Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Christmas Traditions

Well, I missed last weeks FFF. The theme was Christmas Traditions. I had this great post in my head but my thoughts never made it to the keyboard. This weeks theme is Making/baking with the kids and I don't think I have any material for that one quite yet. We will probably do our cookies next week. So, I am going to be wild and crazy and do last weeks theme this week and maybe this weeks theme next week...do you follow??




When I saw the theme Christmas traditions, initially I thought we didn't really have any but the more I contimplated it, I realized we do. I remember when Wyatt and I first met I wanted so badly to share my traditions with his kids but it never really worked out as well as I had hoped. Now, I realize that they already had their traditions that they were used to. I know how much I looked forward to doing the things I looked forward to during the holidays and I'm sure it was the same for them. So,even though it's nice to be open to new things it was also probably not the right move on my part. I guess those are the issues of "blending families".

But, now is my chance. I really should say our chance because it is an opportunity for Wyatt and I to create memories for Collin of fun, exciting and meaningful holidays. We can have our own traditions and I'm really excited about that. Since this is only Collin's 3rd Christmas we are just getting into the swing of things. No matter how our traditions evolve over the years, I hope that Collin has long lasting happy memories that he can pass on to his children someday. I think that is the best gift we can give our kids! And hopefully the step-kids will have some fond memories of the holidays we spent together too!!





So, on to our traditions. Some are old and some are new-but the first one that comes to mind is the annual trip the the Columbus Zoo Wildlights. My favorite part about this adventure is the picture with Santa. We have all the photo ornaments from over the years hanging on the tree. Those are my favorite ornaments to pull out every year. It is so fun to see the progression of the family growing, the kids growing up and us looking older and older-NO WAIT-that part is depressing!!







The past few years the family gathers at our house and we have dinner, then make iced sugar cookies and head to the zoo. Of course, that is a lot to pack into an evening so we usually get to the zoo pretty late but that means the line for Santa is smaller. Sometimes there is a method to my madness!!

Last year we decided to start going to one of those cut your own tree farms and have a live tree rather than a fake one. Everyone seems to have a great time. This year we found a really nice farm that was worth the drive and of course, the perfect tree!






We also started going to Breakfast with Santa. This year we invited our playgroup friends and Brylie and KC so we should have a very "active" table. I just hope nobody gets put on the Naughty List as a result of this breakfast!

Of course we do the picture with Santa at the mall-which I hate to do but since I haven't found a better alternative we'll keep doing it.







Just a side note for those in our area-I MISS LAZARUS DOWNTOWN!!




Those are my fondest Christmas memories...following the path to Mr. Tree, and somehow he always knew your name-amazing talent!

Then off to Candyland to wind and wind your way to Santa and everyone knows the REAL Santa was only at Lazarus! All the other Santas were just elves dressed up like Santa helping him out because he can't be everywhere! Then it was off to Santa's Workshop to buy very special gifts for the family made by Santas elves.



Now, as an adult I am sure that the winding walkway was really a 2 hour wait that the special gifts were probably dimestore trinkets that they charged an arm and a leg to buy. Let me tell you that my parents did a fabulous job each year acting like they absolutely loved the gift and even followed through with the obligatory use or two to make us think they really liked it. I can't wait to go to work wearing my new Wow Wow Wubzy earrings!!




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1 comment:

  1. HannahDecember 12, 2009 at 9:27 AM

    What great traditions!! We had a Lazarus store here too...My mom loved that store.

    I love the Santa picture, Collin looks adorable and your Santa looks pretty cool. Some of the mall Santa's are a little creepy :)

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Guatoberfest Cruise 2009

My soapbox about the Advent Conspiracy

I came across this video on another blog. I have to admit I only looked at it for entertainment value. I assumed with a title like that, it had to be some wacko conspiracy theory and who doesn't need a good laugh. Suprisingly enough it really touched me and made me think. It didn't grab my interest because of it's religious value, because that's not really my thing. I am not the type of person that flaunts religion or believes in pushing your beliefs onto others. It touched me because of it's human value and because it shows me how quickly I forget.

When we were in Guatemala it was truly a life changing experience for a myriad of reasons, only one of which was bringing home a baby! We saw poverty that we could never imagine in this country. I remember thinking when I was there that despite all of the stress of the situation, I was more at peace than I had ever felt in my life. Among other things, there was no pressure to have more...there was nothing to have. People just lived their lives. Families worked together, lived together in cramped housing-if they had a roof over their heads at all-and they were happy! We were forced to enjoy eachother without our "creature comforts" and I loved it. I now remember hoping that once we got home, I would never lose that idea that we don't really need much at all. I realized our society makes us think we need more but we really don't. And after watching the video it makes me realize that I have failed miserably.


I had made up my mind that in order to honor my new found attitude and our sons heritage, we would sponsor a Guatemalan family every year so that they could have food and heat and their children could go to school-things we take for granted on a daily basis. For some reason I can never seem to find the money to do that- BUT- I can find the money to buy coffee every day, sometimes several times a day, Collin will see a room full of gifts on Christmas morning, I can go out to eat, I can do whatever I want for the most part. My priorities have gone right back to where they were before I experienced Guatemala and it makes me sad. That is the reason that I am posting the video in a permenant spot on the blog, so that I am constantly reminded, not only during Christmas but all year to give PRESENCE to my friends and family not PRESENTS and to give back to something that I feel very strongly about. I don't write this to push Guatemalan charity or any charity but to encourage anyone reading this to slow down and take a look at your life and see what means the most to you and see where it takes you.

Advent Conspiracy