Here are some of the traditions we hope to incorporate, or have already done this year.
Christmas tree lighting downtown. This is a fun event with lots of Christmas carols and music playing downtown. The shops are open late and it is a fun way to celebrate the season with the community.
(picture from 2008, forgot the camera this year!)
(2009)
Christmas Eve
Gingerbread house making
Chicken fricot for dinner
Church service
Ice Cream making with Tim's parents (they have a real, old-fashioned ice cream maker)
Open our new, cozy pajamas for a cozy sleep Christmas night! (This one is carried over from my childhood!)
Christmas Day
Read the Christmas story in the Bible together and pray together. Focus on why we are celebrating and rejoice in Jesus' birth!
Open our stockings and gifts, taking time to thank the giver and enjoying the gifts.
Have a yummy brunch of homemade pancakes, real maple syrup and mounds of fresh fruit!
Spend the rest of the day with Tim's family, his sisters, and her cousins.
Eat a delicious Christmas dinner together!
Boxing Day
Drive to visit my family and enjoy Christmas with them.
What are some of your favorite family Christmas traditions? In the future, I would like to focus more on homemade gifts with lots of thoughtfulness and time going into them, but I have to work on my crafty/artistic side plus have lots of time! I think a lot of planning will have to do into this in future years!
Cutting our Christmas tree from a local, organic Christmas tree farm. At the farm we go to, any tree you cut is $10! This is a tradition that my parents started, but we would tag our tree and cut it on separate weekends. 
(2008)
(2008)
(2009)Christmas Eve
Gingerbread house making
Chicken fricot for dinner
Church service
Ice Cream making with Tim's parents (they have a real, old-fashioned ice cream maker)
Open our new, cozy pajamas for a cozy sleep Christmas night! (This one is carried over from my childhood!)
Christmas Day
Read the Christmas story in the Bible together and pray together. Focus on why we are celebrating and rejoice in Jesus' birth!
Open our stockings and gifts, taking time to thank the giver and enjoying the gifts.
Have a yummy brunch of homemade pancakes, real maple syrup and mounds of fresh fruit!
Spend the rest of the day with Tim's family, his sisters, and her cousins.
Eat a delicious Christmas dinner together!
Boxing Day
Drive to visit my family and enjoy Christmas with them.
What are some of your favorite family Christmas traditions? In the future, I would like to focus more on homemade gifts with lots of thoughtfulness and time going into them, but I have to work on my crafty/artistic side plus have lots of time! I think a lot of planning will have to do into this in future years!
Hey!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pics as always. You will have a wonderful Christmas and you will add new traditions as the years go by, and it sounds like you have a great start. Have a fun time with your beautiful daughter. Can't wait to see you guys and spend some good time with you all.
Love you,
Mom
oops...I guess we didnt have time for the gingerbread houses...maybe in the new year! Or at mom and dads! See you soon!
ReplyDeleteThis was our first year of having Christmas without family and starting our own traditions. It was really good, and we managed to catch up with everyone on Skype and the webcam. It made us feel a little closer.
ReplyDeleteThe homemade gift idea is really great. My family did homemade or used gifts this year. People were so creative, we spent less money and were much "greener" in our approach to Christmas.