1. My mom always gave us an ornament each year that had a significant meaning of that particular year (it might have been from a trip we went on or a hobby I took up etc.)
2. My Aunt always read a meaningful book on Christmas Eve...usually was a kids book but nothing traditional...they were always really creative and had a deep (yet sometimes obvious) spiritual meaning.
So, I decided that every year I want to buy our children an ornament AND a special book...both with lots of thoughtfulness put behind it. I'm going to start a memory book for each child and take a picture each Christmas of them with their ornament and book and then write in the memory book why I bought them that particular book and ornament. (Surely I can keep up with a scrap book that only requires one picture in it a year, right?!!) Although I guess when he's 16 I might be running out of ideas!
For his first Christmas, we stamped his foot and hand on an ornament to remember how tiny and precious he is! For the book, we got him "The tale of Three Trees" which is an awesome folktale about 3 trees that search for their signifance in this world...and end up finding it by allowing the Lord to use them in their own unique way to bring Him Glory (one tree becomes the boat that Jesus road in with Peter, the other becomes the manger for Jesus when he was born, and the third tree becomes the cross where Jesus died). Our prayer for Ryder is that he would become all that God wants him to be!(P.S. I bought this awesome book by John Piper's wife, Noelle Piper, called "Treasuring God in Our Traditions"....it has some great ideas about how to create meaningful family traditions (not just for holidays but all throught he year!) with Christ as the center)
**Christmas Post Below**
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