Sometimes it's just that Time of Year

It's that time of year again... When the leaves are supposed to turn colors, the snow is supposed to start falling, and the fireplaces are supposed to be being lit once more. I say "supposed to" because if you live in Austin, Texas (or someplace similar) the majority of leaves are still green... or dead... And the snow is a foam people use to decorate with. Now fires just may be lit in the fireplaces, but instead of being cozyed up to they are politely admired from across the room.

This will be Nathan's and my third holiday season together, our second with Tucker, and of course our first with Maddie... And hopefully it will be the first we actually decorate for and start our own family traditions... Fingers crossed!

I love traditions, probably my most favorite part of the holiday season growing up was that it was dependable and predictable. It came once a year. Thanksgiving was spent at my Uncle's ranch outside of Bracketville- everyone (with the exception of me and whoever was too young at the time) would go bow hunting. We would also roast marshmallows, eat tons of enchiladas, watch the Thanksgiving day parade, and of course the dreaded anticipated football game of the season (A&M vs. UT), while enjoying the most amazing food ever. Seriously, I am not sure a better Thanksgiving tradition exists... Hence it's hold on my heart as my favorite holiday.

The drive from the ranch back to Colorado would consist of Christmas music... Nonstop Christmas music (which was probably the least looked forward to tradition of the holidays by both my brothers and me), however I have found I have become the initiator of that tradition in our house now... Dancing around every evening the past few days singing songs from Michael Buble's new Christmas album with Tucker -who now recognizes different songs and will even shout "oh boy!" for his favorites- during which times of joy I feel a small pang of guilt for not being equally enthusiastic when my own mom would turn on the festive ensembles when we were growing up...

...And then the Christmas season would get underway. In Colorado that meant chopping down our own tree (always one that resembled a "Charlie Brown Christmas tree"), drinking hot chocolate with extra marshmallows in Santa mugs, and watching Christmas movies while my mom strung cranberries and popcorn to decorate it's weathered boughs.

Christmas Eve we would receive our Christmas pj's and again drink hot chocolate after attending the Christmas Eve service in town at the local Presbyterian church. And on Christmas morning we would come downstairs to find our "Santa" gifts and stockings. We would eat another amazingly delicious meal, and then unwrap presents... Leisurely cherishing the snow covered day.

Now it's time for me to figure out which traditions will be the ones my children grow up with. That's a lot of pressure. It seems impossible not to keep every tradition exactly as it's always been... Except for the fact that we don't really get white Christmases here...