Christmas Traditions

Do you have any traditions that you do year after year to prepare and/or help you get in the mood for Christmas?

Lots of people start out their Christmas season with some Black Friday shopping. I'm not a big fan of Black Friday. I would rather spend some time lounging in bed on one of the days I get off of work. This may change next year, with a little one to get up with but for now I really enjoy sleeping in, though not as much as my husband. Being a night owl makes him sleep in later then I would prefer but......

One of my traditions is to put the Christmas tree up Thanksgiving day weekend. I love having the tree up and decorated so that I can enjoy it all month. It also doesn't come down until after my little sisters birthday in early January. The only year this hasn't happened is the first year Brad and I were married. We had a real tree so we put it up later and took it down sooner.

Another tradition that has been a part of my life for it feels like forever, is that the first or second weekend of December my family packs into one car, or two now, and head up to Michigan for a dinner concert. My parents started this tradition 25 years ago. Mom was pregnant with my brother, Devin. They have been going almost every year since then and us kids have begun attending with them as we became "old enough". This weekend is the weekend. Everyone is going except the one who was in utero for that first one. Mom and Dad went up this afternoon and Brad, Erin, Jake and I will be leaving right after work to head that way. The five hour drive may be interesting. I haven't made a drive that long since I've been pregnant and before pregnancy I would take Dramamine for a drive of that length. Hopefully it will all be ok.

I'm looking forward to starting new traditions with my new little family. Maybe we can even begin some that will carry on until my baby is ready to begin making her own traditions, maybe even ones that she will carry on herself. Until then, I'm excited about a weekend away with my family and friends. :)

Merry Christmas!