Christmas Traditions

     We have a few Christmas traditions that we do every year, that makes Christmas season for us.  Of course the first thing we do is hang the advent calender and our stockings.  I don't have a fire place, so they get hung above our built in bookcase.  I made all the stockings, except for mine, which was made for me by my mother.  I loved having a stocking made just for me, and so I wanted to do the same for Anna.  After I made hers, Dave wanted one too, which kind of surprised me, since what kind of stocking do you make for a man?  But I made him one anyways, and he liked it.  Then a few years later it was time to make the twins stockings for their first Christmas.  I had gotten quite a bit better at it from making stockings for my nieces, and also thought of lining theirs in flannel, which makes it so deliciously soft inside, which meant of course I had to re-do Anna's.

     Another tradition is to buy a tree on the first Saturday in December.  As a child we always bought a balled tree, and then planted it after Christmas.  I wish I had somewhere to plant a few fir trees so that we could do the same, but since I don't, cut trees will have to do. 

     The twins actually had an inkling of what was happening this year, so it was extra fun. 

     Of course Abriel just had to wear her red sparkle shoes, since you have to look cute even when tree hunting. 
     After getting the tree, is the fun of trying to figure out where to put it in our tiny living room.  This year the couch got moved over the outside door in order to accommodate it.  Samuel is probably the most delighted with the tree of all the kids.  He asks for the lights to be turned on every morning, and just can't seem to be able to keep his hands off it.  Sometimes he likes to just sit and stare at it. 
     Eggnog, eggnog, and more eggnog is another Christmas season must, and I also like to bake, although I haven't done much of that this year.  I was going to tonight, until I realized that we are out of butter.  I can't think of any recipes that don't call for butter. 
     Right now it is bitterly cold out, and snowing.  It sure is looking a lot like Christmas!