Christmas traditions are what we remember from when we were young. We start our Christmas traditions with getting a live tree. We go the weekend after Thanksgiving or the first weekend in December and get a live tree. We did purchase an artificial tree just in case we can't get a real one (like this year..it has rained so much this year or the Pro has been on call that we haven't been able to get one. So we decided to put up the artificial one just so we weren't rushed, or putting up a tree for just a week or two.) We like to get the tree early and then keep it until later in Jan, just so we feel like we are using the tree that we cut.
Once we have the tree up and decorations in place it is time for the picture! This year we went easy and used the pictures that our church took for the new directory. They were kind enough to offer us an option to have one of the pictures turned into cards. That seemed like a no brainer, right? Well I do have to say that I like the pictures better that I have taken in the past. I am not saying that I take that great of pictures, it is just that I think they look more natural. It is easier though for me to have the picture taken professional. Thank goodness for digital cameras is what I say every year that I try to do it myself. I take about 200 pictures to get that one to send out. It is not always the best either. I figure that it gives everyone something to talk about. Just kidding. I do really take a lot of pictures though.
We have usually gotten our shopping done. I have found that when you know what you want and you have 4 to buy for it is so much easier to do online shopping. Most places allow free shipping when you spend 50-75 dollars. This is not a hard thing to accomplish with our brood. I don't mind taking my children with me to go shopping, it is just hard to do when you are buying for them. As a matter of fact I have almost always taken them with me even to the grocery store. It has never been a problem. Now they are a great help even!
Next comes the cookie baking and gingerbread house making. My kids just love to make that gingerbread house. I am not so much a fan of the mess that is created, but I love to watch the kids make it and decide how to do it. This year the house actually was 4 smaller houses so that each one could decorate their own. I thought they would like that better. As it turns out they liked working on one together better.
My favorite thing at Christmas is going to midnight services. On Christmas Eve we put the little ones to bed at 7pm. I have had a few people tell me that their kids wouldn't go to bed that early. I think that if they know they are getting up they will just because mine do. We told the kids the first year that they had to lay down for a few hours because they were going to be up all night. Then we wake them up at about 10. They get dressed and we head to downtown Cincinnati. now this is about an hour drive from our house. We get to talk in the car with each other and enjoy the lights we see along the way. After our midnight service we enjoy some decorations on the way home too. The Pro usually goes a different way than to get downtown. When the children return to bed it is between 3 and 4 in the morning. They do sleep in a bit on Christmas morning but not alot. We put baby Jesus in our manger and sing Happy Birthday between 8 and 9am. Once we open presents and get a bite to eat we head over to spend the rest of the day with family.
Wishing you all many memories and tradition this Christmas Season. Praying for safe travels for everyone!
Blessings from the Clubb Farm
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