HO HO HO!

This time of year is my favorite.  Granted my daughter was born just two days before Christmas so we get to celebrate her birthday every year.  Yes I also love going to my family’s house and my in-law’s home for thanksgiving dinner and Christmas.  It is so much fun to be around family and enjoy each other’s company.  Really, I don’t know what it is about this time of year but it always puts everyone in such good mood.  Everyone around you seems to put away the stresses of their jobs and lives and enjoy the holiday season.  All of this is great, but my favorite part about the holiday season is the family traditions.  I can remember doing these same traditions every year as a kid and it excites me to be able to continue those traditions with my own family.  The one tradition that stands out among the rest is the day after thanksgiving we would always put up the Christmas tree and Christmas decorations.  When I say put up the Christmas tree I mean we would go as a family and cut one down.  We never had a fake tree growing up.  Now with my family I can remember when my wife and I got married we would go in to the mountains with our jeep and another married couple and cut down our Christmas trees.  We would then strap them to our roof and take them home to set up and decorate.  It is so fun doing this in preparation for the Christmas season.