How We Do Christmas

Everyone has different traditions and ways to celebrate the season. We are no different and we've been tweaking things and doing a bit different each year. I assume that will continue to be the case as long as our family is changing which will be forever! We've done the present thing where they each get only 3 from Santa to represent the 3 gifts that Christ got. Then we were really tight on funds so we switched it to 3 presents total- one from Mom and Dad, one from a sibling, and one from Santa. Last year we completely changed things up. They still got just one from us and one from a sibling but the gifts from Santa were for the whole family to enjoy and share together. Games, Nintendo games, art supplies, books, things like that. We really like how that worked out. They still get little trinkets in their stockings from Santa but he doesn't bring each of them a big gift. It really cut down on toys that we do not need floating around the house and the kids haven't had a problem or felt deprived at all. We felt like everything went perfectly last year and are hoping for the same this year. The kids each drew names for each other this year and bought a book for the sibling that they drew. It was fun to really see them pick out books that they knew the other would enjoy reading. We got some great family gifts this year and put a lot of thought into the one present they will be receiving from us. The kids also bought presents for Peter and I this year as well as for Grandma which will make Christmas even better for them. I'm excited for Friday morning!

Another tradition my family had when I was growing up was along the lines of the real reason of the day. We would write down something we wanted to change about ourselves or a goal we wanted to accomplish in the next year and would put it in a gift box wrapped up for Jesus. Every year we would switch out the goals. We have a stocking ornament on our tree that is along the same lines. We have been doing family goals so far but will add individual goals one of these years.

We don't have a lot of traditions yet- we love to do puzzles, and make goodies, and give them to friends, and spend time with family. What are some of your traditions that you remember from when you were a child or that you have now with your children?