MomShots

This holiday season brings out so many much loved traditions.  Most families have unique activities, foods, decorations and music that makes this season so special and individualized to our families.  (Obviously, right?)

I have been thinking about this a lot lately.  This is the first Christmas in my entire married life - that’s 11 years, folks- where we will be home for that day.  I want to make it special for my family and to be honest, I’m a little bit intimidated.  I am just not sure where to start.  It might partly be that I am still feeling overwhelmed from moving but I also have big shoes to fill and big expectations (my own) to meet.

We have the tree; which in itself is a wonderful tradition.  In November we got a permit so that we could go up into the National Forest and cut down our tree.  That was a really fun time.  A great tradition.  One we will absolutely be doing year after year.

We also put together a gingerbread house the other night.  We had so much fun building it and decorating it.  We decided to eat it right there instead of keep it around as a decoration.  Much better that way, I think!

Other traditions that we are starting this year is a beautiful advent calendar (Thanks, Noni!!!) and a feast on Christmas Eve.  We will read the story of Christ’s birth and we will sing carols and discuss what Christmas is all about.  I am looking forward to this special night.  I know my children are going to be filled with excitement and wonder.  

But first I have to solve the stocking predicament.  It’s a predicament because Ben and I have conflicting traditions.  His family had beautiful handmade stockings that they brought out each year and left hung up as a decoration to be filled by Santa on Christmas Eve night.  

My family didn’t have stockings - not in the same sense as Ben’s family.  Our tradition was to run up to our sock drawer and find the biggest, best sock to use.  I had a red and white striped sock that I like to use year after year.  After we found our socks we would race down to our living room and everyone would find perfect place to position our sock.  Santa would always fill them with wonderful things, candy, toys, nuts, a mandarine orange (note to self:  buy mandarine oranges today), a toothbrush and always a silver dollar (additional note to self: also find silver dollars).

I love that tradition but I think I am going to make stockings this year.  But we will see.  I am quickly running out of time…

So… The MomShots Tip for this post is to remember to photograph your traditions.  It is nice to have a visual reminder and to re-affirm what your traditions are and why they are special.  When our children are grown they will love to see those photographs.  They will remember the things that made this holiday season so magical and exciting for them.  We will also be reminded.