Christmas Traditions

Daddy and I grew up having different traditions for Christmas.  A few of Daddy's family traditions growing up were getting a real Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving and watching TBS' 24 hours of "The Christmas Story" (and once it ends on Christmas night, it's not uncommon for them to put in their DVD to continue watching it).   A few of my family's traditions growing up were getting a new ornament that was related to things going on in our lives (for example, in 1986, I was into gymnastics, so my ornament from that year is a bear doing a cartwheel) and going to church on Christmas eve.  When Daddy and I got married, we began to merge family traditions.  Now that you're getting older and starting to understand what Christmas means, we're trying to figure out what our family traditions are going to be.  I'm sure we'll try a lot of different things and some won't become tradition, but hopefully many will become annual traditions.

We've already tackled a few of our Christmas traditions this season.

We picked out our Christmas tree.

Olaf came along to pick out our Christmas tree.

A new tradition this year is a special Christmas gift from Mama and Daddy that you get to open before we decorate the Christmas tree.  The gift is new Christmas jammies, an ornament for the tree, and a new movie.

As I was taking this picture, you were asking me if you could put your new ornament on the tree.

You were pretty excited for your new movie - Alvin and the Chipmunks.

Hanging up your new ornament - a pink tricycle.

You helped decorate the tree.  Usually, Daddy and I watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation while we decorate the tree, but don't think it's appropriate for little ears, so this year we settled on listening to Christmas music.

Hanging last year's ornament - Minnie Mouse.

You were so excited to help Daddy and me hang our ornaments.  It was a little stressful for us though because you were so excited, you were getting a little rough with many of the ornaments.  We finally decided it would be best for you to not get the ornaments out, but instead let me or Daddy get them and then you would help hang them on the tree.  Your reaction for every ornament that we got out was "that's pretty" or "that's so cute"!

Other traditions we hope to do this year are doing an Advent calendar - my plan is to have a Bible verse to read each day and some days have special activities to do, such as bake Christmas cookies or drink hot cocoa.  I also hope to take you to visit Santa (hopefully you won't scream this year), walk around downtown Rochester, MI and look at the "Big, Bright Light show" (all businesses on the main street are covered roof to sidewalk in Christmas lights - it's a beautiful sight to see).  It's so fun to see you enjoying the season.  I look forward to all of our family traditions - both old and new.