prints. This year we made Christmas trees with our hands and stars on the tops with our thumbs. It's lots of fun!
We drove through Journey to the Manger at Simpsonville UMC. When John was a baby we participated and got enjoy the warmth of the stable. I'm afraid nobody participating this year enjoyed warmth of any kind, but we are so thankful to them for sharing every year and braving the elements to give us such a wonderful glimpse of Bethlehem.
We went to the Children's Museum. Not a tradition, but it was lots of fun and will hopefully deserve its own post when I get around to it.
John got sick...hopefully not a new tradition. Since he was sick and it's been really cold outside, it gave us a great opportunity to watch lots of Christmas cartoons and make Christmas cookies. Lots of messy fun!
Since we made Christmas cookies, we got to decorate, eat, and share them. Lots of messy fun!
Tonight we had a "Christmas Party" (glorified play date). With Buck out of town, I wasn't brave enough for a kids only party like last year, but we made snow globes, decorated cookies, and enjoyed pizza together. Lots of messy fun!
We also decorated Christmas cookies at John's school today. Eve was very excited to get to go into his class and participate. John missed his Christmas program this year because it was when he was sick, but we watched from the balcony. Friday is his school Christmas party, then we hope to catch a carriage ride in Fountain Inn and have a bit of an early Christmas at home.
I suspect we'll have a white Christmas this year in WI. Apparently wind chills were -20 yesterday...Farenheit...YIKES!