time honored traditions

Hello all, it's the Mr. & Mrs. here for our first post together (awwww).

We truly enjoy the winter holidays and all of the rich tradition they carry for our families.  We've come to learn about the traditions both of our families implemented as we were growing up, and now we're trying to determine what our traditions will be as we raise little ones.  We often get carried away by the busyness (and let's be real, stress) that holidays can bring, but we try to bring ourselves back to the real reason we celebrate; what really matters most.  For us, much of it boils down to TIME.  Who we spend it with, and what we're doing while we are with them.  Are we constantly "plugged in", or do we dim the lights and just enjoy each other's company by the tree?  Are we rushing here and there to check too many things off our lists, or do we pause.......just long enough to realize that maybe, just maybe our holidays can be special without a few of those "things" so that we can spend more time with the ones we love?  Do we sit around wordlessly staring at a screen, or pull open our Bible to read the true Christmas story?  Don't get us wrong....we LOVE a good party, buying gifts for those we love, eating yummy holiday snacks, etc....  But among all of the traditions of baking certain cookies, visiting Santa, and singing Silent Night, we want to be sure that the traditions we keep with our family honor the time we have together during the holidays.  This is a special time of year that we don't want to rush through and miss.  How about you?

We think the Grinch really sums it up nicely: "'[Christmas] came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags.' And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. 'What if Christmas', he thought, 'doesn't come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?'"