Holiday Traditions

I don't know about you guys but the holidays make me super sentimental!  It brings to mind so many memories.  It really is my favorite time of the year.  The traditions of the holiday season have to be the best part.  Way better than gifts and the rest, traditions really are the best whether they're big or small.  We got together with our book club this past weekend for brunch at Cast Iron Waffles and asked everyone to share their favorite holiday tradition.  So here they are...

"making Christmas cookies with my grandmother and cousins every year (while our parents shopped and wrapped parents :)" - Amanda

"singing Christmas carols in the car driving home from my grandparents' house on Christmas Eve." - Missy

"midnight Mass, drinks/snacks and frantically wrapping presents...plus the new tradition of going shopping on 12/26 to get Christmas decorations for the next year...it's so fun the next Christmas to open up the decorations box and you've forgotten about a lot of the stuff you bought." - Elizabeth

"Christmas morning we still all wait to walk down the stairs together in order of age, oldest to youngest, including dogs." - Kelsey and Sara

"J.D. and I go on a Christmas date every year to a favorite restaurant for wine and charcuterie after a day of shopping for last minute stocking stuffers and small fun gifts." - Mary Keller

"Christmas morning we opened presents from Santa and then baked biscuits with my grandmother as part of Christmas breakfast.  She would let me knead them and knead them to my heart's content and mine were always little hard rocks of dough that everyone kindly gnawed on with good humor....current traditions include drinking mulled wine and singing two Christmas carols to the boys every night before bed." - Meredith  (this is our friend who last year welcomed her second son on Christmas Day.  We love him, but she doesn't want this to become a tradition! :)

"my annual Christmas date with Andy - we shop for an Angel tree child and have homemade Pasta & Provisions pasta at home by the tree...plus, my other Christmas favorite is my grandfather's mini ham sandwiches.  They make a delicious appearance every holiday." - Heath

And we all decided on our favorite least favorite tradition - the toss up between stringing lights and negotiating holiday travel with family. :)

I loved hearing all of these and got a few new ideas that I may just steal in the future too!  We'd also love to hear any of your traditions so feel free to share!  Hope everyone is enjoying this wonderful time of the year.

- Heath and Mary Keller

PS thanks to our sweet friends for agreeing to share (and pose!), love you guys!