Traditions

Our family photo on Thanksgiving Day. We rarely take the time to get everyone in the picture....and still missed Lauren and her family! They arrived a little later...when it was too dark to take more outdoor pictures.



For Lauren's first Christmas my mom decided to start a collection of Christmas ornaments for her. As the grandchildren kept coming, she kept up the tradition. She now has twelve grandchildren! Jeff and I have also added to the children's collections each year. The older children have at least one box full of ornaments. When Lauren and James got married three years ago, we gave Lauren her box of ornaments. Our tree is still very full!! Our plan is that all of the children will take their ornaments with them when they marry.

We always save decorating the tree for Sunday afternoon after Thanksgiving. That way I can assure that we will have on nice clothes!! We try to get ornaments that reflect each child's interest for that year. Jordan has been working on a pirate treasure story on his blog at homeschoolblogger.com/middengard, so his ornament is a treasure chest. Devin is into hats and scarves this fall (accessorizing, she says) and of course shopping, so her ornament is a young lady garbed in hat and scarf with an armload of gifts.

Kaelan has actually gone ornament shopping with me the last two years and has chosen her own ornaments. Both have been beautiful birds.

Caedmon needed a little help hanging his ornament. It is the typical first Christmas ornament which will include a small picture of him.. Right now he is only interested in sleeping, nursing and talking to his mom.

Jackson loves to help Jeff work around the house and follows any "worker men" that are around. His ornament is a handyman's shop with a hammer hanging from the sign. One day when "working" with Jeff on the barn, he spent a very long time hammering nails into a piece of scrap wood. He loved it.

Aaron still likes to ride our pony "Little Lady", so his ornament has a horse riding theme.