Do you celebrate Advent (a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of Christ’s birth) in your family?  Growing up, my family always did Advent readings.  I remember at least one year where we got to do crafts as part of Advent, which I thoroughly enjoyed.  I also enjoyed getting to light the candles!

One of my family’s favorite Advent books is actually a storybook that directs you in reading aloud one chapter a day until Christmas.  This book is called Jotham’s Journey, and it tells the story of a shepherd boy who encounters all kinds of adventures leading up to the birth of Christ.  It’s very exciting and your family won’t want you to stop at the end of each chapter!

You can find Jotham’s Journey on Amazon. (And, there are two other books by the same author: Bartholomew’s Passage and Tabitha’s Travels for after you read Jotham’s Journey.)

I want to hear from you…
How does your family celebrate Advent?

I have wonderful memories of Christmas as a child.  I can remember decorating the tree as a family while listening to Christmas music and generally being goofy, drinking eggnog, decorating cookies, driving around and looking at Christmas lights, reading Advent books as a family, wearing special Christmas outfits, getting new pajamas, hanging up our handmade stockings, and so much more!  I’m sure you also have great memories from your childhood.

Christmas 2009

As our family grows, Tad and I want to have family Christmas traditions of our own.  We’ve already established several, but two words keep coming to mind as I think about creating memories as a family.  (I’m definitely talking to myself here!)

1. Spontaneity
Some of the best memories I have with my family (not just at Christmas) were spontaneous.  (“Let’s go to Fresh Market and buy Christmas treats!”  “Let’s make hot chocolate and go drive around and look at lights!” etc.)  I think being flexible enough (and not too busy) to jump in the car and go somewhere fun or drop what we’re doing to make a yummy treat is really important.  We want our holiday season to be memory-rich, and if we’re too busy checking things off a list to go look at how a child decorated their own personal Christmas tree in their room, something is wrong!  (P.S. Yes, we had our own little trees in our rooms growing up!) This year I’ve tried to get shopping done early and have a few things made ahead in the freezer so that I can be more spontaneous and fun.  Who wants to be the mom that says “no” to driving around and looking at Christmas lights because she is checking things off a list?  Not me!

2. Intentionality
You might think that spontaneity and intentionality are contradictory, but I don’t think they have to be.  I think both are very important in creating Christmas memories!  Intentionality makes sure that fun traditions take place and memories are made.  For example, if you want to do an Advent reading every day as a family, that takes being intentional (as do larger projects, such as decorating gingerbread houses, stringing lights on the outside of the house, volunteering in the community, and hosting Christmas parties).  This year I have tried to be intentional in creating memories by writing down some of my goals for the season and things I hope we can do as a family.

As far as preserving memories goes, I have two suggestions.

1. Take lots of pictures!! 
Store them on the computer.  Print them out.  Blog them.  Scrapbook them.  Send them to grandparents.  Just take tons!  If you’re using a digital camera, they are free… so why not take a bunch?

2. Keep a Christmas journal
I’m starting one this year!  Write about fun things you did as a family, gifts you gave one another, people you had over to your home, and funny stories from the holiday season.  Won’t this be fun to look back on and pass on to our kids?

I want to hear from you…
-Is it easier for you to be spontaneous or intentional?
-What traditions do you enjoy as a family?
-What is one of your favorite childhood Christmas memories?
-How do you preserve your family memories?