Family Traditions - The Christmas Tree 2010 - With Photos

Setting up the Christmas Tree each year is a family affair.

Everyone piles into the truck and drives down to pick out the best tree. Up until this year, by everyone I mean "Hubbs and I". The most important factor when picking out at family Christmas Tree, is that it is REAL. The tree has to be tall enough to be able to touch the ceiling once the star is on top, and has to be full, glorious, but spacey enough to display each ornament in a perfect green hole.

There is never a theme when it comes to colors and ornaments. Actually, the theme is "Christmas Past" as every year we proudly display ornaments as old or older then we are. Plus some we've collected each Christmas since we've been together. Each different, crazy ornament has it's own story and it's own special place with us at Christmas.






This year is Monster's first Christmas so a new ornament was most definitely in order. A babies first Christmas ornament that I will keep safe and cherish until he is grown and has his own Christmas tree. This ornament was picked out by his grandma (my mom) and is a baby boy teddy bear on a carousel horse.






I presume my mother will pick up with the Christmas tradition my grandmother started with her grandchildren. Each year she purchased a new Christmas Tree ornament until we (her grandchildren) were 16, at which time she got us all tree toppers. The idea was so that we when were grown and moved out of the house we'd have something to work with on our very first Christmas alone. I still have almost every single ornament on my tree even after all these years.

Christmas Traditions

I have decided to start calling myself a 'Christmas Enthusiast'... I'm pretty enthusiastic about a lot of things, but this year I am over-the-moon for Christmas! How could I not be? I have a son to share it with!

I've been thinking about different Christmas traditions I had growing up, Hubbs had growing up and the ones we've made typical since becoming a couple. I'd like to have a few new develop this year in our little 3 person family because of our new addition. When I was little I remember always asking to open "..just ONE present?" on Christmas Eve, and always being denied. I get it. Christmas is on Christmas... But I'd like to start a tradition with my little family that we all get to open one gift on Christmas Eve. And it will always be Pajamas. I'm sure that a lot of families do this so it's not really a new idea, but it's new and exciting to me!

I was also reading a blog (I think?) recently that described the families stocking tradition. I've always had stockings, and they've always been filled with little treats and small things like lip gloss, or batteries (if I got a toy that year that required them) and that was great! I love when Santa brings me a stocking even now! This blogger's tradition however was slightly different. She filled her stockings with small treat-like things that the kids could eat for breakfast. In my mind I'm picturing individually wrapped muffins or cinnamon buns with fruit, nuts, a juice to drink and maybe a small chocolate treat.

I think that idea is just FANTASTIC! A breakfast stocking! It would be such a challenge to come up with new things every year... Obviously this year it would be the most realistic. Anything "treat" like, I wouldn't let Monster eat at this age, and any toys that are small enough to fit in the stocking probably aren't age appropriate.

Stay tuned for Christmas Traditions - Part Two