Christmas is a lot of things to me

Mostly it's a celebration of Christ's birth. A reflection of the past year. A look forward to the new year. Time to give to those less fortunate (preferably, without making a big deal about doing so too). Time for family and friends that you don't get spend as much time with as you'd like to through out the year. Baking, caroling, decorating (my family LOVES the decorating).

Growing up I was a preacher's kid, followed by a Air Force chaplain's kid (Yes, I am a PK/CK which is a precher's kid/chaplain's kid/military brat. Since I moved so much growing up, the decorating and the baking were the tangible things that made the holiday, no matter where we were, feel like we were home. The traditions I grew up with...like the celebration of Advent my husband and I have past on to our own children. Another tradition we have is we put up 2 old artificial trees 14 & 12 years old, respectively, every year. Some may think it's excessive, and, yes, it isn't necessary, but the 14 year old one my husband and I bought at Target Greatland in Ft. Myers during our 2nd Christmas together for $29.99 (along with the $1.99 ornaments we bought to fill in the empty space that year, and we still have those ornaments). We've taken very good care of it and it has lasted. A lot of fond memories of friends and relatives who have passed on are attached to that little tree. Most of the kiddos handmade ornaments and ornaments given to them by family members now adorn that little tree. The other tree we bought was a little larger and we bought it the 2nd year in our house. The ornaments on that tree are from around the world, as they belonged to my husband when he was a kid & to me when I was a kid. There are also the ornaments we bought on our honeymoon. The ones that commemerate the births of each of our children. There is literally a story behind every single one. The kids love hearing the stories and putting them up is one of their favorite things to do each year. In a since these trees contain our family history, and it doesn't matter if there's a lot or a little underneath them... it is what they represent to us...family, and all the times and things that God has brought us through.

What are your family traditions this time of year?

Christmas is a lot of things to me

http://andthisismypart.blogspot.com/2010/12/christmas-is-lot-of-things-to-me.html