From Where I Stand: {Christmas Traditions, Old & New}

Nick & had the privilege to attend Together for Adoption in October. While there we met another young couple who live very near where I grew up. We've had the privilege of building a relationship with them and are blessed to see them every so often as we all walk this long road of adoption together. Stephanie had the brilliant idea of starting a circle blog and this would be the first post I am writing for From Where I Stand. 

We're still in the newlywed phase of life. This will be our third Christmas together, but only our second in the new house, so we are still very much in the process of creating and making new traditions during the holidays.

We each brought our own favorite childhood Christmas traditions into our marriage. I liked decorating the tree and re-living memories as we got out our ornaments and remembered who had given them to us or what grade we were in when we made it. Nick's favorite tradition growing up was listening to his dad read The Shoemaker's Christmas just before opening one gift on Christmas Eve. He also grew up baking Christmas cookies to send to relatives & making gingerbread houses. As an engineer, he takes this seriously and plans out his design before ever even baking his pieces. It may look messy when finished, but each piece has been graphed and carefully designed.

My most fondly remembered tradition of my growing up years was spending the night at my grandma's house after celebrating Christmas with my dad's entire side of the family. My great-grandmother would have all of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren over. It was big gathering and I was a shy kiddo who didn't know everyone, but there was always this anxious anticipation for dinner to wrap-up, Santa to come and go (not a Santa person, sorry), and the gifts to get passed out.

My great-grandmother lovingly crafted new pajamas for each of us kiddos. Soft, warm, flannel nightgowns for us girls and a shirt/pant set for the boys. I was always so excited to see what material she would had chosen, what style she'd made, and it was as if I was holding my breath, waiting to see if she had done it again this year...

My younger sister and I in our pajamas.

She ALWAYS, without fail, made them as if we had stood in her sewing room for multiple fittings. The arms would be just the right length, the hem would stop right at our ankles, and we could always spin and twirl in them and see the fabric balloon out around us much to our delight. She never once asked for measurements. We saw her at Easter and often Thanksgiving, but even with those short and spread out visits she always got it just right, for everyone, the dozens of us great-grandchildren. It was such a special, loving tradition that has provided wonderful memories to this day. 

I'm not a little girl anymore and Grandma Slade is in Heaven, so those nightgowns are a memory, a tradition that has passed, but that still makes me smile every Christmas. I wonder if I'll ever do something so thoughtful for those in my life with each passing year. Time will tell.

As we have been establishing our own traditions in our marriage and new house we often find it is too easy to let the hustle & bustle of the season and the demands of being at this gathering and that gathering take over. It's hard to carve out time to just be.

We're starting a new tradition this year of really being mindful of this advent season. I bought The Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp, author of One Thousand Gifts & blogger at A Holy Experience. I'm desperately anticipating opening the book later today and being refreshed. I'm excited to do the reading, printing and hanging of the advent ornaments from our fireplace mantel, and the remembering as we live these days leading up to Christmas. We're excited to really focus on THE meaning of the season this year- Christ come to earth as a baby only to grow into a man who would one day take away our sins.

We will build our traditional gingerbread houses. We'll watch White Christmas on Christmas Eve night with only the tree lights on, open gifts on Christmas morning and spend the day with family. But it will be that slowing down and meditating on the real meaning of the season that will be my favorite tradition this year (and hopefully for years to come).

What is your favorite Christmas tradition? New or old? How do you celebrate this advent season? 

Thanks for visiting and reading about our favorite Christmas traditions! Please check out my friend Julia's blog to read more about her favorite traditions at Christmas while living and serving in Germany.