Elf on the Shelf- Part IV

I was looking through my pictures and I realized I missed a couple of Norman's adventures. So here they are:

Norman a nice little hot tub soak. Please note his little towel and slippers. 

Norman zip lining from the Christmas tree from the celling fan. 

Elf on the Shelf- 2012: Part 3

Norman had some fun times in the days leading up to Christmas. We had the best time seeing all of Norman's shenanigans. 

One afternoon we got a text message with this picture- Yup that's right Malia and her husband Caleb surprised us and Mom and Dad Ho by driving in from Utah! Her and Norman became fast friends. He especially liked sitting on her tummy and feeling Baby Bowen kick around. 

The next morning we woke up to find Norman hitting it up with the ladies in a photo booth. 

That Teddy Bear can take good pictures! 

The next day we woke up to this sweet message.  Norman is one smart elf! 

Apparently, Norman takes after Matt with his love of Scrabble- he definitely did not get it from his Mom! 

On Christmas Morning we woke up to find Norman had set up a hot chocolate bar. 

Most North Pole Elves have to return to the North Pole, but because this was Norman's first Christmas with us he was able to stay with us for all of Christmas day. 

He even made it to my parents house and helped deliver a Christmas present from my sister and her family- The Lapicolas!

Christmas Day he wanted to stay with Grandma Andie and they had a lot of fun adventures in their short time together. 

(Although- I am not too happy with the food choices Grandma lets him eat!) 

Norman having fun with Gibbs 

Grandma kept calling Norman a Gnome and he got upset. He kept saying "I am not a Gnome- I'm an elf!" 

Buckling up for safety! 

For Christmas dinner Norman helped set up this beautiful dessert bar (check back later for more information about this table.) 

Baby Ava loved Norman. She kept grabbing him and by the end of the night Norman needed a lot of cinnamon sprinkled on him to regain his magic. 

Christmas night Norman flew back to the North Pole. His time with our little family is over for now because he needs to spend time helping Santa for next year. Matt and I have really enjoyed having Norman be a part of Christmas season and can't wait to see him next Christmas!

I hope you enjoyed reading about Norman as much as we loved having him with us.

Elf on the Shelf: 2012- Part II

Norman sure has been busy the last couple of days. Here is what he has been up to: 

One morning I woke up to find that Norman had made his favorite Elf Food. This was a great surprise and I was happy to share it will all my co-workers. While I think I make a good batch of Elf Food- I gotta say, Norman's is great! It must be some of his magic from the North Pole. 

I guess Norman got tired of his own company and pulled together of members of the household. It looks like the game of Texas Hold'em got a little crazy. Santa assured us Norman can get a little crazy because we don't have any children this year. As long as Norman continues to do his duties he can have all the fun he wants. 

Last night, Matt and I flew to Georgia for Christmas. While we informed Norman of the trip, we were still afraid that he would not be able to find us. But low and behold, when we woke up from our naps, there was Norman. It looked like he had been picking out a few gifts of his own for Christmas this year.  Well at least someone reads the SkyMall. 

We are glad Norman found his way to Georgia. 

Wow- Norman is not only one social little elf, but also extremely talented. Here he is playing some Christmas carols for the carolers. 

Elf on the Self: 2012- Part 1

IT'S A BOY! 

Well- the newest member of the Ho household has arrived! 

Elf Norman Baggins Ho arrived to us from the North Pole yesterday, December 15! 

Norman weighs in at 20 grams and is 13.5 inches long. 

Matt and I had put our adoption papers in a while ago and have been waiting around to get our newest member from the North Pole. 

We didn't know if we were eligible for adoption because we were childless, but Santa assured us that our 2 member family would be perfect for a scouting elf from the North Pole. 

Matt and I went to Target yesterday to get some shopping done, and when we returned Norman was waiting for us in the car!

Norman told us (he can talk to adults, just not children) there was a mix up in the North Pole and he ended up getting stuck in traffic! He also assured us that it was okay for us to have North Pole Elf even though we didn't have children because Santa still looks after us to see if we have been naughty or nice!

*If you are not familiar with the Elf on the Shelf tradition click here.*  

Each night, Norman returns to the North Pole to report to Santa and then he comes back to watch over us. Norman's purpose is also to remind us the true reason of the season and to remember to be kind to one another. The fun thing about Elves from the North Pole is each night they find a new favorite spot in the house and hang out there. 

Matt and I were curious to see what type of places Norman could find in our small apartment and he did not disappoint. 

When we woke up this morning, Matt and I saw Norman on my laptop. It looks like he wanted to make his adoption official. He registered himself with the North Pole and completed his adoption certificate. 

I am glad he was kind enough to take care of all the paperwork! 

Stay tuned to see what else Norman gets into the next few days. 

Don't worry, Matt and I aren't crazy. We just wanted to have a fun tradition and I couldn't wait to have kids to do it. 

And if you haven't heard of this tradition you need to check it out! 

Christmas Traditions

What traditions do you and your families have during the holiday season?

Are they important to you? 

Do they stress you out because you feel like if you don't get to them it will completely ruin the season? 

Are there some traditions you do, but you have no idea why? 

Do any of the traditions have to do with the true reason of the season? Do any bring in the love of Christ and the giving to others? 

These are the questions I have been thinking about the last couple of weeks as Matt and I head into our 3rd Christmas as a married couple. When Matt and I were dating I asked if his family had any holiday traditions that he wanted to keep going to our little Ho family. He informed me he did not and that his dad didn't like traditions so they never had any special things they had to do. 

I was pretty shocked because my family had always had a few special things they did during the Christmas season and I wanted to incorporate some into my new family. 

What I have realized though is TRADITIONS are a lot harder than you might think! 

The last two years the only thing we did was exchange our p.j.s on Christmas Eve and watch the Christmas Story- go crazy on stockings - and have a nice dinner. 

There really was no mention of Jesus and his birth or the importance of the holiday. 

So this year I asked Matt what things he wanted to do to make sure we have a constant reminder of the 'reason for the season'. 

We brainstormed, and then I went a little crazy and tried to do everything imaginable. And I got a little stressed out. I was freaking out with all the things we needed to do to remember Christmas and to start our traditions as a little family so by the time we had children we would have a nice little routine. 

THIS IS CRAZY AND STRESSFUL. And a little pointless. What I have realized in the last week is I can't do everything. And I shouldn't do everything. Going overboard is only going to leave me stressed, tired, and grumpy.... the complete opposite of what I want to be. 

So this year I am going  to try to just relax and enjoy the joy this time of year brings. 

I do want to put more emphasis in Christ and the true importance of the celebration. My mom always celebrated the 12 days of Christmas by selecting a few families to secretly drop treats off on each night with a little message. 

Instead of doing this every night, Matt and I are picking a few families and just doing a drop one night. 

Another thing I really want to try is doing Random Acts of Kindness throughout the month. I don't want this to be a huge ordeal- just some random things I can do to give back to others. 

(Just some things I may do) 

Eventually, I would love to get the Elf on the Shelf because I saw some pretty cute things families have done with the Elf. 

While this post has become this huge rambling mess I do want to share my true point. Traditions are important and they are great. And I think they can add a lot to your celebrations, but your whole season should not just focus on these things you 'MUST' do. Some traditions work well one year and aren't necessary the next. And if your going to get stuck in the traditions mess- stick with those that are all about giving back to others. 

The other day Matt and I bought toys for the Toys for Tots event my school was putting on with the local military branch. And it felt so good to do this and know the toys were going to kids that otherwise wouldn't get toys. 

Today I watched the First Presidency Christmas Devotional (for you guys that don't know what I am talking about- this is an annual message the leaders of my church broadcast during the month of December.) I enjoyed listening to the message that was shared and taking the time for the gospel. 

Click here for a link to the Devotional. 

Good luck with your traditions! Don't get stressed and remember to relax and give back to others.