Christmas Traditions

I love traditions!  When it comes to family traditions, I'm a sentimental sap.  It's funny, because some things I'm not sentimental about in the least.  I'm no pack-rat...I throw old stuff away.  But I treasure my fancy china, my table cloths and cloth napkins, my black Friday and Dec. 26 shopping trips, my weekend after Thanksgiving decorating, my hodgepodge of tree ornaments...you get the picture.

Christmas time with kids is infinitely more fun.  Last year, Juliet wasn't too interested in the tree, or the presents for that matter.  She was about 8 months old and on Christmas morning, she was more interested in playing with the wrapping paper than the gift that was inside.  This year is an entirely different story!  Since putting the tree up, each time she walks by it she stops and says, "TREEEEE!!!  Hi."  and then goes on with her business.

Saturday, I was determined to get a tree.  Last year, we bought our tree from a Christmas tree farm.  We drove out and cut the tree ourselves.  This year, due to the drought, they weren't allowing folks to cut their trees, so we decided to buy ours in the city, rather than driving an hour away to buy one that had been shipped in.  We found a gorgeous tree!  It's probably the biggest one I've ever bought, measuring in at about 8 feet tall!  It's really quite spectacular.  We got it set up and decorated it.  I reminisced as I pulled out each ornament, given to me by students, co-workers, family members, etc...  We also got out our other Christmas decorations.  We don't have that many, but we hung stockings on our mantle and replaced our normal knick-knacks with more seasonal ones.  We also used our many strands of white lights to line our stair banisters.

Beautiful stockings made by my Aunt

Now that we have a child of our own, there are some family traditions we've begun to implement.  I thought you all might like to hear about them.  

1. Each year, we plan to buy each child an ornament, so that when they move out, they'll have a whole box of ornaments to start their Christmas decorating with.  They go right up on the tree, and I label them with Juliet's initials and the year.  Here are Juliet's so far.

The one on the left was given to us when I was pregnant, so she has three.

2.  We've decided not to do Santa.  We know this is a bit controversial, but basically, we didn't want to have to deal with explaining to our kids why we'd lied to them.  We also don't want the focus of Christmas to be Santa and gifts.  Instead, we'd like to keep our kids focused on the true reason for the season, Jesus Christ.  

3.  Along with number two, since Jesus is the reason for the season, we've decided that each family member will receive 3 gifts under the tree for Christmas.  If 3 gifts were good enough for Christ, 3 gifts are certainly good enough for us.  We feel it's another way to keep Christmas focused on Jesus.  

4.  I make home-made cinnamon rolls on Christmas eve morn.  This is a big deal, because I don't really make them the rest of the year.  Although Juliet is too young to care right now, hubs sure does! 

5.  We decorate the weekend after Thanksgiving.  I'm always so ready to get our tree and decorations up.  Also, I get to enjoy them a bit longer.  Typically, we take them down around New Year's.  

6.  Although we didn't go to the tree farm this year, we plan to make that an annual family tradition.  It's so fun to find your tree and cut it down yourself.  Plus, this farm has family games, hay rides, etc...  It's a great time!

Christmas this year will be especially fun.  Hub's sister is having a baby boy, her first, due December 15.  As a result, the entire clan is traveling down to Austin for about a week.  Hub's brother and his wife and their 3 kids will be staying at our house, and his parents are staying with his sister.  I can't wait for our house-guests!  I love to celebrate with family.  I'm looking forward to celebrating our traditions this year, and I'm looking forward to making new ones!