Christmas Traditions

I believe our traditions shape our holiday memories. It can be a crazy time of year, especially for us moms trying to "get everything done". But our children, free from stress and to-do lists, will most definitely remember our traditions, the events that occur year after year, defining what Christmas means to us. They don't have to big or take a lot of time, they just need to be consistently done.

And while, much to my chagrin, I have to wait one more year to institute my advent calendar tradition, I can recognize the little things that make our Christmas OUR Christmas.

Some things seem too small to be counted as traditions, but count nonetheless. For us, the girls always help Marshall untie and fluff the Christmas tree. Because it's "tradition," they love to help each year.This year, the girls added a new twist on our tradition of listening to Christmas music while decorating the house by choreographing dances and performing them on the ottoman. Ellie caught the fun on video.Like most people throughout December, we go to the temple lights and make treats for the neighbors. We also watch It's a Wonderful Life. It's a favorite movie of Marshall's and has become something we all look forward to each year. We laugh and cry as we are reminded of the impact we all have on each other's lives.