Advent Calendar

Several years ago, I bought an advent quilt that we have hung on our wall every Christmas season. This year, Olivia was determined that we should actually use it! I found some really great ideas for activities for each day here. The biggest hits were sleeping under the Christmas tree
and a candlelight dinner. We also had two big surprises for the children for Christmas this year, so on some of the days, we gave them clues for the big surprises. Here are the clues, see if you can guess:
Surprise #1: miracle, 6, July 23, big tummy
Surprise #2: magical, January 7, sick tummy
We revealed surprise #1 on Christmas Eve. The girls went all over the house finding clues on a scavenger hunt, then found me (!), wrapped in a bow, with a picture from an early sonogram taped to my belly. Yes! Baby #4 is coming in July! It was really fun to see how excited the girls were, and realize just how much help they are going to be.

Surprise #2 came after all the presents were opened Christmas morning. The girls went around the house finding clues again, but this time the clues were pieces to a puzzle:
We told them we were headed to California in a few weeks to visit Grandpa and Grandma Jones, see Mary Poppins, and go to Disneyland. They were so surprised, and sooo excited.

I think we'll be keeping this advent calendar tradition!