It's the most Wonderful Time of the year!!

I love this time of year. Whenever anyone talks about family traditions, I always think of Christmas. We have our little traditions we do throughout the year, but Christmas just has so many that I love. So I thought I would share some of them with you.

My Grandma Watson would make each child their own stocking and then hang them all on her fireplace. At one point she would have had 29 stockings hanging. I loved going and finding a Christmas envelope from Zions bank that would have a brand new dollar from my grandpa (my dad carries this tradition on w/ my kids) and nuts and candy. After my grandmother passed away my aunt was sweet enough to make stockings for my mom for new additions although a couple of years ago a friend taught me how to knit the stockings, so I was able to knit each of my sisters families their own set of stockings. It's nice to know that when we are apart we all know we will have our stockings.


> This is another tradition, growing up every year my grandparents would give me a Spode plate.
I now have eight plates along with other additons. Believe it or not my kids love getting their Spode plates.
My mom is the best at making pillow cases. When we were little we knew it was Christmas when we found our Christmas pillowcase on our pillow. My mom has made everyone our own pillowcase. Thanks mom!
Christmas potpourri, this is a tradition I started I cut up half an orange, half a lemon and half a lime put 3 cinnamon sticks in, 3 bay leaves and then a sprinkle of cloves, you can put it in a crockpot but the smell travels better if it's on the stove. Every morning I'll start the pot boiling, it's the best smell in the world!
I love decorating the outside of my house, I really love my big porch (as you can tell i.e. halloween) so I was really excited when I figured out a way to put my garland up. Although Jackson was a bit of a grinch this year, he wouldn't put up the lights on the house so I tried to make up for it, by putting lights in the trees and bushes. On Christmas Eve we try to remember Christ's birth by lighting luminaries (white paper bags w/ candles) to light the way for the Christ child. Growing up the whole neighborhood would do it, so it was fun to look up and down the street and see nothing but candlelit white sacks, it was so beautiful.

Having a Christmas Village is big thing in my family. I can't even tell you how many houses my mom had. They would set up the village which would take hours, I would sit and look at each house imagining who would live in each house. Last year she gave me this train station, I love carrying on this tradition for my kids.

Other traditons we have are playing Mannheim Steamroller and Johnny Matthis, we eat Ham puff on Christmas morning and get home made pajama pants Christmas Eve. We read, Polar Express and The Littlest Angel on Christmas eve. These traditions help me to focus on my family and the reason why we celebrate Christmas. I was watching a TV show the other day and the hosts were talking about how they couldn't remember what their favorite gift they got for Christmas was last year. It made me realize that when I look back on this time next year, how great would it be if I could remember the best gift I gave. So my challenge to you is to try and give something this year that you will remember next year and in years to come. Come on be creative! Tell me some of your favorite traditions.

More Christmas pictures are on Picasa.