Alora's Letter to Santa

For some reason, it seems that kids don't really write letters to Santa Claus like we used to do when we were young. It's kind of sad when you think about it. I even saw a blurb on TV the other day about the lates "app" that allows kids to enter their Christmas wishes on a data phone, Ipod, Ipad or computer and email it to Santa...really? I mean, I get that it's kind of neat, but I still miss the old fashioned pencil and paper letters that we used to put a stamp on and give to the Postman!

Having said all that, I came upstairs from work the other night and my wonderful husband had sat down with Alora and created a Christmas list. Keep in mind that this list comes directly from Alora's mind, Troy just wrote it down...

Dear Santa,
I would like the Twilight movie - the one with Jacob in it, a princess crown, a purple and blue necklace and a princess book. I would also like a whistle, a red fire truck, a pink fire truck and a purple fire truck.
Alora

Yep... that's my daughter! I'm not even sure where the fire truck idea cam from, I'm almost thinking that my husband is trying to live vicariously through our daughter and suggested the fire truck idea!

I think it is so important to keep Christmas traditions alive that don't involve modern technology. One of my favorite traditions that I've started with my family is that we have a box of Christmas books. Each year we get a new book and add it to the box, but we start reading one Christmas story each day beginning on Dec 1st through Christmas Eve. My hope is that these stories become treasured memories for my children and when they have their own children someday (at LEAST 20 years from now!) I will pass the books on to them to read to their kids.

I also want to start having each of the kids pick out their own ornament each year to add to the tree. I have a friend who has done this with her kids through the years and it is so cute to see the ornaments and how her kids have changed based on the ornaments they picked! I'm also going to reinstate the whole, "milk and cookies" tradition on Christmas eve. I remember doing that as a child and it was so exciting!

I hope you can all start a Christmas tradition this year that you and your family will value for many years to come! I also want to make Jesus a birthday cake this year to help us remember what this day is all about! So have a joyous and blessed Christmas and God bless you all!