Family Traditions!

To some this picture may seem dull or without meaning but to me it is my life. My nieces and brother-in-law living, loving & feeling free and happy on our family land. This was on Thanksgiving 2010 when we started a new tradition. Aunt April dresses up in Poppy (my dads) camo and hides somewhere on the property. Then, all the kids run crazy until they find her. Now while this is a new tradition, the feeling is the same. I ran in these woods. I was scraped by those trees, I flew down the hills as fast as I could with no fear of spraining my ankle.........I was happy, and I was with family. 

NEXT.............Christmas!

Oh the sweet chaos of a large family. I LOVE the shoulder to shoulder bonding. The cozy warmth of everyone wearing their winter sweaters' and the smell of an all too familiar place. HOME. My Grandparents house is ALL I have ever known for the Holidays......and thus begins my recent story. I received a call from my sister to chat for a minute and then she breaks the news to me that my grandparents were going to reserve a room at Ryan's Restaurant for Christmas. My heart dropped. "What?" I said with my voice already quivering with sadness. I stood on the sidewalk of our little town.....waiting for the Light up night Parade.....and tears started STREAMING down my face. How could this be??? Now in my family....just from my Grandparents and including spouses....there are 59 of us. Yes.....it is huge.....and even though we all  can't be together the ones that can make it still makes it a large party. Long story short......my sisters decided to talk with my Grandparents and explain the food, the gifts and money mean NOTHING to us. We could sit there and do nothing but stare at each others faces and be perfectly happy. THANKFULLY......Grandpa and Grandma agreed. So this Christmas there will be NO gifts from either side. We will each show up with our favorite dish for the meal and then Grandpa is going to read the Christmas story to all of us in the family room and then we are all going to sing Christmas carols. I know it is gonna be the BEST Christmas ever and we are .....as a family.....truly putting Christ in our Christmas gathering. I asked my sister April how it went when they talked to our Grandparents and she said "Anita talked while I cried " lol..... which is what I would have done had I been there. So HOORAY for Christmas tradition and family.........