Traditions in the making

Sometimes traditions are handed down through generations, other times they kind of evolve quite unexpectedly. We are experiencing an overabundance of the later, ie...potato heads, theme trees, Three Kings, and Nerf wars!

We have had to rethink how we do holidays since our children are no longer the center of what we do. In the past, we mixed traditions from both of our families and added a few new ones here and there for the purpose of maintaining our heritage and establishing our home on a Christian foundation (new to our family which is lacking in Christian roots). We adopted the tradition of opening gifts on Christmas Eve from my husband's family, but not for the same reasons. His family used to get together with his grandmother on Christmas Day so Christmas Eve was the day his immediate family did their own Christmas. We did that too but so we could spend Christmas Day celebrating Christ's birthday. When the kids were little, we did a birthday cake for Jesus every year on Christmas Day. Since we didn't do presents on Christmas Day, the stockings were a big deal. I would stuff those Christmas Eve night and early Christmas morning sneak into their bedrooms and lay the stockings on their beds!

Steve and I have never done stockings for ourselves, but decided, or maybe I coerced him into agreement....that we should start doing stockings. We did that this year. He had to buy for me and stuff mine, and I his. I am a little more experienced with the venture than he his, but he is a quick study! We really had fun filling and opening our stockings, and can't wait to see how we grow in our "stocking stuffing " each year.

We started having groups over Christmas a few years back. I have never liked the idea of people spending the day alone. I looked around our church this year and was burdened by the number of people that are alone. We are so blessed in that we are only alone when we choose to be, otherwise there is an abundance of people that share our lives. We made some dear friends during Katherine's wedding and during the last few months, we have had opportunity to continue with those relationships. Christmas gave us another sweet time with some of our loved ones!

The Christmas of 20o5 we added our nerf gun war quite by accident. That year, Daniel, Robert, and Katherine were home for the last time together. Hard to believe it has been four years since all three of our children spent a holiday together. It was all young people that year, our three, Afton, and Jonathan. We didn't know what to do as far as gifts and somewhere in there decided on nerf guns. Christmas fell on a Sunday that year so we went to church, came home to have lunch, and then everyone opened their guns which prompted an ongoing nerf attack. They carried their guns with them everywhere they went that year. In 2006 Robert and Gabrielle were married so we spent Christmas in New York, but we did buy Gabrielle and Joe nerf guns when we got back which prompted a few scuttles during the holiday season. In 2007 my brother was with us, and I have no recollection of how we celebrated the holiday. In 2008, we had a group over which consisted of several single GI's. Nobody appreciates a nerf war like single GI's! That Christmas Eve, Steve and I were in Toys R Us stocking up on guns and ammo. (A funny memory...us...in line Christmas Eve...surrounded by all these parents with small children....and a cart full of nerf guns!) It exploded Christmas Day like no one could have imagined. That year Jon and Shawna joined our family. Tonia's boys were here Christmas evening and they too got nerf guns and joined in the chaos. (This year they didn't make the war, but we got them nerf tag so they could play.)

We were actually going to take a break from all that this year and have a lazy Christmas. Not so said the family and it turned out that we had about 20 here for Christmas dinner including a few new ones who ALL jumped in on the nerf attack. This war lasted for quite some time Christmas night. Us "older" women who didn't want to participate camped out in the den and tagged it the "safe zone." Well...someone mistakenly left a gun in there which prompted Kaylie and I to defend the zone. Before we knew it, the kids were giving us the flying ammo and we had quite a stash. We attacked anyone who came near us! That in turn prompted retaliation fire so the "safe zone" didn't turn out to be too safe, and they everyone wondered where all the ammo was going and confiscated our ammo! Days later-still picking up darts.

We didn't buy any guns for anyone this year, but everyone went out and bought bigger guns for themselves after last year's skirmish. This year, there were GUNS! Fun times, sweet memories, and a new tradition has been born. Next year, I am getting my own gun! Oh...and Willis family....we haven't forgotten!

Time for Reflection and Traditions

The holidays are also like that-get out the old decorations, look through old photos, and just remember what it used to be like. We have had many traditions throughout the years, some came and stayed for awhile, others took permanent root.

This weekend we cleaned and cleaned and cleaned as we tried to get some rooms together and get some much needed stuff put away. We don't have a place for everything (the remodel) so stuff tends to pile up all over the place (about drives me nuts). There are moments when I HAVE TO put it somewhere. This weekend was that time.

I picked up a classified ad on Thursday and browsed through it...found a lateral file for sale, and I called immediately. I was so excited. I had been looking for one of those and pricing them-a bit pricey new. This one I got for $30, and it is perfect. We painted, put together the day bed, washed curtains, touched up walls and baseboards, and organized. Yay-organization! The office looks great, might I say myself, and the living room is about together too. I haven't unpacked everything, but it is getting there.

Steve brought in the Christmas tree, put it up, and plugged it in. It is working except for a strand of lights..hmm...asked Steve if he could figure that one out-we will see. We had family over yesterday for a dinner, and I was talking to my sister-in-law. Last year, her and I decorated this tree together. I asked her if she wanted to do that again which prompted a discussion about baby Jesus.

Years and years and years ago, I got this fabric nativity set. I read about holiday traditions and one had talked about hiding baby Jesus from the nativity set to re-enforce the need for us to be looking for Jesus every day. We started doing that when the kids were all at home. Sometimes they (the kids) hid it very well! Daniel would really come up with some hiding places (I think it was him that hid Jesus in an a/c vent!). We have kept up that tradition every year. People who come over start randomly flipping over couch cushions, looking under books, behind shelves, etc...to find baby Jesus. The rule is, if you find him, you have to rehide him. The last one to hide him before Christmas puts him back in the manger on Christmas morning.

We missed last year because of the construction. We are far from done with the construction, but the house is certainly more livable (no more open studs). Next week, Kat and I are going to get down the Christmas decorations, sort through all that stuff so she can take hers with her, separate those that need to go to Daniel and Robert, and find baby Jesus. We aren't doing much in the way of gifts this year for Christmas, but really...not about "stuff," about Jesus.

Really thankful for family traditions, for opportunities to make a difference in lives, for sweet memories....and I wonder, which traditions have my children adopted in their own lives?