Those are some lovely traditions, especially your husband’s waffles. I too make Belgian waffles from scratch and add anything from vanilla cream to chocolate syrup. Sometimes, I thaw the frozen blueberries and fill the crevasses so each square is a fork-full of yummy. We have eight days of lighting candles on our menorah, eating potato pancakes (latkes), jelly doughnuts (sufganiyot), and having the kids spin the dreidel with chocolate coins (gelt) as the prizes. It’s a great game where you can eat your winnings. I hope you and your family continue to celebrate Christmas in the best way by being together and truly happy!

Your Christmas sounds a lot like ours. It is a real gift to not have a huge CC bill in January. I love to bake gifts for friends and family. We had a horrible flood here this year as you may have seen on the national news. My goal this year is to bake for everyone who helped us out. We had to evacuate horses, cats, dogs and chickens. I had animals farmed out all over. It was a true blessing to have people around who did not mind one bit that I called in the middle of the night for help. They came to the rescue. I feel truley blessed.
Another way we celebrate is by being outside as much as possible. After 115 degrees and up this summer 55 is a welcome relief. We won’t have any “kids” around this year again, and it has been kind of weird not to have a large group. In years past we got in the habit of not putting up a big tree, just a little tiny one. This year we went ahead and put up a 6 ft. arttie. Ha! My husband found it sitting near a dumpster last year and brought it home. He’s a scapper. I really did’nt want anything to do with it being in the house, mabey outside somewhere. It is standing proud in my living room and looks wonderful ! I may leave it up all year Haha !
I love reading your posts and btw you might like to know Vegas was socked in with fog the last 2 days ! Once in 10 years. (I live 100 miles out in the middle of no where but close enough. )
Merry Christmas ! GW

Thank you Deb! I/we DON’T do the Black Friday thing either and we don’t live near malls or such. But over the past few years our family has decided that we just aren’t going to be spending money on Christmas gifts. We all just want to spend TIME with each other and agreed to save our money for any travel involved and activities we want to do together. Of course, we HAVE to eat, so we do want to spend reasonable money on food and prepare a special meal and treats.
We believe the “JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON” and that is our focus and that is our celebration. We do decorate (I get kinda carried away with it) and enjoy the fun things.
Another thing we like to do is have our church fellowship group, which is very small, over to sing carols and share snacks on a Sunday afternoon. When it’s possible and the schedule works out we sometimes invite our neighbors by for an open house on a Sunday afternoon.
We are musicians so Christmas music is a “requirement” and we love it!
Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Farmgirl Hugs!
CJ

I don’t exactly celebrate Christmas as everyone else……no ecrations because it takes me a month to pt them a d a ml the to put them away….just can’t be bothered with those things…. no one comes to my house for the holidays no more….kids have their own traditions. But I do relish in buying gifts and making gifts whether it be a scarf or a pumpkin pie or cookies….love giving all kinds of gifts to friends, family and some neighbors or my mail persons. I just love doing those random kindnessds this time if the year….saying thank you to all….with something special to let them know they are appreciated. I wish more people would try t…..I’m amazed how it can turn a Grinch into a Teddy bear. And gives me an endorphin rush of adrenaline….and thse feel good hormones get a lift. ….it really is better to give then recieve too. I always feel bad when someone tries to validate my feelings….I don’t feel good about getting a gift just because I gave someone a gift….they don’t have to give he a thing….I’m happy with a hug fir thank you….to me that is more welcomed than a guilt gift! I like just giving because its his I am….I work on Christmas all year long….giving to me us an art and a release fir my creativity. And I give because its the only real meaning of Christmas…..G*d gave and any one who believes in G*d should emulate him and just give….because giving us a way to say thank you to G*d….its saying you believe I. Unmeritable love! He gave because he loved us….he cane down to show s his much….he/gave up his glory, his throne and lol the Roche, so we could have everything he felt we deserved…. his love was just the beginning if it! If were his children, we should be Abel to give…..from the heart, not the purse. Giving is what we do f we love……

Ah, a woman after my own heart! I spent many Christmases in that silly mad rush, too, but not anymore. All the commercialism takes the real joy out of Christmas, so no Black Fridays for me, and I try not to have to shop at all during December. I love the real things, like spending quality time with family and friends. I love baking gifts, and knitting gifts, too. Real trees, boughs of pine and holly are lovely things I look forward to using every Christmas season. I love snow, candles, and poinsettias, too. I think most of all, I love the peacefulness of a quiet Christmas! Blessings on you and your family. Merry Christmas, Marilyn