I {Heart} Traditions

Twenty four days till Christmas and the traditions began today. I am so excited to watch Emma & Gavin as they count down the days.

Collecting Hallmark Ornaments, Hot Chocolate on Christmas Eve in front of the fireplace while Daddy reads a different version of the The Night Before Christmas, hunting for Elfy every morning, spreading Reindeer food in the yard, matching PJ's, milk and cookies for Santa along with carrots for the Reindeer are just a few of the traditions that we started in our happy little home.

I have always worked really hard to think of both of my children when it comes to traditions & collecting things.  It made me sad to think that one day they will leave home and I would have to decide who would take Elfy with them to start their own family traditions.  Problem solved, we added another Elf to our home for our Little Man and he is currently waiting on a name, "Woan".  We will wait till Gavin decides to name him just as Emma did Elfy.  In the meantime, these guys were thrilled to move off the mantle tonight where they have been eagerly sitting and waiting for 3 weeks now to start moving around and waiting for the littlest Frazier's to find them.  Emma is so happy that Elfy gets to wear a skirt this year and bow around her neck.

Today was the day we began counting down the days till Christmas.   Emma will take the odd days on the advent calendar and Gavin will take the even days where they will be suprised with candy, snacks or little notes from Mommy and Daddy.   Curtis and I have decided to split the days, so that each of us is responsible for filling the pocket or relocating Elfy and WOAN every night.

Another tradition we have started that our children love is building a Gingerbread house.  Not sure if they love buidling it or licking all the candy then sticking it on the house.  Gavin could not control himself and would eat every piece of candy.

Emma was super serious about decorating our house and was so proud of the finished product. Notice the door is on the gingerbread house in this picture.  Don't ask me how but it ended up stuck to the roof of the house.

Yum, Yum, Yum.  A mouth full of candy and a piece waiting in his hand.  Gavin just could not help himself and wanted to eat every last piece. 

Emma enjoyed her Daddy squirting icing in her mouth once again and squirting icing in our mouths also. Gavin was not to interested in tasting the icing, instead he was satisfied with the candy, including licorace.

Our completed Gingerbread house created by our children that will  sit on our Island throughout the Holiday Season.   I love it and think there are so many things about it that are PERFECT.  I smile everytime I see the half eaten candy, licked cinnamon disc, the door plastered to the roof and little indentions in the icing from the fingers of my greatest treasures.

Oh it does my heart so much good to think about the traditions we have started with our children that they will some day share with their own families.  I pray for the day they fondly look back and recall all the memories we shared with one another as The Frazier Four.