the older i get, the more i appreciate Christmas. don’t get me wrong, i loved it so much when i was little. it was so magical and exciting! i definitely miss that feeling. now, i just have a new appreciation for it. i realize that time is passing us by so fast. with each christmas, i feel like it got here sooner than the last. i always feel nostalgic around the holidays. especially now, because i have so many Christmases to reflect on from before. being a quarter of  a century old is a little scary haha! 

i always look forward to Christmas because of the fun traditions my family has done for years and years! this year is going to be the FIRST Christmas we’re not all together. i’m a little bummed, but i also know that – time to insert cheesy/cliche line – no matter where we all are, we’ll back together again some day. amanda will be in disney this year, and i’ll be visiting justin’s family in bedford. it’ll definitely be a different Christmas, but hey! time to embrace the change! 😉 

here are some traditions we’re going to try our best to still do! they might not be on the same days we usually do them, but it’s the thought that counts right?! besides, i would be fine doing any of this stuff throughout the year! 🙂

– it’s a wonderful life: for at least 5 years, we’ve gone to the byrd (the $2 theater) on Christmas night to see this wonderful, heartwarming movie! this has become one of my favorite parts of Christmas. you sing carols before the movie. snow floats from the ceiling. it’s just such a sweet story and encourages me to believe that there’s still good in the world! plus, it’s fun to sneak some Christmas leftovers in to enjoy during the movie! 😉

– homemade soup with grilled cheese & the christmas eve service: every year my mom always makes her yummy soup for us to enjoy when we get home from out Christmas eve service at church. it’s usually pretty chilly out, so this warms us up after we get home from church. i love going to this service too! everyone is always so friendly and happy. it’s just fun to sing carols and fellowship with everyone, before going home to be with our families.

– baking sugar cookies with my sisters: this is so much fun! when we were little, we always did our best at decorating cookies for santa. now, we just try to see who can make the others laugh more with our designs. even if that means making anatomically correct gingerbread people! 😉

– onesies: this has been a newer tradition, but for the last few years, my sisters and i pick out onesies to wear. it helps bring out the kid in us PLUS keeps us super warm! 🙂

– the night before Christmas – my dad always sits down to read us the night before Christmas on Christmas eve. we usually start to goof around and it makes him mad, which makes us laugh even more. we try to finish his sentences or talk like him. it’s so fun! deep down, i think he appreciates it! 😉

– reading luke 2: we always like to celebrate baby Jesus around this time of year (even if we’re not 100% sure when he was actually born haha). it’s just nice to reflect and focus on Him. we even make cupcakes!

– gingerbread houses – well, we use graham crackers, but we go all out and have a competition. i’ve been cheated the last few years haha. but i’m coming back with a vengeance this year! 😉

– giving back – whether it’s dropping change into the can for the salvation army, or secretly paying for the person behind you in chick-fil-a, this time of year always encourages us to give back. we need this Christmas spirit all year long!

– peace on earth (or at least in my house!) – one of the reasons i love Christmas, is because (usually) our family tries our best to get along. i can pretend we’re not super dysfunctional and enjoy a stress-free day! 🙂

now it’s your turn! spill!!!! i wanna hear about some of your Christmas traditions! 🙂