Christmas Traditions

Like other holidays, Christmas time is filled with many memorable traditions. Some of our favorites this year were:

Christmas Countdown: Reading a Christmas book for each night of December. Usually I wrap the books and then the kids open one a night. A new tradition I started this year is to purchase a new book each year to add to our collection. The new book will be opened and read on Christmas Eve. This years new book was:
Gingerbread Houses: We have a sweet adopted grandmother who gives my children a gingerbread house each year to decorate. In addition to her gift, we choose one Family Home Evening night in December to decorate graham crackers into whatever the kids choose. This year we ended up with:
a nativity (courtesy of Shaelynne),

a skate board ramp (courtesy of Justyn),

a journal and snowmen faces (courtesy of Alexys and Kathryn),

and a Christmas train (courtesy of Zachary).


New Ornament: Each year the kids receive a new ornament to hang on the tree.


Baking Day: We also picked one day that was filled with baking Christmas goodies. We then delivered them to our neighbors. This year our plates were filled with Toffee Bars, Peppermint Toffee Bars, Peppermint Bark, Spearmint Bark, Fudge and Eggnog Fudge. Yum!!!

Christmas Lights: We also enjoy one evening of bundling up warm and driving around to look at all the Christmas lights in the valley. Then it's home for hot chocolate and a Christmas movie.

As we completed each of these activities and enjoyed the magic of the season, I couldn't help but wonder why we don't have magical traditions that last all year long.....

?????