Friday, December 19, 2014

Holiday Traditions (Friday Five)

Tulsa, OK  -  Route 66 Half



I'm linking up today with the DC Trifecta for Friday Five. 
 
Today's topic is Holiday Traditions

I haven't posted anything about Christmas, so 
I thought I'd take this opportunity!   We have many
traditions but I only listed five (just following the rules).



Disney World 
Letters to Santa

My mother-in-law started this long ago.  After thanksgiving dinner, all of the grandchildren write letters to Santa.  The first few years they were thrown into the fire.  How else would they travel to the North Pole?  At some point, she realized she wanted to keep them.  She began making up an excuse to burn them later (too warm for a fire tonight kids!). We got them out this Thanksgiving and it was so funny to see what they had written when they were younger.  The kids now range from teens to thirties...and they still write their letters.





Candy Making Weekend

My two kids at home (teens!) help me make candy, cookies and other goodies.  Some years, I even let them invent their own.  Some of our favorites include White Chocolate PB Ritz, Puppy Chow, Candied Pecans, Honeycomb Candy, Peanut Butter Cornflake Balls, Haystacks, Chocolate Peanut Clusters, Yee Haw Toffee...you name it, we've probably made it.  Oh, and eaten it!


Ornaments from Travels

I started this on our honeymoon way back in the dark ages {wink-wink}. I buy an ornament from every place we visit.  It brings back wonderful memories when I see them hanging on our tree.  I've missed a few places because I just couldn't find one, or they looked so hideous I couldn't put them on my tree.  I do have standards, well somewhat. A few are scattered in this post.

New York, NY          Williamsburg, VA          St. John, USVI


Countdown to Christmas

We've had this chalkboard in our house forever.  It's pretty beat up, eh?  It is the exact same spot every year.  It's funny when your decorations find a spot in the house, they never move.  You can't change tradition, right?  My youngest is still in charge of counting down the days. 





The Big Event
Monarch Mountain, CO


It is all about family.  We spend Christmas Eve at my in-laws, enjoying appetizers and exchanging gifts.  We play games and it gets loud and wacky...a very fun time.  When the kids were little, we watched for (and found!) Santa in the sky on the long drive back home. On Christmas morning we open stockings, see what Santa left and exchange gifts within our immediate family.  My DIL makes a wonderful breakfast casserole and takes that burden off of me (and I so appreciate that!).  I then host Christmas Dinner for my side of the family.  I took over for my Mother about 10 years ago, when it became too difficult.  We eat early, exchange gifts, and have a dessert course later in the afternoon.  It is a long, crazy, wild & wonderful two days spent with family.  My sister stays with us during the holidays and helps me stay sane...um, that may be up for discussion.

 
 
 
Thanks to Eat Pray Run DC, You Signed Up For What?!, & Mar on the Run! for hosting the Friday Five.  
 
 
What is your favorite tradition?  Happy Holidays!



31 comments:

  1. I love this--especially the letters. My parents saved a few of ours and they are such a treat to read. Merry merry!

    -CK
    cookingupkefi.com

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    1. I will definitely continue the letter tradition with my grandchildren. Thanks for stopping by!

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  2. Nobody in my house likes haystacks (I just can't wrap my head around it!). So unless I give them to neighbors and coworkers, I am obligated to eat them myself. There are worse things, I guess. ;) I'm a little Bah Humbug myself this year. I need an "Its A Wonderful Life" moment!

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  3. That's a great idea for ornaments.

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  4. I love your candy-making weekend! That's such a great idea (and tasty)! I also really like that you have an ornament from all of the places you visit; I'm going to try to remember that the next time I'm on a trip. Such a great list; thank you for sharing these and I hope you have a wonderful weekend! Merry Christmas!

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    1. I even have a Cracker Barrel ornament because we stop there any time we are travelling. LOL.

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  5. All the candy sounds delicious! And I love the idea of buying ornaments when you're traveling. We have a similar Christmas Eve/Day tradition: eve with my in-laws and day with my side of the family.

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    1. I just hope I have some sense of moderation with the candy eating!

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  6. I love that you get ornaments from places you've traveled to. All the traveling I do I should start that. Great tradition. -L

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    1. It's never too late. It's the only thing I collect!

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  7. You have wonderful traditions! I love the candy making weekend. The kiddos will remember that and hopefully carry it on!

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    1. I have to hide it so there'll be some left on Christmas Day.

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  8. That's such a cute idea that all the kids write letters on Thanksgiving! I love that

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    1. My MIL is a decorator. The paper used was never blank. She drew individual Santas on each one.

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  9. Love that you collect ornaments from places you've been! My parents do that too:) I should have picked ornaments, instead I collect keychains from every place I visit:)
    Love the letters to Santa idea, and that you've all kept them such a great tradition and oh the memories. You make me wish we did that:)

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    1. It's nice to get the ornaments out each year and just remember. I plan to continue the letters with my own grandchildren.

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  10. That letter idea is so great! I'm sure it's awesome to go back and read them.

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    1. It was really cute to see the letters written when they couldn't spell or write very well at all!

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  11. I love that tradition of purchasing an ornament to commemorate a trip. Something to remember for the future.

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    1. It's a souvenir that lasts forever and better than some of that other junk in the gift shops!

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  12. I wish I had bought an ornament from all our family trips. Great idea. We only have a few and you are right, brings back great memories. We have a super similar countdown chalkboard that is always in the same exact spot year after year....can't change tradition! Have a great time during your fun family packed celebrations! Happy Holidays and Happy Half Marathon Running!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by. Just remember the ornament on your next trip. You'll be surprised how quickly they add up.

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  13. What fun traditions! So cool that you've been picking up ornaments on your travels. I love traditions like that :)

    Too funny about putting the letters in the fire! LOL!!!!

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    1. Ornaments are the only thing I collect. Unless you count running clothes...or shoes. LOL

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  14. the letter tradition is so awesome. i love that idea!

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  15. Now that I have teens, so many of our traditions are out the window. I did buy a gingerbread house kit this week, hopeful..until my oldest son said that he hoped I wasn't thinking he would help me with that.. sigh...

    I do still pick up ornaments on my travels. It's fun to put them on the tree and reminisce about my trips!

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    1. Our traditions definitely changed as the kids grew. I can't get them to go look at lights anymore! They are still pretty good about decorating. And they helped me make candy today. Good luck with the GB house.

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  16. I love the idea of keeping the kids letters to santa! I will have to start that with my little ones next year (they are too little to get something like that this year) I also love the idea of collecting Christmas ornaments from your travels, such a great way to remember all of the places you have been an those memories!

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    1. Yes definitely start the letters. It's so cute to look back at them!

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