Christmas Traditions

Christmas was really fun and busy this year, as it is every year. We kept busy with family get togethers and parties that by the end of the Christmas break, Blair said that it didn't feel like a "break" at all. But we will never regret the memories we made with our families this holiday season.

We have several traditions at Christmas time, most on Christmas Eve.

FHE - The REAL Meaning of Christmas

Since our kids are old enough that we can have a somewhat decent FHE, we wanted to start a new tradition with them the Monday before Christmas to tell them the story of Christ's birth. This year I used my nifty Cricut (that I absolutely LOVE!) to make the nativity. Then as we tell the story we would tape the pieces to the wall. Unfortunately, we had so many family things that we weren't able to use them this year. So instead, daddy told us the story as we were eating dinner one night. But we can't wait until next year to really start the tradition.

Planting Pinecones

Sometime during the week of Christmas, we go to Grandma and Grandpa K.'s for dinner and then we "plant" our pinecones. Growing up, my dad would give us a pinecone to "plant" and when Santa came, he would make it grow and we would have our own little Christmas tree. My parents have continued the tradition with the grandkids, so when we go to their house Christmas afternoon, the kids have their own Christmas tree that Santa grew when he stopped at Grandma and Grandpa's.

Christmas Pillowcases

After the kids had gotten a pair of pajama's from literally everyone one year, Grandma K. decided she would start making Christmas pillowcases to give the kids on Christmas Eve every year. It's fun for the kids to get something like that because they can use them year after year after year. They don't "technically" grow out of them!

Christmas Pajama's

Every year on Christmas Eve we have a party at Grandma and Grandpa B.'s house. We have dinner and "try" (BIG emphasis on the word "try") to play games. Then the kids get to open and wear their Christmas pj's. Kudos to grandma for being able to find matching pajama's in six different sizes!!!

Christmas Ornaments

Every year we each get a new Christmas ornament that represents us or something we did that year. Not only is it fun to get an ornament that will remind us of something significant that took place, but when the kids get older and move out/get married, they will be able to take their ornaments to put on their own Christmas trees and we will still have our ornaments for our tree. This year, daddy got a deer that says "Hole in One" since he got a deer on the deer hunt and it fits with golf too. Mommy got one that has the year and a family of four snowmen to represent our family. Bryce got a "Spooky" (Darth Vadar) because he was Darth Vadar for Halloween. And Emily got a Tinkerbell ornament because she was Tinkerbell for Halloween. It was neat this year because both kids were old enough to be able to hang their ornament on the tree by themselves.

"T'was the Night Before Christmas"

Before we go to bed on Christmas Eve, Daddy reads the story "T'was the Night Before Christmas" to us for our bedtime book. Then we get milk and cookies set out for Santa.

Train Set

We really put Santa to work at our house. Every year he puts up our train set around the Christmas tree. Sometimes the kids are more interested in the train set rather than their presents!

It does seem like we have A LOT of traditions, but we hope that it will help the holidays be more memoriable and meaningful for our kids.