Having these babies has been the highlight of my LIFE so far!! Seriously, they bring so much joy and love to our home. Just when you think you can’t possibly love them more, you do. It seriously kind of sounds cheesy, and of course we have our hard times and moments and we change multiple poopy diapers each day…but the JOY!!! Oh, the joy. Tyler and I are having so much fun watching their little personalities come out. Goldie is SUPER social and loves to laugh and chat with everyone she sees. She makes us laugh when she “complains” ha ha…her little voice! Harris is laid back and has the sweetest, most calm little spirit. Those big, blue, innocents little eyes make me want to be the best me.
Christmas is such a sweet time of year, and Tyler and I are now realizing that WE are the parents (we’re not just playing house…crazy!)…we get to decide on what traditions we want to cultivate in our little families and it’s basically the most exciting thing that has happened since the Cubs won the World Series. Times a million. It gets me giddy!
These are the Christmas traditions that we are going to start!
1. Opening new pajamas on Christmas eve to wear that night and in the following. I always thought this was such a fun tradition that other families did and something that we are going to start! This includes new pajamas for Tyler and I too and I already purchased Tyler’s. He has no idea and I can’t wait to surprise him.
2. Making gingerbread houses with my family. We have done this since I was a little girl. My grandma would spend HOURS in the kitchen making real gingerbread. When we got a little older, she would actually make them out of cardboard boxes! She would cut the pieces and hot glue them together. When it’s covered with frosting, you can’t tell! Plus, we didn’t really ever eat the actual gingerbread houses anyway and it saved her a lot of time. I remember going over to house on Christmas eve and making the houses. My dad and I walked out into the cold night after we were done one year and looked up into the sky. He said, “do you see that? It’s Santa and his reindeer out to deliver the gifts for all the kids!” And I said yes, because in my mind, I did see it. I made myself see it because I believed. I can’t wait to do this with my babies each year! My grandma has since passed away and I love carrying on her tradition with my family.
3. Buy a new ornament each year that represented our year. We are going to all shop for this ornament together, take a picture of it all together, and then write in a little book why we chose that ornament for that year. It will be a fun little photo album of all of our Christmases! I’m so excited about this.
4. Buy a new Christmas book every year. I absolutely love reading and want to instill that love into my children as well. We will have a collection after a few years and we will be able to read them together all season long as a family before bedtime!
Will you let me know what your favorite Christmas traditions are either here or on Instagram? I love hearing about family traditions and what makes the season special for you, and getting other good ideas!!
Van Nguyen says
December 7, 2016 at 5:19 amIt’s my baby’s first Christmas also. I want us to read Luke 2:1-20 on Christmas morning. My husband puts up our Christmas tree at midnight after Thanksgiving. It doesn’t have ornaments, just tons of colorful lights. It has green garlands to make the artificial tree look fuller. There is also a smaller tree that he puts up in our bedroom for when I wake up and find our place looking so festive. I like the PJ tradition on Christmas Eve and buying a new holiday book each year. Those are great ideas.
Jenica Parcell says
December 9, 2016 at 11:10 amLove this, thank you!
Courtney Hugo says
December 7, 2016 at 8:46 pmI love your ideas- we do a lot of these things too. We actually decided a few years ago that our kids get their christmas jammies the night we decorate the tree- we call it our “kick off to Christmas” party. Then we snuggle up with hot chocolate and a Christmas movie together in their new jammies- we like this because then they get to wear them all month long. We also give our kids a Christmas book each year- now we have a great collection! One tradition we started three years ago was an act of service each day until Christmas- when we started our kids were just 1 and 3 but I was surprised how much they could actually do and help with. A lot of the activities involve baking some type of Christmas cookies and delivering them to someone specific (a widow, police station and fire station, their pediatrician, etc.)- which is a fun way to do a lot of holiday baking. Then we also do easier stuff like make Christmas cards to send to great-grandparents, write the missionaries in our ward, hold doors open for people, donate old toys, etc. This year with the Light The World campaign we got a few new ideas of things to do too. This has been a really awesome way to incorporate Christ and the true meaning of Christmas into activities all month long.
Jenica Parcell says
December 9, 2016 at 11:10 amI LOVE ALL OF THESE IDEAS!! Ahh thank you! I think next year we’ll open our jammies when we decorate our tree. Love that! And bringing people goodies. How fun! Thank you! I love the Light the World campaign 🙂
AnnE says
December 7, 2016 at 8:52 pmOh my goodness, I love your idea to get a new Christmas book every year!! Such a great idea! I enjoy following you and your adorable little babes on Instagram. We had our baby, Crosby – also an IVF baby – on Oct. 13 this year so this is the first year that my husband and I are starting family traditions. Isn’t it so fun?!?
Happy Holidays!
Jenica Parcell says
December 9, 2016 at 11:07 amThank you so much! YES! IT’s so much fun!
Nancy says
December 7, 2016 at 9:15 pmAll lovely ideas, so important to have traditions. Two suggestions, launder the pj’s and then wrap up. Let each child choose a Christmas book to build your collection faster.
Jenica Parcell says
December 9, 2016 at 11:07 amLove those, thank you!!
Amye says
December 7, 2016 at 10:51 pmGreat ideas – I love the idea of having the ornament and the note to explain what it represents!
I’m also a new mama so we are excited to begin traditions this year. In addition to new PJs, and special holiday books, we happened to have spaghetti the night we decorated the tree and decided that will be a family tradition! When she gets older I hope to keep a copy of her letters to Santa in a keepsake album since they’ll reflect her age each year. Happy Holidays!
Jenica Parcell says
December 9, 2016 at 11:06 amI like that idea! Eat the same type of meal each time. Thank you!!
Kerri says
December 9, 2016 at 5:06 amWrap up 25 Christmas books and they can open one every night before bed as their bed time story (you can reuse the same 25 books every year).
Also, an advent calendar made out of little envelopes with notes on them for something they get to do that day (when they are bigger). (example: an extra bedtime story, go out for ice cream, stay up 20 minutes later, etc)
Jenica Parcell says
December 9, 2016 at 11:06 amGreat ideas, I love it!
Angela Pease says
December 22, 2016 at 7:38 pmJenica,
Growing up we always got a new ornament every year and then when we loved our we all got our box of ornaments. I still have mine! We got our boys snowflakes this year since we did embryo adoption.
Love the idea of the Christmas book! We got Little Blue Truck’s Christmas this year.
I love the idea of opening new Christmas PJs. We have never done this but I think it’s great. The boys will be 9 months old on Christmas Eve. I was going to wait and start next year, but you have inspired me to start this year. I guess I better go shopping :).
We are planning to have a big Christmas Eve dinner before or after church and then brunch Christmas Day while we lounge in our jammies.
Jenica Parcell says
December 25, 2016 at 10:55 pmThank you so much for sharing with me, I love all of your ideas!! And I love that your parents implemented such a fun tradition when you were so young! xo