Traditions-What's Important to ya

Thanksgiving is in 2 days! Got our turkey yesterday and am hoping it's all defrosted by Thursday morning. Robert does the awesome job of brining the turkey the night before and has this special way of roasting it. He sets it in the oven at a high temperature (I think 500 degrees) for the first 30 minutes to give it a crust and then drops the temp down to whatever it's suppose to be and covers the bird with foil for the rest of the roasting time. It's pretty yummy and turkey isn't my favorite flavor during the meal usually.
We also made this sweet potato casserole last year (I got the recipe from Eating Well Magazine) and it's a keeper! Super yummy, not much fat, perfect!

But enough about food... I'm talking traditions here. After having kids we think every year what are some things that we'd like to do for them and with them every year that will be fun and exciting and most importantly make them remember what the true meaning of the holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas ) are and WHY (like Domenic has been asking about everything lately) we celebrate them.

Every year we bake. We bake pumpkin bread to give to family and neighbors around Thanksgiving. We bake cookies around Christmas to share with friends, family and neighbors. There's usually some marathon baking going on Christmas eve. Yesterday the kids and I gave a few of our neighbors some pumpkin bread. It's sad that we've been here for almost 3 years and haven't met the people 2 doors down or across the street and to the right one house. I need to work on that. But anyways we met a few neighbors and hopefully we blessed them. The kids are always so generous with giving, especially if it's something they've helped create. The older couple next door to us was very thankful (we give them goodies often because we see them all the time) and I think they wanted more. :)
When I was younger my mom use to bake a bunch of cut out cookies and we'd have the neighbor kids over (our friends, because everyone's your friend when you're a kid) to decorate a plate full of cookies and make an ornament with their photo on it. My dad would take everyone's picture and then run up to the 1 hour photo place. I do remember the instant pictures from the camera though too!
Since we all enjoy baking together for the fun, for the smell, for the taste and for it always seeming to multiply enough for us to share plenty, I think we'll keep that as a tradition.

Now here's a new one that I saw on another blog recently. What this other family did was give out the Christmas stockings after Thanksgiving dinner. So they're more like Thanksgiving stockings with something small and useful inside. For instance, new cookie cutters, an ornament, a craft kit. Something that can be used during the current holiday season and get the kids in the mood for Christmas. I thought that was a really cute idea (and when I find where I read it I'll post it). So Robert and I decided that we're going to give the kids their stockings on December 1st. Maybe it will be a tradition, maybe it will be a one time thing. We'll see.

Another thing I remember doing when I was growing up was buying presents for my brothers. When I was little I think the limit was $5. So some new race cars or GI Joe's it was. Robert and I always help the kids pick out presents for each other. When the younger one is a baby obviously mommy and daddy take care of it and say it's from the baby. But I think it helps them think of each other a little more. Not as much about "what am I going to get?" but "what am I going to get them?" It's pretty cute to see the little shoppers pick something for their siblings and then see how excited they are when the present they picked gets opened.

I also saw this felt wall hanging called the growing tree. If we do it this year I'll take a picture. But there's a fabric tape measure on the side and the tree is made out of green felt triangles and the circle ornaments have the child's name, height and the year stuck on the tree. I don't think that's a tradition but it sounds cute and fun!

The most important thing we always do is talk a lot about the story of Christmas. The story of Jesus' birth and how God gave us His son and that's why we give gifts to others and each other. We make a cake for Jesus (streussel coffee cake!) and sing happy birthday to Him. He also has a stocking that is white and sparkly with a J on it (all our stockings have our initials). The kids can make birthday cards for Him or write a note. Robert and I usually talk about ways we can serve more, more outreach work as a family and as individuals. We're suppose to write them down and put them in the stocking so that we can look back and see how God worked over the year but I don't think we've written them down yet. Something we need to do this year! And now that the kids have more of a comprehension of what being a servant of Love is we'll involve them in the discussion and see what their input is. I'm all excited now! :)

Do you have any fun traditions? I'd love to hear them!