It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

November certainly took our home by storm and I can't believe it's December already.  Two weeks ago the stomach bug had me out of commission for about 5 days.  Fortunately after that we were able to get away for eight days with family for Thanksgiving.  And we have so much for which we are thankful!  God has blessed us abundantly.

Now we roll into December and I'm excited to celebrate Christmas and get a jump on traditions with our baby girl.  It's her first Christmas and the shopping is done, but I was anxious to make some things for my girl so I thought I would share what I've been up to this week and share in some of my family traditions.

My wonderfully talented mother made all of us hand made Christmas stockings when we were little and I am always thrilled every year to see them.  They all still hang on her mantle at my parents' home, but the home made things that both she and my grandmother made for me are such a special part of my Christmas memories.  So one of the first things I wanted to get to was making Olivia her Christmas stocking.  Through the years, I've made several attempts of making stockings for myself and my husband, but have never been satisfied.  I was quite nervous about deciding what to do for Olivia.  After seeing a chenille stocking I liked at Canton and then searching the internet for ideas for finishing touches, I came up with a plan.

Thanks to the help of my mother-in-law who embroidered her name on the material over Thanksgiving, I came home ready to get crackin'!  All in all I was pleased with the outcome and home she will come to appreciate it over the years.

My mother also started a tradition with our Christmas ornaments.  Every year since 1973 when my sisters were born, she kept a journal of all the Christmas ornaments we were given and who gave them or made them as well as things we may have made for neighbors or teachers.  When we put up the tree each year we went through the journal in in order and we each hung our ornaments on the tree in that order.  I admit by the time we were in college it took so long that at times it could be a little wearying, but it is a great way to remember!  She since has divided up our ornaments but with each of our boxes she included the list.  I look forward to unwrapping my ornaments and hanging them on the tree to this day...even if it is weird to think that some of those ornaments are over 30 years old now!

To keep this tradition alive I bought an inexpensive Christmas journal at Michael's.  My sister-in-law brought her Cricut to Thanksgiving and let me play with it so I made Olivia's name and some snowflakes out of red flocked paper, ran them through my sticker machine and embellished the journal so we can start the ornament list this year.  We've already got several to include!

My other craft project for the week was to finish making her a Christmas onesie to wear throughout the Christmas season.

I do love Christmas crafts and am grateful for the time my mother and grandmother spent teaching me and crafting with me.  Those memories will always be a part of me.  But I am most grateful to my parents and grandparents for teaching me the true meaning of Christmas.  That we were sinful and separated from God so He sent His only son, Jesus to earth as a tiny baby.  And while we focus on the baby at Christmas, he grew to be a perfect, sinless man who laid down his own life to pay the penalty for my sin.  He graciously has saved me from the death and separation from God that I deserve!  That is the reason my family celebrates Christmas.  And I look forward to passing down that awesome tradition.

So if you don't hear from me before then...Merry Christmas!