Share Your Tree!

Kristin over at We are THAT family is hosting Share Your Tree. Join the fun. Post a picture of your tree, and share a bit about your family's Christmas traditions. Don't forget to sign in at We are THAT family if you are playing.

I love Christmas. I love the family traditions we repeat year after year. I love the lights, the color, the music. I love the look on my children's  faces when they come downstairs Christmas morning to find their stockings full, and presents waiting under the tree. This year the kids are begging to sleep under the tree on Christmas Eve. I am not sure how Santa will pull off leaving presents and stuffing the stocking without waking the kids. We will see if that happens.


I am finding that as we move around the world our traditions are changing. A long standing tradition has gone by the wayside this year. Normally we read a new Christmas picture book each evening, but my box of holiday books didn't make it here from Jakarta. Instead we are listening to an old time radio show each night, Cinnamon Bear. It is great fun.

We continue to buy a new ornament for each person, each year. Since we are a family of six that means there are a LOT of ornaments crammed onto our little tree and almost no two are the same.


We used to make a trip to the tree farm to cut our tree every year but when we were posted in Jakarta we found that Christmas trees were in short supply and VERY expensive. Huh! Imagine that. Largest Muslim nation in the world and they didn't have a whole lot of Christmas trees. We gave in and bought a fake tree. I miss the smell of pine, but I will admit it is a lot easier to set up. No stringing lights, just unfold and plug it in. Ready to go. Yeah, I'm no fool. I bought a pre-lit tree.

A new tradition we are starting is having family members play Christmas music on their instruments. David has taught himself a few carols on the piano, Cody as been fiddling around with some tunes on his violin. (sorry couldn't resist). Both Colin and Alonzo can play a song or two on their recorders and the piano. Hopefully by next year I can join in on the guitar and Grayson will be learning piano by then too, although he already pounds on the drums and sings Jingle Bells at the top of his lungs. 

No matter where we go, no matter what changes, Christmas is time for family.

Cody shows his brothers how to make the violin sound just like a dying cat!