Christmas Traditions

Family traditions are something that I have been looking forward to continuing with our children and creating new ones. This year we decided to stay at our home for Christmas to start our family traditions. We absolutely loved the time together as a family and the quiet, uneventful Christmas day.

Growing up my family had many Christmas traditions and so did Eric's family. We decided to incorporate both families' traditions with our new family. It was so much fun to see Marissa get excited about what we were doing as a family. Here are some of our traditons we started this year....

*Watching Christmas movies together

*Setting up Nativity Scene and talking about Jesus being the REASON for the SEASON

*Putting up the Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving (went artificial which was different)

*Baking Christmas cookies for Santa

*Christmas Eve candlelight service at church

*Opening a special ornament on Christmas eve

*Leaving out cookies and drink (Cherry Dr. Pepper) for Santa

*Bible Story and Christmas prayer on Christmas day

*Drinking hot chocolate and eating country ham biscuits while opening presents and stockings

*Eating Christmas dinner together

*Going to visit family the day after Christmas

*Going to see the Holiday Festival of Lights in Charleston

Cookie Time!! Messy, but FUN!

Isn't she so funny?

Showing off her personality before Church

Family Photo before Christmas Eve Service

Christmas Eve....Pajama time :)

Opening her ornament....One for her and one for baby brother.

They said Brother and Sister!

Putting out cookies and Dr. Pepper for Santa Claus

Marissa's Nativity Set....She loved telling you about baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the Wise Men and how the Angel told Mary "Do Not Be Afraid!!"

Santa has arrived!

Stockings were filled :)

Christmas morning the first thing she did was check to see if Santa ate cookies and drank Dr. Pepper!

Loves her new baby doll and sling!

Looking at all her new books from Santa

She loves her new BIBLE! We read the Christmas story from this on Christmas night.

Rocko tearing up his new toy in a matter of MINUTES!

Sharing the Good News with Kinsey!

Exchanging gifts with Kinsey Christmas night.

She got an apron set....so cute!

Christmas 2010

Me and my LOVE

Marissa telling Uncle Ryan that the baby poopied!

And Aunt Amy....she helped with the "change"

Christmas with the Kinards

Marissa with her newest cousin, Baby Aubrey (3 months old)

Pappy with Marissa's new baby boy doll

So excited about her Wizard of Oz movie, Dorothy outfit, Toto and basket from Meme and Papaw

So adorable. She loves this movie....we've watched it about 5 times already!

Uncle Chris is excited about his new coffee too!

Seeing the Lights...so excited!!

Walking around at James Island County Park to see the lights!

Uncle Chris and Nicole