It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
There is nothing like Christmas time and the joy that comes
with celebrating this wonderful holiday. Here are some fun traditions my family
and I love to do together around the holiday season.
1.
Bake!
Every since I was little my family has always baked, baked, every cookie
and dessert recipe there is in our holiday family cookbook. From spritz cookies to fudge, we make it
all! My favorite cookies to make are
jewel cookies. They remind me of my
Grandma Joyce, with their softness and sweet centers. This year we are very excited to bake her
signature sugar cookies. I say very
excited this year because my son, Bode, loves to decorate the cookies with
frosting and sprinkles galore.
2.
Decorate our tree! Since my husband and I have been a couple,
our tree decorations have defiantly developed over time. My husband has many homemade ornaments from
his side of the family along with my classic bulbs, then throw in our ornaments
for Bode and there you have it…our tree!
Don’t forget the candy canes too. :)
3.
Celebrating Advent. As Catholics, we celebrate the anticipated
birth of our savior with four weeks of celebration until Christmas day. Each Sunday, a candle is lit to signify the
upcoming birth of Jesus Christ. This
year is very special for us because our son, Bode, is able to understand (just
a little) what it means when one of the candles it lit. We tell him that “x” amount of candles is
left to be lit before someone special comes and he gets so excited! We show him pictures of baby Jesus, and where
he was born in the manger and he just thinks it’s the greatest thing ever!
4.
Christmas Day!
As much as it’s great to have presents under the tree to open along with
goodies in our stockings, our family appreciates spending time together the
most. Christmas is a day for us all to
relax, enjoy all of the Christmas goodies we made, go to Church to worship, and
reflect on how lucky we are to have a happy and healthy family.
I hope you all find joy in this holiday season. May you be happy, healthy, and find joy in
these next coming weeks and beyond.
Keeping Families Close,
Laura Schmidt
Mrs. North Dakota International 2018
