You know what else I love about this time of year???  All the CHRISTMAS CARDS that flood the mailbox!  We get to catch up with friends and family who live near and far.  Don’t you just LOVE getting a Christmas card from a friend you haven’t heard from in a long time?  Ok, so now we have facebook and all sorts of other resources online to keep up with friends year round, but still, there’s just something about receiving a card in the mail, don’t you think?  However, if I get a card with a 10 page missive about a year in the life, you can bet that thing hit the garbage can before the seal was even broken!  One year we got a long, long Christmas letter that described the husband’s finishing up of his 89th journal.  I kid you not!  We thought about sending one out the next year that went something like….”And we both THOUGHT about starting a journal for the 89th time….”  Yeesh! Here’s what our card looks like this year.  The letter was typed inside….written in the voice of our dog Pixie.  She’s not real bright, but she was able to string a few sentences together.

Years ago, I started a little tradition of hanging each card we received on the garland around the banister.  I didn’t know where else to put them all! Now I LOVE my card riddled banister.  I keep the cards even and re-hang them each year.  The cards hold so many memories.

I LOVE looking at this one…..wait until Beth sees it!

Look at those boys!  They’re all grown up now!  That’s why it’s fun to glance at this one every year.  Like I said, SO many memories!  I’m not even sure, but I THINK this is from when Beth still lived in Alabama even.  Wow, how time does fly!

Since I moved to France during my first year of marriage and we stayed there for 10 years, we had to start making our own family traditions.  We had to figure out which of our family traditions we absolutely HAD to continue (like the favorite Christmas cookies Beth spoke of!) and then we had to add some of our own along the way.  It was too expensive to go home every year, especially once we started having kids.  And we soon learned that we weren’t the only one’s missing our families at this time of year.  We decided to invite all our “misfit” friends to our house to celebrate the season.  However, the ticket to the party was to bring a homemade ornament for our tree!  Our tree was so scarce, since we were just starting to make memories.  We thought this was a brilliant idea and hoped it wouldn’t keep people from coming.  We were AMAZED at the thought and creativity that went into each ornament!

Here are a few!  One was hand-stitched with bead ornaments on the tree, I love that she added the date too!  The other is actually an empty whole egg shell (the egg was blown out, of course!) rolled in beads.

This one was made by my brother John who lived in Geneva with us for awhile.  I don’t think I would have survived without him there at that time, I had two little babies a year apart and a husband working on his master’s degree! John made his ornament out of chocolate wrappers and ribbon. I’m sure he’s shocked I still have it!  He made the star out of the name plate from his door with his and his flat mate’s last name.  Look at the detail, with that nice red glitter glue!

But these….THESE are my favorites!!!  One of my very dearest friends (whom I also would never have survived without!) made these one year by taking old Christmas cards and putting my kids faces on them.  I LOVE seeing these every year!  And believe it or not, the kids still INSIST on hanging their own!

Aren’t those the cutest things you’ve ever seen???  They just make me smile.  They really do!  So, back to my tradition….all our friends would come to our house bearing these awesome ornaments for our tree.  We’d sit around and tell favorite Christmas stories or share memories of Christmases past.  Of course, the tunes would be playing in the background, then everyone took turns showing their ornaments and hanging them on the tree.  I learned how to make a traditional Bouche de Noel (Yule Log), and since we couldn’t actually buy eggnog in stores there, I had to learn how to make that too!!!  I had lots of hits and misses, but finally worked THAT recipe to perfection!  After the ornament hanging, we’d all enjoy a slice of Yule Log and a cup of eggnog together.  What wonderful memories!

All those dear friends are scattered near and far now.  But we still exchange cards each year and try to see each other whenever we can.  My friend that made me those fabulous cards with my kids faces is also the one who gave me the plaque I posted a picture of at the top.

“Friends are the family one finds along the way”

I’m thankful for the many, many friends who have touched my life over the years and for the big huge family we’ve all become.

(sniff, sniff!)

AND NOW…..let’s  draw another name for our 5th Day of Christmas!  Are you feeling lucky???  Ok…closing my eyes, drawing a name…and the winner is…..

PATSI FOUNTAINE!!!  You know the drill, send us an email so we can send you a fabulous gift!

And remember everyone, keep those comments a comin’….you could be a lucky winner too!  I’d love to hear about YOUR favorite traditions.  Please share!