It is not Christmas without...

I asked Nate to fill in the blank. "It is not Christmas without..." We both came up with lists of things that we love and want out of our Holiday Season.  Yes, I love the day of Christmas, but I adore just as much the days leading up to it.  I love the happiness that surrounds Christmas Day and the focus on celebrating and appreciating our family and friends.  Nate and I grew up with many different Christmas traditions and over the years we have created our own as well.  I took the lists that Nate and I made and we started a Christmas countdown. Everyday the kids move the snowflake to show how many days until Christmas and then they pull a sheet of paper out that has a Christmas activity for us to do together as a family.  Some things are traditions that Nate or I did as a child that we want to continue with our children, and some are traditions that our family has created on our own.  Doing one every day makes sure that no traditions are forgotten. It is a wonderful way to celebrate Christmas everyday and to give us some quality family time in the middle of all the hustle and bustle.

Here is what we have done so far:

Had a pajama party, drank hot Cocoa and watched the Polar Express

Made Oranges with Cloves

Baked Peanut Butter Cookies

Watched Charlie Brown Christmas

Made Chocolate Fudge with Nuts

Visited Santa at the Train Station

Read the Story of Jesus Birth and acted it out with our Nativity scene

Made Paper Chains

Went to Trent's Winter Concert

Baked Cranberry Nut Bread

Cut Paper Snowflakes

and we still have 14 more days and traditions to go!!!

So how would you finish this sentence?  It is not Christmas without...