Our Christmas Traditions

I wanted to go ahead and document our Christmas Traditions while it is still fresh : ) I never really blogged about it last year...I think because I was afraid of some judgment because of the way we do things. So, anyways, don't judge me. I know that we celebrate differently than some of you...and I'm ok with that. Hoping you will be too!

First, we made the decision last year that Santa wasn't going to be a big part of our Christmas tradition. I just couldn't reconcile that Santa has nothing to do with Jesus' birth and all in all I don't want my boys to be confused about why Christmas is so exciting. I want them to talk to Jesus when they are in bed at night- because He hears them. I want them to pour out their heart to him. Sometimes when it's communicated that we don't "do" Santa, I feel like it sounds like we don't allow our children to have fun on Christmas, or that we don't celebrate, or that we don't give our children gifts. It makes me sad. I love Christmas. I love it, not because of Santa, but because it is a celebration of a long awaited Saviour. A Saviour that has radically changed my life...and that makes me very, very excited. It is wonderful, and magical. I can't fathom why He would do that for me. But I am oh so thankful. So, anyways, that is my reason. And this next paragraph is going to be for my boys...in hopes that one day they read this blog.

My sweet, precious boys. I love you so much, and I want you to know why we decided to celebrate Christmas in this particular way. We decided it because we love Jesus...and it is our hope that above anything else, one day you will love Him too. He is the Gift and the Giver, and I pray that you will love Him with your whole heart. I know that in your young years, you will miss out on some of the magic that is called Santa. And it is my heartfelt prayer that when you look back you don't feel that you missed out, but that you feel you gained a deep, deep appreciation for a Saviour and a joy that is rooted in His love. I pray that the way your daddy and I live our lives in front of you day-to-day points you to this Saviour all year long. I want you to know that we are not keeping the Santa tradition from you because we don't want you to have fun...I hope that you know that we gave you different Christmas traditions in the hopes that your joy would be grounded in what is real. Jesus is real. Christmas is wonderful and exciting and magical and glorious. I hope you feel it. I hope you take great joy in it. And I hope that after all the gift-giving, you will be men that have deeply thankful hearts for the gift of Jesus, and men that are generous and display a heart that knows that it is truly more blessed to give than to receive. I love you, Your Mommy.
Whoosh. Now I am crying. Here is a lighter version of some of the traditions we have.

On Christmas Eve this year, we let the day be all about giving. The boys made Christmas cards for their friends and I made cookies and we took them to deliver them. We talked about Saint Nicholas, that he was a real, merciful, generous person. He gave gifts. So, we let the boys give gifts to their friends. It was so fun. Matt and I had Starbucks...yum. Super fun. Then we continued a family tradition of Matt's and had Pizza for a Christmas Eve Dinner...Uncle Mark and Aunt Tina came over to join us.

The boys opened one gift- matching pajamas.I wrapped Christmas books and the week leading up to Christmas, the boys got to pick out a wrapped book each night and open it. They had a lot of fun with it.

Uncle Mark and Aunt Tina read their Christmas book on Christmas Eve. Then, we all loaded up and drove around looking at Christmas lights. The boys LOVED it!! Then we sprinkled some reindeer food on the front lawn (we let the boys pretend, they just know that we are pretending).

Christmas morning started off with presents. Our tradition is for the boys to get 3 presents each because that is what Jesus got on the day of His birth. It's fun. This year I worried that I wasn't getting them enough...thankfully, a friend reminded me that they are blessed and have plenty. Very true. Here is Micah opening his first present- a baseball helmet! Hudson really, really wanted a helmet, so we decided to get them both one.

Hudson was pumped.

They were a little too small. Woops. We had to exchange them. Boys with big heads.

Hudson opening his tent.

They both got Cars watches.

This is the leggo table that we got them. It was their big "together" gift. They love it.

All the boys in the tent : ) What a great dad.

And then the last book I had wrapped under the tree was the Bible. Matt read the Christmas story to us all. It was beautiful.

Later in the day I let the boys "help" me make birthday cupcakes for Jesus' birth. Then we sang Happy Birthday and enjoyed. This was so much fun for 2 little boys.

They got to decorate their cupcakes...and added crushed peppermint for a Christmas twist.

Hudson's creation.

Our last event of the day was to have a big Christmas meal- ham, dressing, green beans, etc., and we had a family over for dinner. All in all, it was awesome. We continued a family tradition of breakfast casserole for Christmas breakfast. Matt and I loved it...the boys didn't love the casserole. Oh well. I pray we have many, many more years together celebrating and making family traditions.