Traditions...

  ...bring with them identity, don't you think? We, as humans, need to feel connected to something bigger than ourselves and having traditions does just that.                                                           

Each year about this time, although it's much earlier this year because I'm not unpacking boxes, we unzip the tree bag, pull out ornaments from days gone by, drink egg nog, and then after the tree is up, cuddle together with egg nog and watch, "It's A Wonderful Life".  This year we watched it in color and it was like watching it for the first time.  Very strange...not so sure I like it that way.

These darling ornaments, have such meaning to me as they've traveled with us from NY and were given to me back in 2003 when I worked at the YMCA in West Seneca, teaching an aerobics class and the boys were five years old...amazing.

                                                        



Now, seven years later, I watch as the twins help their dad unpack the treasures and gramma joins in the fun, too.  There's a twinkle in her eye because she can help and feels like a part of our tradition. 

She is oh~so interested in keeping traditions alive.  She's already asked me what we're having for Christmas dinner and that was two days before Thanksgiving!  Her favorite thing is to have a relish tray every holiday, even though she's really the only one that enjoys that tradition, I think! But there again, another tradition that has defined our family since I can remember.

Then, there are memories of years when putting up THE tree brought with it a lot of stress, frustration and arguing.  (It was a Charlie Brown tree we should have thrown away after the first year!)

  We were young, we thought we knew it all and we were very stubborn about such trivial, silly things. 

We laugh now and yet Josh, just three days ago, brought up the fact that I couldn't put the tree up without dad because it wouldn't be the same!

Yet, it was a tradition and the good parts about it have carried on, and now we have a very easy tree to put up, too!!!

Another tradition we've carried on through the years has been the 'Countdown to Christmas

Chain'...this year they've added a couple more loops to their chain since they wanted to make it TODAY!

Last year, I began making snowflakes: the fancy kind, all different sizes and Caleb said, "Mom,

you're very crafty."  Not sure how to take that...*grinning mom*

Sometimes, I wish I could articulate some profound spiritual truth. I wonder if I had hours and hours to write or had gone to college for English or perhaps a mentor to teach me how to turn almost anything into an analogy to share then this might be a 'deep truth' post, but I wanted to write about a few of the traditions we have as a family preparing for Jesus' birthday.  I believe I may continue to write more on our family's traditions as well as things that happen around here during this season of Advent.

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In that vein, then, let me continue with my weekly tradition of what I'm most grateful for this

Marvelous Multitude Monday...

~glitter

~tutorials on Youtube on how to make a bow after receiving four 50 yd. rolls of beautiful ribbon!

~roses in November



~spying a wild peacock in a neighborhood five minutes away and chasing it to take its picture!

~boys conquering trees in shorts, despite the bruise that came from climbing down~

~Daddy God pointing out to me a butterfly amidst laundry hanging one day last week and then keeping it in the tree while I ran for my camera!  I am so loved.

~Peppermint Mocha Latte' at Borders, on a date with Love...mmm good-the Latte' and him!

~playing Rummy with mom, my sister, Josh and Carissa on Thanksgiving evening.

~everyone loving the 'Chocolate Pecan Pie' Caleb and I made for Thanksgiving!  (I had to enlarge to give you the full effect of how delicious this was!)

~my darling husband taking the boys out tonite so I could have some alone time


~Playlist having so many great Christmas songs to share


~going back to church after being sick


~knitting Christmas gifts


~Caleb reading to me with such inflection in his voice and feeling the pain of Fredrick Douglass's suffering


~my son Daniel calling me from Hawaii just before I dozed off to sleep-he's three hours earlier! My heart revived when I heard his voice.  How I miss him.


~dad's joy in putting lights EVERYWHERE outside today in 79 degree weather and the amazement in his voice that he can still wear shorts!


~how long this list is.


~being God's friend because of what Jesus came and did just for me.


Have a great week and why not join in the celebration?  Let me know you've started your own gratitude list...and stop over at Ann's to see how other's are celebrating!