Number 8.

We celebrate an early Christmas Eve (usually a week before) with Grandma Joyce. It's a tradition that Kyle's grandma started when his oldest brother was about two years old and Grandma Joyce has decided to carry on the tradition in memory of Grandma Virginia.

Joyce prepares a yummy meal for all of us, the kids open a few pairs of pajamas, and us girls usually work in a card game or two before the night is over. It's a night filled with yummy food, good company, and cards. What could be more perfect?

Numbers five, six and seven.

Number 5. . . and probably one of my favorite things to do during the Christmas season is going to see the live nativity. Seriously, if you have not done this with your family, you are missing out . . big time! This always gets me in the Christmas spirit and brings my focus back to where it should be. It reminds me it's not about how extravagant the gifts are, it's about remembering the Savior and helping those in need.

We were a bit unprepared for the weather and the wind was bitterly cold the night we went. But the second it started the wind abruptly stopped and we seemed to warm up some. A coincidence? I don't think so.

Number six. I'm pretty sure we are not alone when I say we count down the day until Santa comes by doing an advent calendar. I made mine quite a few years ago and it's just a simple wooden tree that we decorate one day at a time until the big day.

7. This next item of business has been a tradition in our family for many, many years. I remember savoring every delicious morsel of it when I was a little girl and I'm sure my grandmother had been making it for quite some time before I was even around.

It is called Christmas Fruit. I'm not sure how it got its name, I will have to find that one out, but the only time we make it/got it is during the month of December. It has been a request of neighbors and friends year after year.

We start with grapefruit and take the skin off and then put it in a marinade. Over time you add various other citrus fruits and then add a liquid concoction to the whole thing and chill for a few hours before serving. Unfortunately, I cannot give out the recipe . . . I think I would be disowned if I did.

the finished product - below is what it looks like in the beginning stages

Number four.

The fourth thing we do this time of year is some sort of service and this involves the children - even down to my 2-year-old. We try to keep it short and simple and preferably something indestructible (because I have four boys) in order to keep everyone focused.

This year we went down a few houses from us and raked the leaves of our neighbor who isn't able to get around as much anymore. It took us less than an hour this morning and we walked away knowing we had done something good for someone.

It's things like this that I hope my children will remember for years to come, long after the ipod, the dsi, and the board games.

Number three.

The third thing we do as a family to celebrate Christmas has to do with random acts of kindness within our home. I usually do this the first Monday of the month - during family home evening. We all sit down together and either Kyle or myself will read a story.

In short, the story goes something like this; an elderly man sits in his little cobbler shop reading of the visit of the wise men to Jesus. And he thinks to himself what he would offer the infant if he were to be born in his town that night which happened to be a pair of shoes he had just finished making.

So he goes to bed that night and has this vision that Jesus was going to pass by his shop tomorrow and that he should stand watch for him. So the next day Martin goes about his day helping random people that he notices are in need but never saw his "expected" guest.

As the day comes to an end, Martin goes to bed disappointed and with a heavy heart. But in a vision later that night he sees all the people's faces that he offered services to throughout the day. And then a gentle voice says, "inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, ye have done it unto me".

After the story we draw names - every one of us - and then throughout that week we do random acts of kindness for the person you drew . . . but they have to be done in secret. It could be as simple as picking up toys for someone, making a bed, putting away clean clothes, or doing one of their chores. Then (here comes the part the kids like) for each act of kindness you do you are allowed to put one piece of straw in the manger.

Every Monday we will draw a new name. You may get the same person as the week before or it could be different.

Our goal is to get the manger as full as possible to make it as soft as possible for baby Jesus on the night he was born.

Number two.

Another thing I do for Christmas is wrap up 24 different picture books all having to do with Christmas and place them in a basket or next to the fireplace. Every night the kids pick a different one to unwrap and we all read it together just before bed.

Christmas. Number one.

It's hard to believe that once again I find myself retrieving boxes off the top shelf and getting Christmas decorations out, deciding on gifts, making list after list, brainstorming about goodies, and all that goes along with Christmas.

Instead of totally neglecting my blog during this time of year, I am going to try something different. For the next little while I am going to share 12 different ways/things we do around our home to get us into the Christmas spirit and to celebrate the holiday. Kind of like the 12 days of Christmas, if you will.

Number one.

The very first thing we do and probably the most popular among my kids is the Elf on the Shelf. He quietly appears on the first day of December and he leaves just the same Christmas Eve.

In short, every day he sits somewhere in your home to see who has been naughty or nice. At night, when everyone is asleep, he flies back to the North Pole to report to Santa and returns again before anyone wakes up, only to be a different location.

If you do not have one of these I highly recommend you get one. We received ours as a gift about four years ago (thank you mom) and have loved it ever since. I have to say he is a huge influence on my kids and how they act during this time of year.