Happy Birthday Jesus

We spent an entire day having a "Happy Birthday Jesus Day" it was a really awesome and wonderful time spent with my kids reinforcing the real reason for the season!!  We read the Legend of the Candy Cane and made some yummy candy out of candy canes...(thanks Deleise for the idea!)  We also made peppermint ornaments.  We baked Jesus a birthday cake.  Chocolate cake with White frosting.  Chocolate=our sins
White=Covered in Grace.  Here are pics from our Happy Birthday Jesus Day.

My Boys being silly and licking the cake batter out of the bowl.. this is one tradition that I have always let my kids do.  Anytime I bake brownies or cake, they sit in the floor and lick the bowl, just like I did as a girl when my Grandma Hedrick made a cake....so fun and they love it!!

We read the story of "The Legend of the Candy Cane" 

We learned what the real intention was for the candy cane and the man who first created it.

It was originally a "J" for Jesus

Or a staff like a shepard would carry.

It's Red Stripes and White candy hold special signifigance as well.

During our candy making, one of Brendan's Candy Cane's broke.

Here is what it broke into.

When this happened Brendan looked at me and said, "look Mommy, it a "u" because Jesus died for "U"

So Precious...

Next we put the candy canes in the food processor and ground them up into a powdery goodness.

Then melted white almond bark and stirred in the candy canes.

You gettin' the picture here??

There it is!! Let cool and break into pieces... Delicious!!

Next, we made peppermint ornaments.

First, unwrap peppermints and lay them in a design.  You are supposed to do it in a candy cane design.  But my kids had a different idea.  Here are the designs they chose.

So...you put them on a foil lined baking sheet and put them in the oven until they melt together.

Waiting.....Waiting....Waiting

Aren't they pretty!!!

We had a wonderful time remembering the real reason for the season.