2015 Christmas Celebration #3: Meager and Modest

Compared to all the other Christmas celebrations and traditions the kids' enjoy with their extended family filled with travels and adventures, our little family's traditions probably seem measly to the kids in comparison.  They do not complain, though.  They are also discovering that traveling reduces our gift budget by almost $3500 each Christmas (an expense most of their friends' families do not have since they live within a few hours driving distance from extended family), but they would rather see their cousins and grandparents than have more toys than they have time to use or room to store.

Our traditions include nightly advent readings with candy and Bible verses inside each drawer or door of the Advent lighthouse, cinnamon rolls for breakfast, stockings and gifts representative of the gifts the three wise men brought Jesus.  In addition to a simple stocking, they receive three other gifts.  Their myrrh (burial spices) gift is something they put on their bodies and should remind them of Jesus' death on our behalf.  Their frankincense gift is one that should draw them into deeper worship and intimacy with Christ.  We gave ourselves a family trip to Israel as our Frankincense gift this year.  The kids specifically asked to see Bethlehem and to float on the Dead Sea, so we just bought option excursions to do both.  The gold gift is something they value highly - usually a big item from their wish list.  Our son got a full size bed which somehow turned into a room makeover since he needed new bed linens which didn't match the rest of this room.  He went from a nautical theme to a Star Wars theme.  Our daughter's gold gift included some expensive shoes and a laptop my husband refurbished, but she must share it with her brother.  She's also getting my computer desk and L-table following my office extreme makeover.

Orwell experienced his first Christmas this year. He knocked over the tree, dismantled it, and kept it sagging all season long.  He found a shirt in his stocking that read, "Who rescued whom?"  Watching him try to figure out why he felt something pressing on his back when we put the shirt on him had us all in stitches.  That cat is too funny...and doesn't seem to mind when I laugh at his expense.