Celebration Preparation!
Littered throughout the month of October, friends and I will be sharing what we do to make our holidays happy and good. So be prepared to get some good ideas and add some new traditions to your festivities.
In our first year of marriage, Dustin and I recieved The Polar Express as a Christmas gift from my youngest brother. This gift inspired us to keep adding to our "Christmas" book collection every year, which has turned into a very pleasant tradition. Each book is a gentle reminder of holiday memories. Like the Christmas Eve we spent with the Paulsons and their oldest son told me that I was reading the book all wrong... (which I was, sort of, A Creature is Stirring, is a companion poem to The Night Before Christmas and I choose to read them intertwined, which he objected too.) It was a night filled with the Nativity (thanks to Kelly's MIL), amazing food and Lemon Pie? Very nice. Once we waited for 85 minutes to have the Drummer Boy autographed by the author who never showed up. It didn't diminish the book's theme or illustrations but the book now has other stories to tell then just the one written in its pages.
My personal favorite is Great Joy. This story is full of love and service through the telling of the Savior's birth. It brings tears to my eyes every time I read it. I love discussing this book with Abug and Llou, describing to them the behaviors and thoughts that I hope they have. I highly recommend it.
The new book is given to the children on the first day of December and is read before Luke on Christmas Eve. Each night they are allowed to pick from one story to have read to them before bedtime. This tradition is filled with snuggles, freshly laundered children and hot cocoa. My favorite. I hope that this tradition might be passed on to their children because when they look back it is full of meaning and family love.
What are your Favorite Holiday Books? Any Suggestions for this Year?
Ps. One year I bought the The Steadfast Tin Soldier. Bad Idea. I completely forgot how sad and somewhat distressful the ending is, not happy holiday at all... avoid please.
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