Starting the New Year with looking back to Christmas seems fitting. Our year was made complete with the start of new traditions and new memories. Mark and I both cling to traditions, and while we haven't yet found a balance of creating our own, we are working towards finding ways to forge new traditions with our extended families.
This year, for the first time, our seventh Christmas as a married couple, we exchanged gifts with Mark's family and their house under their tree. Our day of celebration was December 22nd, Mark's birthday. There was some resistance, a bit of an awkward dance about whether or not we were all exchanging gifts, and questions about what the rest of the family would do when they woke up together on December 25th. But Behr's excitement quickly overcame any resistance.
Forging new traditions is difficult. It can be painful.
New traditions mean change and inevitably letting go of a way of doing things that may stretch back 20 or 30 years. I don't know what it is like to wake up at my in-laws on Christmas morning, but I know that Mark has jumped in and embraced my family with joy, partaking in their traditions. I hope to follow his lead. I hope we all do, and embrace the changes that our growing family presents and remember that letting go of traditions doesn't mean letting go of love.
We are blessed by large families. We are doubly blessed that they all live within a short drive. And even in the midst of the whirlwind visits, when it is so easy to forget, we are blessed that we get to see everyone as we celebrate the birth of Christ!
Have you created new traditions?
Does your family do the same thing every year or do you mix it up a bit?
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Oh yeah, we also celebrated Mark's birthday by going to dinner at The Narrows. Mark proclaimed it the best birthday dinner ever, and I couldn't agree more!
It looks like you had a fantastic Christmas celebrating with your in-laws! We usually go to my grandparents' house but as us grandkids have grown up we've been switching it up every year!
ReplyDeleteIts so tough as everyone starts growing up! I want to find a perfect solution, even though I know there isn't one.
DeleteI love the one of Behr playing tug of war with the wrapping paper. Such a boy.
ReplyDeleteHe literally helped open every single present.
Deletei know we already talked about through instagram but I LOVE THE NARROWS! I think they have the best crab cakes - hands down. what did you get to eat?
ReplyDeletehttp://lachapstickfanatique.blogspot.com
I got a crab risotto. Mark got a filet. We also ordered oysters, calamari, spinach and artichoke dip for appetizers, a lot of wine, and dessert. Plus his brother and parents obviously got food. We ate a ton to say the least.
DeleteAw you guys are just the cutest. Behr looks SO excited for Christmas! And as for tradition, since we got Toby we've done just Christmas Day with my family instead of Christmas Eve/Day. It's hard, but I can't bear to put Toby in a kennel. I'd much rather stay home with him on Christmas Eve!
ReplyDeleteWOW! It never occurred to me that Toby would be a factor in changing plans. So interesting. Fortunately your family lives close.
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