This post is partly about Christmas traditions in our family and partly an invitation to come on into our home and enjoy our Christmas decorations. While I may be the one composing and publishing this blog, it really is my industrious and creative girls that make so much of this all possible. They take so many of the pictures and in this case, did virtually all of the decorating. Cecily, especially, has made it her goal for the last several years to make some new decorations each years. This year her creation was some pine cone and grapevine wreaths. She also is the one that assembles all of the decorations in pots and vases. Whitney decorated the tree and the painting of the winter scene is hers. I appreciate my girls and the beauty they create.
Many of you have already had celebrations with family and friends. We are just gearing up. Our first family gathering will be Thursday night, Christmas Eve. Our family and its traditions are forever morphing to accommodate our ever changing family. I grew up going to church on Christmas Eve and then coming home and opening presents. Bay City church, where I was converted and baptized also had church on Christmas Eve. That is not the case in Leo. For several years we had a Wieland gathering on Christmas Eve, but then Harvest began to have services. This is the background to what has become our family tradition of gathering a our house for various fixings, not a sit down meal. We like to play games, so that is usually part of the evening. Gift giving has happened some years and some years it has not.A few years ago, because Steve and I wanted to change the focus of Christmas, we started to draw names in our family(not just the kids, but grandkids and parents too) and we only purchase one gift. We have included Claudia and Marek. This exchange has sometimes happened on Christmas Day, but for the last couple of years it has been Christmas Eve. The kids who live at my house have tried to keep Mom from finding out who they have, because it seems that I often am able to figure that out.A break from the tradition this year is that Joel wants to host this at his house. At first I wasn't sure that I wanted to give this up, but it was pretty special and cute that Joel wanted to host it, so I agreed.It is fun to have company in when the house is decorated in such a cheery fashion, so I invite you you to see some of our decorations. Welcome!
Have a very blessed and joyous Christmas and Happy 2010!
This post is partly about Christmas traditions in our family and partly an invitation to come on into our home and enjoy our Christmas decorations. While I may be the one composing and publishing this blog, it really is my industrious and creative girls that make so much of this all possible. They take so many of the pictures and in this case, did virtually all of the decorating. Cecily, especially, has made it her goal for the last several years to make some new decorations each years. This year her creation was some pine cone and grapevine wreaths. She also is the one that assembles all of the decorations in pots and vases. Whitney decorated the tree and the painting of the winter scene is hers. I appreciate my girls and the beauty they create.
Many of you have already had celebrations with family and friends. We are just gearing up. Our first family gathering will be Thursday night, Christmas Eve. Our family and its traditions are forever morphing to accommodate our ever changing family. I grew up going to church on Christmas Eve and then coming home and opening presents. Bay City church, where I was converted and baptized also had church on Christmas Eve. That is not the case in Leo. For several years we had a Wieland gathering on Christmas Eve, but then Harvest began to have services. This is the background to what has become our family tradition of gathering a our house for various fixings, not a sit down meal. We like to play games, so that is usually part of the evening. Gift giving has happened some years and some years it has not.A few years ago, because Steve and I wanted to change the focus of Christmas, we started to draw names in our family(not just the kids, but grandkids and parents too) and we only purchase one gift. We have included Claudia and Marek. This exchange has sometimes happened on Christmas Day, but for the last couple of years it has been Christmas Eve. The kids who live at my house have tried to keep Mom from finding out who they have, because it seems that I often am able to figure that out.A break from the tradition this year is that Joel wants to host this at his house. At first I wasn't sure that I wanted to give this up, but it was pretty special and cute that Joel wanted to host it, so I agreed.It is fun to have company in when the house is decorated in such a cheery fashion, so I invite you you to see some of our decorations. Welcome!
Have a very blessed and joyous Christmas and Happy 2010!
Jane, I really enjoyed this post! You share your heart and journal very well! I really appreciate you!
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