I am Thankful. Day 27.

On a roll! Especially since I'm still behind and almost caught up! Sad to see that only three more after this though... like I mentioned before, I've really enjoyed this gratitude stuff. :) It has also helped me blog more! Which I've liked a lot. 

I am thankful for traditions.

I think this one is on my mind a lot, because of the Holidays. That is when traditions really happen. When they are created and when they take place, each year. :) Right? If it's a tradition, then it happens again and again... and that is the beauty of having them! I've loved the traditions my family has had over the years. The ones I remember and love the most have to do with Christmas. When I was a little girl, each year we had a routine. It went a little like this:

Christmas Eve

Helping Grandma get ready for the party in the morning

Movie at the theater during the early afternoon

Grandma Clyde's annual famous Christmas Party!

Home to open up PJ's

All the girls sleeping in the same room, usually Cami's

Christmas Day

Wake up, scope out the presents

Make and eat breakfast (yes this was torturous as a child, but I really like it now)

Open stocking presents

Open all our gifts and play with them

Head up to Grandma Egbert's

A few days after Christmas, there was usually a Egbert family party with my Grandpa's side of the family at his sister's house. Lunch, Indian Santa, gifts and a program! 

Now, the traditions are obviously changing a little bit! Instead of everyone going to my Grandma's on Christmas Eve, we now do the same routine at my parents house. Dress-up, fancy dinner, Santa comes, program, presents! Still do the PJ's, don't quite all sleep in the same room anymore. :) And instead of going up to Lewiston on Christmas Day, we just hang out at my parents house with our presents and eating lots of treats! Now just my mom's side of the family has a party together a few days after Christmas, with pretty much the same routine (minus the Indian Santa). :)

 Claire and her gingerbread house, Christmas '08.

 Retrieving my gift from Santa, Christmas '08.

Emma performing her number for the Christmas Program, '09.

 Christmas Morning at the Clyde House, '09.

 Christmas Evening at the Clyde House, '09.

At the Egbert Family Party, '08.

I love these traditions, even if they are changing! They make me so much more excited for the Holidays. I'm also really excited, because I am inheriting a whole new set of traditions with the Perkes family! Some overlap, such as making gingerbread houses, but there are new ones as well! Even more than getting new ones from Tyson's family, is collaborating our traditions to create new ones for our own little family one day. We've already talked about a few and I am getting excited about having our own family to share them with! And of course, to share the traditions we've enjoyed as children with them. It will be so exciting!

Traditions mean family time, making memories and remembering past years together. I love them! Not just Christmas traditions, but every tradition. In fact, I don't like them being broken, but some minor changes are fine. :) I am thankful for the times I've had with my family celebrating our traditions and I look forward to more memories made as the traditions happen every year! :)