Christmas Traditions

It's only two weeks until Christmas, so I thought I'd use this time to share some of our family's traditions. My "children" are 21, 23 and 26, but they still want things done the same way every year. Many of our traditions were started by my mom when I was a child, and I'm guessing that my children will pass some of them on to their children someday. I hope they will add some of their own new traditions as well.

The season begins when we drive to Cassens Tree Farm to choose and cut down our Christmas tree (or trees this year!). As a background to the festivities, we play our family's favorite Christmas CD, Amy Grant's The Christmas Collection. The rule is it can't be played until after Thanksgiving, so we can really appreciate it. So on the day after Thanksgiving this year, Amy made her yearly debut as we made the drive. 

Some years, it's cold and snowy and my kids hide between trees and pelt each other with snowballs. This year was warm and sunny, so they had to make do by swatting each other with dried weeds.

After a short search, we found a tree that everyone could agree on.

It didn't take long to find a second, smaller tree. Why is it that it takes forever when it's bitterly cold outside, but on a warm, sunny day we found our trees in record time?

And while my husband pays for the trees, we visit another favorite, the stuffed bear that sits inside the barn, year in and year out. 

Both trees are nestled all tight in the bed...

And we head home with Amy Grant singing It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. And it is!