Christmas Card Exchange Requested

It's Christmas time again! My favorite time of the year. I live for this each and every year that rolls around because it means for me, not only the Savior's birth which we celebrate, but it genuinely seems that most people are a little more kind than they usually are. More giving perhaps. More willing to be charitable and pass along a kindness or two.

Just the other day, my brother Mike and I talked about our Christmas growing up. Great memories even though we lived with my mom, who divorced was working two jobs just to make ends meet, so we didn't get a chance to see her that much. But we lived for the day we knew she wouldn't be home for a while so we could climb up to the rafters and get all the Christmas boxes down and begin decorating as a surprise for her.

We would use EVERYTHING we found in the bins. We added colored garland to each of the beams in our house and some sparkly snowflakes hung on fishing line or even left over glass bulbs that didn't find a home on the tree between the swags. It was never decorated the same twice. We would turn on Johnny Mathis' Christmas album and get to work. It took us all day working together, singing beloved Christmas carols. If we had time we would climb up on the roof and add our traditional Santa and two lighted reindeer along with the traditional glass bulbs. None of these icicle lights or LED's but the old stand by's you had to screw into the sockets. They were great cause when one burned out, you simply replaced that bulb.

It was such a joy to see the surprise on my mom's face when she got home and was immediately filled with the Christmas Spirit and a whole lot of love from her kids. I miss that. Traditions are important. They need to be passed along to our kids who may or may not pass them along to their own kids.

One of the traditions I see disappearing are Christmas cards. The old fashioned kind you wrote in. Not pre-printed ones, but ones you went to pick out and added your own Christmas wishes for whomever you were sending it to. Now a days, you get photo Christmas cards, with pre-printed messages on them or the Christmas letter telling you what someone's family accomplished all year. Those are great because things are so busy these days, but I miss Christmas cards. The old-fashioned kind that fill your mailbox with something other than bills or advertisements.

I love pulling out some of the one's I have kept over the years because they still mean something like Christmas decorations. They hold memories I want to hold on to. So today, I sit and write out Christmas cards because I want the person I am sending them to, to open them, smile and know that I cared enough to send them a bit of Christmas Spirit. Do you still send Christmas cards? This is one Christmas tradition, I hope never dies out.

If you want to join in a Christmas card exchange with me, I'd love to send you one if you'll send one back. Email me at Stevenkat27@gmail.com and lets exchange addresses and get them in the mail. Perhaps I share them on my blog but know this, they will all be treasured in my heart.

History Behind Christmas Traditions

A long time ago, I bought a journal from Land's End and it was entitled Christmas Memories. It was a red, hardback book that would capture 20 years of Christmas memories, from what you had a dinner, to the guests who stopped by.

Places for favorite Christmas photos and Christmas Cards (when people sent them). What you did on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day as well as a place for Christmas gifts. I have written in that book for so many years. There are a couple of skips in the book before I really kept to being diligent. There are some sad memories when we lost special people who impacted our lives as well as trials that threatened to overwhelm us. I even had one year I completely skipped because I didn't want to celebrate Christmas because my ex made sure to have our divorce finalized on Christmas but because the courts were closed, he had to settle for the day after.

Yet God brings blessings where we don't often look for them and He restored what was lost more that double what I lost in my new husband who proudly stepped in and filled in all those broken places and restored my faith in enjoying Christmas once again. In fact that moment stands out more so than any other Christmas memory.

In this Christmas Memory book are also the history behind some of the traditions we incorporate into our home every year and I thought I would share some of them with you.

1. Candy Canes: They originated in Germany more than 250 years ago. They were simple plain white sugar sticks designed to keep children quiet during church service back in 1670 as the story goes and since they wanted them to be a reminder of Christmas, they were formed into the shape of a shepherd's crook to remind them of the birth of Jesus. Later as the flavors of peppermint and wintergreen were to the red stripes. Christian meanings behind the candy cane is the J-shape reminds us of Jesus, the white of the cane represents the purity of Christ and the red stripes for the blood that He shed on the cross.

2. Poinsettias. Originated in Central America, especially in the area of south Mexico where they bloom during the winter. There is a legend of how the Poinsettia and Christmas came together.

There was once a poor Mexican girl called Pepita who had no present to give the the baby Jesus at the Christmas Eve Services. As Pepita walked to the chapel, sadly, her cousin Pedro tried to cheer her up.

'Pepita', he said "I'm sure that even the smallest gift, given by someone who loves him will make Jesus Happy."

Pepita didn't know what she could give, so she picked a small handful of weeds from the roadside and made them into a a small bouquet. She felt embarrassed because she could only give this small present to Jesus. As she walked through the chapel to the altar, she remembered what Pedro had said. She began to feel better, knelt down and put the bouquet at the bottom of the nativity scene.
Suddenly, the bouquet of weeds burst into bright red flowers, and everyone who saw them were sure they had seen a miracle. From that day on, the bright red flowers were known as the 'Flores de Noche Buena', or 'Flowers of the Holy Night'.

The shape of the poinsettia flower and leaves are sometimes thought as a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem which led the Wise Men to Jesus. The red colored leaves symbolize the blood of Christ. The white leaves represent his purity.

3. Advent. Advent is the period of four Sundays and weeks before Christmas (or sometimes from the 1st December to Christmas Day!). Advent means 'Coming' in Latin. This is the coming of Jesus into the world. Christians use the four Sundays and weeks of Advent to prepare and remember the real meaning of Christmas.

There are three meanings of 'coming' that Christians describe in Advent. The first, and most thought of, happened about 2000 years ago when Jesus came into the world as a baby to live as a man and die for us. The second can happen now as Jesus wants to come into our lives now. And the third will happen in the future when Jesus comes back to the world as King and Judge, not a baby.

Some people fast, or observe dietary restrictions like not eating meat or dairy during the countdown of those days. We most recently see these as Advent Calendars or a wreath that holds numbered bags to be opened each day as is a German tradition. People place small gifts or candy inside to make counting down the days even better and more exciting.

Other people celebrate the Advent with a candle that is burned down to each day marked on the calendar.

 
Some use what is called an Advent crown in which one candle is burned on the first Sunday, two the next Sunday and so on with each having a separate meaning.

First Candle - represents Isaiah and the other prophets who foretold of the coming Messiah.
Second Candle - represents the Bible.
Third Candle - represents Mary, the mother of Jesus
Fourth Candle - represents John the Baptist, Jesus' cousin, who told people to be prepared and to look out for the coming Messiah.
Fifth Candle - usually placed in the middle of the other four represents Jesus Christ, the Messiah who is the Light of the World. This candle is lit on Christmas Eve!

4. Christmas Trees. Both pagans and Christians used the fir trees, for pagans to celebrate the end of winter solstice, but Christmas for a sign of the everlasting life of God. Since fir trees stay green all year long and don't lose their needles, they symbolize life and the hope that comes from trusting in God when winter seems like it's an end to all life. Some countries refer to it as the Paradise Tree and can mean to represent the tree God provided in the Garden of Eden to symbolize everlasting life.

The first first person to bring a Christmas Tree into a house, in the way we know it today, may have been the 16th century German preacher Martin Luther. A story is told that, one night before Christmas, he was walking through the forest and looked up to see the stars shining through the tree branches. It was so beautiful, that he went home and told his children that it reminded him of Jesus, who left the stars of heaven to come to earth at Christmas.

5. Christmas Presents. This is based on the giving of gifts from the Wise men or Magi that came to see Jesus' birth. They offered three distinct gifts: Frankincense: a perfume used in worship to signify that people would worship Jesus. Gold: associated with Kings because Jesus would be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and finally Myrrh: a spice used to prepare bodies when they were to be buried because Jesus Christ would die for the sins of all mankind.

There you have it, some of the history surrounding the traditions we have in our home during Christmas. What are some of your favorites? 

From Our Home to Yours with Love and Holiday Greetings!

It's that time of year again where we take the opportunity to carve out time from our busy schedules and regroup to spend time with family and close friends as we celebrate Christmas. No matter how you spend it and what your traditions are, it's always a time to reflect on what is truly important. Today, I am collaborating with Kendra Thornton, a well-renown travel expert and we decided to share some of what our families are doing this Christmas Season.

We all hope that your holiday is shaping up to be as warm and wonderful as the Thornton's Christmas promises to be. Christmas in Chicago-land is always a brisk but cheerful experience, and this year promises to be no different. The magic of the season and the anticipated Christmas holiday is abundantly prominent in the air, and in the way people are smiling and humming Christmas carols. It's a wonderfully festive time and a pure delight for the young ones. Our family is particularly looking forward to the delicious foods, beverages, and charming traditions that our beloved Norwegian heritage brings to the table each year.

Taking some time out for traditions will be something we hope our families will remember fondly as we look back at what truly made them special. For the Smith family, we take time to plan a road trip of sorts to visit the light displays in Alta Loma, CA. Each year families spend days working on their light displays and the entire city gets involved. It's become so famous that it is featured in the local paper as a definite place to visit. We pack up the car and head down with the entire family. To truly enjoy the festive atmosphere, you must park your car and take a walk around the neighborhood to really get into the mood. You can stop and buy some hot chocolate, tamales or even a chocolate chip cookie right from the oven. Afterwards, we all enjoy dinner out to talk about the memories and which homes were our favorites.

Oysters are a delightful, traditional part of our yearly Christmas festivities for the Thorntons. The family makes kringla and lefse, and on Christmas Eve, all gather together to "shoot" a raw oyster down their throat simultaneously! It's always a hilarious event; one that we share with laughs and hugs. Immediately following the "shoot," we enjoy a steaming bowl of oyster stew, which is followed by a hearty shot of Akvavit, a brisk, bold traditional Scandinavian spirit with a distinct hot tinge to it. A joyous toast of "Skol!" is then proposed by one and all.

Back at the Smith house, packages are beginning to be wrapped with tender care with each year becoming an art form of some sort. We love to see gifts wrapped around the base of our tree. We spend Christmas Eve, watching our favorite Christmas movies like It's A Wonderful Life, The Muppet Christmas, Christmas Vacation and Elf. We order food to be delivered because we know the food preparations will soon be underway on Christmas day so it's a nice break in the hustle and bustle of Christmas baking.

During the holiday season, the Thornton kids always enjoy ice-skating in the brisk winter air. They also pitch in with decorating the tree proudly displayed in our bay window, and helping me bake our delicious traditional Norwegian dinner. Of course they cannot wait to enjoy our family tradition of sipping hot cocoa and garnishing the cookies we leave for Santa on Christmas Eve. In addition, to the children's delight, we are sure to make and sprinkle some "magical" reindeer dust outside their bedroom windows; without it, Santa's reindeer might have a difficult time finding the house! So far, Santa's charges have never had a problem.

This has been a very special Christmas for the Smith's this year. After literally losing our home and my husband's job in the same week last year, God has shown His tender loving hand this year. We literally realized that nothing we own here is really ours and everything we have is a gift on loan from Him while we are on this Earth. God has provided so graciously and by placing our trust in Him and not the world, He has been faithful in His promises. We have a new home and a wonderful job that has become permanent for my husband last year, something that goes beyond what we could ever have managed on our own.

As someone who has traveled the world over, seeing Christmas in many parts of the world, I have never been anywhere that beats being home for the holidays. Surrounded with the love of my family, and the crisp, shimmering, white snow, there is no finer place on Earth than home. I read on article on Gogobot’s blog about warm vs. cold Christmas’s and for me, you just cannot beat a chilly, seasonal frost in the air for Christmas. Christmas should always include the feel of crunchy snow, the scent of fresh evergreens, and the fun of skates on ice. Truly, all I have ever known are cold, white Christmases; for the Thornton’s, that's the way it should be. What makes Christmas special for you?

That's easy, it's realizing that for the Smith family, it is never about the receiving of gifts. It's about the giving. We will look back a year from now and barely remember what we received but it's the gift that brings hope and light in the darkest of places for people that will remember forever. We have had the wonderful opportunity to adopt a Compassion International Child from Africa this year and just knowing the difference we are making in his life will be forever life changing for him. We hope to add even more children this year. We have taken a different approach to give back and give all the glory and blessings to God who has richly provided for us this year.

We were fortunate to have the entire Thornton clan and all our relatives at our Thanksgiving table. We will be welcoming them back for our grand Christmas meal too. We are all so looking forward to it! Christmas just wouldn't be the same without all our loved ones together. I certainly hope that your Christmas also includes many loved ones.

We are thrilled that my husband isn't traveling as much during the last part of December as he's been super busy this last year getting the opportunity to travel literally all over the US with his new job. We can't wait to take some much needed vacation time to sit back and just relax together as a family, sitting by the fire and enjoying some great family time. While the Smith family gets together throughout the year this enables us to truly enjoy just some one on one time within our own homes and avoid all the hassle of traveling.

Wishing you the merriest of Christmases and the best new year yet, the Thorntons say HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Wishing all of our Facebook family and friends a truly blessed Christmas from the Smith family and a Happy New Year. May every Christmas light you see this year, remind you of God's light and the gift He provided to use so that we don't have to live in the darkness any longer.

Christmas Traditions

I love traditions. There is something about being able to spend some time looking back fondly and recalling a particular event that means something more than simply the act of doing it. Christmas traditions are just like that. Place markers in your past that signify a powerful emotion instead of merely doing something with your family.

In today's ever increasing technology gadgets I am finding some of the traditions, I've grown to love are slowly becoming extinct. I cringe when I think that one day, Christmas Cards will simply be a thing of the past. Looking back at my Christmas Memories book that holds the last 18 years of celebrations, I can definitely see where it has fallen by the way side. Now I struggle to find just one Christmas card to post in my book. Sadly it seems most people are either too busy to find time to send them out when a Ecard works just as well. I don't think this should ever be replaced. Now you find commercially produced family Christmas postcards, e-Cards or Printed Family Newsletters are becoming the new norm. I was thrilled when my favorite Aunt sent me one unexpectedly and she is in her late 70's. She is a firm believer in not succumbing to the loss of those family honored traditions. I agree with her on that point. In fact I just mailed out a handful of cards today.

Here are some of my families favorite traditions and I look forward to having you share some of yours with me in the comment box below:

1. See the light display in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. We park the car and stroll the streets looking at the beautifully decorated houses, stop and listen to Christmas carols being sung by people, and purchasing some hot cocoa or soft pretzel. We take the entire family and then head out for dinner afterwards before driving back home. ( This was one of the homes from last year 2013.)

2. Painting Christmas village houses. My husband actually incorporated this tradition in our home and we add more houses and buildings every year. What an incredible way to look back at our lives through this unique one of a kind creations. (Steve's hard at work!)

3. Christmas Eve presents. My family gets to open one gift the night of Christmas Eve. It is always a new set of warm cozy pajamas and socks. When they were younger, I used to include a new Christmas book. (From 2012).

4. Christmas Ornaments. Each year my family decides which ornament best represents them or something they hope will happen in the year ahead and we initial and date them and add them to the Christmas tree each year. (The one above is Caitlyn's, our oldest daughter who loves owls.)

5. Christmas Cookies. I bake tons of cookies a few days before Christmas and include must haves of Chocolate Chip, Sugar Cookies, Magic Bars, Snickerdoodles, Pecan Balls, Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls, Candy Canes, Candy Coated Pecans, Fudge, and Chocolate Covered Caramel Kisses. (Pictured above Snickerdoodles. These never make it to the end of the day before there is only an empty plate!)

6. Egg nog. Enough said. It goes in everything. Pancake batter, French Toast, morning coffee and just drinking it cold with some cookies.

7. Sugar Cookie Contest. This actually got started last year. My daughter's boyfriend suggested we have a contest and each person picks one sugar cookie they decorated to enter the annual Facebook Cookie Contest. Where we ask Family and Friends to pick their favorite without disclosing which cookie goes to which person. The ones above are last year's entries! The star won!

8. Christmas Cards. Yes, I do still send these out. No Christmas Letters, Mass Printed Family Postcards with the Christmas Photos attached or e-Card. Nope, prefer snail mail with handwritten sentiments inside. If you're interested in being part of the Christmas Card bunch. Send me an email at Stevenkat27@verizon.net.

9. Christmas Lights! The more the merrier. I love adding to our outside Christmas decorations and this year I found garage sales were the perfect place to score some one of a kind outdoor decorations. They simply don't make them like they used to. I'll post some pictures later for you on what it looks like. We're waiting for the remainder of the leaves to fall from our Willow tree so you can see it all at once. (The photo above was from 2012 where we had a window painting company come around and paint your window for about $20).

10. Christmas Eve. We always order food to be delivered for dinner and then we simply sit around all day and watch our families favorite Christmas Movies. They change every year. Not sure what will be on the movie play list this year, but I know The Muppet Christmas Carol is always playing.

So in a nutshell is some of our families Christmas traditions. What are some of yours? Remember if you want to do a Christmas Card Exchange with me, email me at Stevenkat27@verizon.net

What Ever Happened To Christmas Cards?

You remember Christmas cards right?

Racing to the mailbox around Christmas time, getting the most amazing beautiful cards with handwritten sentiments from family and friends from afar. They were mailed to you from people you had been in contact with, and to this day, I still have some of my favorites saved, not only for the sentimental words inside but for the wonderful pictures that decorated the outsides.

So what happened to them???

Over the last few years, I've notice that I have gotten fewer and fewer of them. The ones I do get now come from Hallmark, with a notice to save $10 off my next purchase of $50 or more, or from the real estate companies looking to have me call them to refinance my home.

Now I've been getting pictures of children and families printed out on their home computers or from a local printing company with no handwritten sentiments. Just the pre-printed statement wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas.

The other thing we get are what I've come to call Brag Letters, or the annual Family Christmas letter. I even tried one of these a few years back, and try as you might to not brag about what you and your family did, you inevitably do, thus the term Brag Letters. They start off telling you what their children are up to, what they have accomplished, and where they are all headed off to next.

What I really miss, is the old fashion Christmas cards that you add to your Christmas decorations around the house and marvel at the brilliant art work on the cover while tearing up at the heartfelt words on the inside. Those are memory makers!

So please share with me, how do you feel about the changes in Christmas cards? I'd love to hear your comments. Next year, my goal is to get Christmas cards every day in December and share them with you next year.