Christmas Traditions

I'm at home sick today nursing a sore throat. I hate sore throats. Painful and inconvenient. On the good side I got to spend the day with Raspberry. Anyway, I thought I would blog about Christmas so I can feel a bit more festive.

We are establishing some new family traditions this year. We have our favorites but I think we need a few more. Here are some of our ongoing and then the new ones I hope to begin with the kids.

Christmas Traditions

1. Watching the Christmas Devotional. Anytime we get to hear from President Hinckley is wonderful and I don't know how much longer he will be with us, being 97. It also helps me remember that Christmas is about Christ.

2. Big Smith family Christmas party on Christmas Eve. My grandmother started this one about 60 years ago. She is gone now, but the family still has it. Usually at a church. There is plenty of food, Santa comes, and there is a lot of singing. Mostly due to my wonderful Aunt Carol who keeps us singing. I think Grandma Jesse will be proud. Most of her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren still come.

3. Opening a gift on Christmas Eve. My son loves this tradition and never lets me forget it.

4. Decoration Gingerbread houses. Raspberry eats most of the candy before it gets on her house. I try not to buy candy that I would like to eat. We all get sugar highs anyway.

5. We try and go every year to the Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert. The tickets were given away through a random drawing this year. I didn't receive tickets this year (sadness) but hopefully my friend did (Hurray!) Last year Sissel performed. I'm now a huge fan. Plus my friend Fish sings in the choir. It's fun to watch for her face on the big screen.

6. Christmas Tree decorating. Christmas is for kids and our tree proves it. I'll post pictures when we get it up.

New Traditions

Giving Day.
We are going to go through all of our toys on Saturday and give some (and hopefully at least half) to D.I. I think it would be good for the kids. They can listen to me monologue about how Christmas is about giving and not getting. Should be fun for them. :)

12 Books of Christmas.
I got this one from my old boss. She would wrap and hide a Christmas book, (either an old one or a new one) let the kids go on a search for it and then read it together. She said it was kind of a count down for them to Christmas. The book on Christmas Eve was always a new book. I've gotten a couple of books already and I'm going to go through their books and find some Christmas treasures which I'm sure we never read.

If you have a tradition you would like to share, drop us a comment. Happy Christmas.

p.s. My friend Chris took the picture and the picture above. He is one talented guy.