December 13, 2010

Christmas Traditions



Before we had children, Corey and I would discuss what kinds of traditions we'd like to have for the Christmas holidays.  I guess we hoped to have figured it out by now but we are still deciding what kinds of things we'd like to do every year with our family.  

One tradition we started last year was in regard to our gift giving.  We decided that each person (just he and I at the time) would get 4 gifts from one another.  We would cover the categories WANT, READ, WEAR, NEED.  I did not invent this at all.  I actually stole the idea from this blog   She sells precious tags for the gifts in her shop but I'm sure you could make some yourself!

Next year we will start buying a live Christmas tree to decorate.  Corey asked if we could wait until the kids are walking.  I don't think there is a lot of logic behind this other than he wants to put it off another year!

We will start visiting Santa's Wonderland every year next year when the kids will enjoy it a bit more.  They have apparently had the same Santa every year for at least the last 10 years!  I think it would be a fun day trip (it's in College Station).  You can take a hayride through the lights or just drive your car.   You can also get hot chocolate before you travel through the lights!

We also started buying the kids an ornament that reminds us of them.  I'd like to do this every year in hopes that when they have their own tree someday they'll have ornaments to decorate it with.

Next year we'd like to go to Christmas Eve service every year.  This is usually a norm for us but this year we're avoiding church for a few more months due to germs.  We're going to try to keep them as healthy as possible through this sickly time of year.  We definitely don't want two sick preemies!

We want to read The Night Before Christmas and set out cookies for Santa.

I'm sure that I'm forgetting a few traditions but my real intention in posting this blog is to ask...what are YOUR Christmas traditions?  Leave a comment and let me know what your families unique traditions are!

p.s. the babies are doing great!  more about them later!

6 comments:

Christi Muhle said...

I LOVE your ideas! :) we started some traditions, some silly, some odd, some random, but all improve every year. Or traditions are as follows: 1. Each person gets one new set of PJs every year, to be opened on Christmas Eve. 2. Pajama party every Christmas Eve including the following: hot cocoa, the making of a ginger bread house, the reading of a christmas story (the birth of Jesus) followed by a discussion about what this means to each of us, popcorn, the reading of the night before Christmas, the making of ornaments (each person decorates their own), and eventually bedtime preceded by prayer time. Christmas morning, we make home made cinnamon rolls (lots of coffee for mom and dad), and enjoy opening presents with the kids. This year we will add in ice skating (should be a night to remember) followed by the viewing of Christmas lights. :) so much fun to be had with the kids as they get older. Hope your Christmas is fabulous! Lover you guys !

Christina and Mike said...

Hey guys!! You asked so here goes:
I love Christmas traditions. Our family has many, particularly with my (Chris') parents. On Christmas Eve we make a traditional Italian Christmas Eve dinner of 7 fishes. Its a huge meal with 7 different kinds of seafood and pasta. Mike's parents come for this meal as well. Then we all go to Mass and when we come home we have a special dessert that we only have on Christmas. Then we all watch Its a Wonderful Life together. To get invited to watch Its A Wonderful Life with our family is to TRULY be a member of the family. :)

Merry Christmas to all of the Olivers and many blessings for the New Year!

Lissa Michelle said...

great ideas! love the gift ideas. traditions we've had the last three christmases as parents: we get the kids a christmas related book each year and write a special note in it for them to keep as a keepsake. we get a new photo frame ornament each year for the tree with the date stamped on it and a current picture of them in it. we do christmas eve service and then the evening at one of the grandma's house followed by light-seeing. we get a family picture on christmas morning that we send on a photocard as thank you cards. new traditions as of this year: making a birthday cake for jesus on christmas eve. going/doing something for someone else on christmas day (TBD).
merry christmas! enjoy your first christmas with the babies!

icenhower-family said...

Those traditions sound great!! One of my family traditions is to open one present on Christmas Eve...and it is always new pjs! That way, everyone has nice, new pjs for Christmas pictures in the morning!

Also, I know it is hard to "avoid" church, but we have done that with Garrett too!! Our doctors say that church is one of the worst places to catch germs because there is no way to keep people from coming even though they are sick!! Enjoy their first Christmas even though they have no idea what is going on!!

vonFRINKenhagen said...

I like the Read/Wear/Need/Want. We've been discussing how we can "limit" the over excessive gift buying and thought about 3 presents per person (and then 1 santa) to symbolize the gold, frankencense and myrrh (sp?). We still don't have it figured out either.

The Pifer's said...

I LOVE the gift idea, I may have to steal that idea for Zach and I! I love that alot!!

We don't have many traditions right now, but we have many in mind for when we do have kids...

One is the elf on the shelf (they sell them at Hallmark and online) basically this 'elf' that you and your kids name, comes out the day after Thanksgiving, 'Santa' sent this elf all the way from the Northpole to watch over your kids, every night the 'elf' flies home to tell Santa if the kids where good or bad, and each morning the 'elf' appears in a new spot for the kids to spot him/her in the morning. The kids also tell the elf what they want for Christmas and the elf tells Santa.

My friend has one and her kids just love 'Fred' thats what they named there elf...he has brought them so much job. So off I went to buy a 'elf' who sits in my closet b/c I couldn't chance there not having anymore for whenever we do have kids, ha!