How the journey works if you want to do it

Last year an anonymous family brought us the journey I am taking you on this year. Each night they would knock on our door and give us a piece of a Nativity; they matched the day's topic so today you would have received Mary, tomorrow Joesph, all the way 'till Christmas day when you would get baby Jesus.

So, if you know of a family you want to bring Christmas cheer to, go find a Nativity with all the pieces that where listed yesterday. Then, starting tonight, give a piece a day; if you start late, or miss one day, you can double up the next day. The people that started this with us did miss one day, and the next night my children where so excited to see two on the door step instead of one. Each day a new person, animal or item will be posted, and you can print each off to give to your special family. Have a Merry Christmas and bring a little fun into someone's life.

Please post if you get caught or not and what fun you had doing this if you take on the challenge. The family never let us know who they were.

We started leaving gifts for them so when they dropped their gift off they got one from us too. Made it more fun. Plus don't give the list from the first day that is just so you know what to find in a nativity not all have stables. That way they keep guessing a little what will come the next day.

The first night we also got a binder with the first page already in it in a view sheet. Each night afterward the new page came in a view sheet to be added to the binder. So now each year we can pull it out and read one each night till we get to Christmas.

If you want to make this into a 12 days of Christmas thing. Then I would on the first day take a treat like cookies or something like that. Then on the new last day you can reveal your self and sing carols. That adds one day in front and one day in back start and stop accordingly. If you want to stop on Christmas eve adjust the schedule for such.

If you did this the other way starting on Christmas and ending on the epiphany when the wise men came. Start the same and add two days of treats instead of one and no caroling at the end. Also reverse baby Jesus and the 3 wise men so that they come on the epiphany January 6th.