Ok, I have a few minutes here in the afternoon while all are napping (yes, including Big E) and before the fun starts, so I thought I would make a few last mentions for Christmas. I wanted to share the final Santa picture....the one you have to pay for...to keep as my momento on the blog. Also, I wanted to post our family's Christmas traditions. My friend Julie in MOPS did this on her blog, and I thought it would be a great idea not only for sharing, but to save as a reference in case my memory fails me as I get along in years.
The Crouch House Christmas Traditions
1. Charitable tradition--we will start this next year as Austin will be a little bit older. This year was too difficult for MANY reasons. I would like for us to give to a family in need through the Samaritan Inns program or something similar. I heard about this through MOPS and I think it would be great for Austin, and hopefully baby #2 if God allows, to actually meet the family we give presents to. Through this program, we can adopt a family and give them Christmas presents.
2. Also beginning next year....3 gifts from Santa (and the stocking stuffers) to symbolize the 3 wisemen's gifts for baby Jesus. Austin won't really understand this for a few years, but that's OK.
3. On Christmas Eve Eve (the 23rd) we all go to a nice dinner out somewhere and drive through the "fancy" parts of town to look at Christmas lights.
4. On Christmas Eve we all attend church as a family, including extended family, and then we read "Twas the Night Before Christmas" and put out milk and cookies for Santa before bed. (We did this in my family growing up too)
5. Starting this year, I am getting Austin both a regular fun ornament and a picture ornament for him to keep later in life.
6. As I grew up, my grandpa Franz always read aloud the Christmas story from the Bible before anyone could open any presents. It was SO HARD!! But looking back, I so appreciate the values my family instilled in me. So, while we haven't done a great job of keeping up this tradition, my Dad said he would take up this tradition and read the story of Jesus' birth before we open gifts. I hope Austin will appreciate this one day as I do.
Ok, so that's it for now. We have other regular things we do like certain foods we eat on Christmas day that are a little different (we do shrimp cocktail for a snack/appetizer then filets, potatoes and salad for dinner...yum!) and yummy desserts we make, but I wanted to at least write down some of the newer thoughts I had. I'd love to hear any of your traditions!
We hope you all have the most blessed of Christmases!
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