New traditions

 In November, I went to a Relief Society Enrichment meeting where several sisters shared traditions they do during the Christmas season. One was shared by a friend I really admire who has four boys of her own. She said that each day of December until Christmas they unwrap one Christmas book to read as a family. They have funny ones and spiritual ones. She just reuses the same books each year, but always wraps them up so that one can be opened each night. I loved this idea the minute I heard it for so many reasons but I think the biggest was because it is an experience that can be shared in the quiet comfort of our home by our tree. I want to work harder at creating traditions that are simple but that create a good feeling for the boys to remember.

I already had several Christmas books, but I found a few more online and on sale (I didn't want to break the bank by going out and buying a bunch of books in one year--I splurged on one and got deals on the others--I figure I can slowly build my collection of "nice" Christmas books). I also didn't stress about getting 24 books as I know there will be a few crazy nights sprinkled in when we are out late at parties or doing other holiday activities and we won't start reading Christmas books until after the tree is decorated which happens the first Monday night in December.

Tonight for family night we decorated our Christmas tree and then I introduced our first book: "The Christmas Train" that tells the story of President Monson when he was a little boy. You can find the story in his talk HERE. After we read the story, I gave the boys a present to open: a little train ornament (this was the splurge book that I mentioned earlier) and they hung it on the tree--so begins another tradition I'd love to start--one new ornament a year that has some real meaning to my family--this special ornament will be opened and hung on the day we decorate the tree. We have lots of ornaments and so many mean nothing to us--we'd like to slowly switch out the ones that hold no real value for us for ones that do.

After all that train talk, I was pleased and not at all surprised when Marcus got to work building a track around the tree. Not sure how long it will last, but it was a cute thought.

Happy December!