WELCOME TO MY HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE!!!
I will be posting something different about our Christmas holidays / traditions every day this week so please be sure to visit again real soon!!!
My husband was in the Air Force for almost 10 years and we finally came back home in 2002. (I can't believe it's been 5 years already!!!) Right after we moved back, DH had a very hard time finding a permanent job position. That Christmas we were very low on cash!
One day while we were riding around looking at Christmas lights, my husband suggested we look at a wonderful lights display at one of the local parks. He said these were supposed to be awesome and it was free!
We all agreed and drove over to the park. When we approached the gate we found out that it was going to cost $5. We stared at each other knowing that all we had until the next pay day was $10, but also realizing that cars were lined up for miles behind us!
So DH paid the $5 and we rode through the park looking at the lights and really tried to enjoy them. I know DS had a blast, but both DH and I didn't say much the entire time. After we left the park, the comment was made that the lights display cost us half of everything we had!!!
Since then, DH has found a great job and we haven't had anymore Christmases like that first one. And every year since then we have gone back to the see the lights display in the park! Nowadays, spending the $5 has not been a problem! :-)
The very next year they opened a Santa's Cottage along with the lights at the park and so that is where we've taken DS to see Santa every year since then. After he sees Santa, we get hot chocolate and we all roast marshmallows over a fire right outside the cottage. It's always been so much fun and we always laugh when we remember that first Christmas back home!!!
(Sadly, this year the lights display hasn't been set up and there is no Santa's Cottage! I am really hoping that we stopped by too early, but I've checked out their website and there are no dates for this year. Prayerfully, we'll be able to go back next year!!!)
Besides watching Christmas movies and going to the park, other traditions we enjoy every year include:
- We always try to buy a new ornament for the tree each year.
One day while we were riding around looking at Christmas lights, my husband suggested we look at a wonderful lights display at one of the local parks. He said these were supposed to be awesome and it was free!
We all agreed and drove over to the park. When we approached the gate we found out that it was going to cost $5. We stared at each other knowing that all we had until the next pay day was $10, but also realizing that cars were lined up for miles behind us!
So DH paid the $5 and we rode through the park looking at the lights and really tried to enjoy them. I know DS had a blast, but both DH and I didn't say much the entire time. After we left the park, the comment was made that the lights display cost us half of everything we had!!!
Since then, DH has found a great job and we haven't had anymore Christmases like that first one. And every year since then we have gone back to the see the lights display in the park! Nowadays, spending the $5 has not been a problem! :-)
The very next year they opened a Santa's Cottage along with the lights at the park and so that is where we've taken DS to see Santa every year since then. After he sees Santa, we get hot chocolate and we all roast marshmallows over a fire right outside the cottage. It's always been so much fun and we always laugh when we remember that first Christmas back home!!!
(Sadly, this year the lights display hasn't been set up and there is no Santa's Cottage! I am really hoping that we stopped by too early, but I've checked out their website and there are no dates for this year. Prayerfully, we'll be able to go back next year!!!)
Besides watching Christmas movies and going to the park, other traditions we enjoy every year include:
- We always try to buy a new ornament for the tree each year.
- We always try to buy at least one new decoration for the house.
- On the Saturday night before Christmas, we bake cookies, turn out all the lights except for the tree and watch "It's A Wonderful Life". After the movie, DS gets to open one of his presents from under the tree.
- On Christmas Eve, we visit with each of the grandparents. We start early in the day and spend several hours with each one. When we're headed home, we stop for egg nog or hot chocolate and ride around looking at Christmas lights.
And one of our very favorite family traditions started about 4 years ago. DH's grandmother has started joining us every Christmas morning and gets to see DS open all of his Christmas presents. She is unable to drive so we leave early Christmas morning, pick her up and bring her to our house. After we open the gifts, we eat breakfast together and then we just hang out.
The most wonderful part of this tradition is that DS doesn't mind waiting to open his gifts until "Nanny" is at our house! And another wonderful thing is that we've got her on video watching DS play with all his new toys and telling about what Christmas was like when she was a little girl! :-)
These are only some of the ways we enjoy celebrating our holiday season, but first and foremost, we always remember and emphasize the birth of Christ during this time!!! :-)
Please join me tomorrow when I will be sharing more of our favorite Christmas traditions and memories!!! :-)
For more details on Holiday Open House 2007, please go to http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/tiany .
For more details on Holiday Open House 2007, please go to http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/tiany .
1 comment:
This is a great post! Thanks so much for sharing it. I hope the display is on again next year. It is sad when for whatever reason they have to stop doing such nice family oriented activities such as that. I can also totally relate to your first Christmas on a very tight ( non existent!) budget!)
Blessings,
Ellie
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