tradition. tradition!

i sent lucas to his cousins to borrow an egg. we had already started in on what is going to be our newly adopted holiday tradition. and the recipe called for one more egg.
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i am a sucker for tradition. i play christmas with strict rules.
a few:
-no christmas anything before december. (except egg nog. egg nog in november)
-no christmas music before the tree.
-only wrap gifts if you’re feeling extremely festive.
-watch prancer on christmas eve.
-must have hot chocolate in a mug before spying what santa has left.
-atleast one silver nordstrom box under the tree
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this is not my first holiday away from home.
andrey and i had our first christmas as newlyweds in our duplex.  i was so excited to “deck the halls” of our first house – so we went all out. we shoved a real evergreen into the back seat of andrey’s impala. i made gingerbread snowflakes complete with piped icing and silver dragees. we lit duraflames in our fireplace and i’m pretty sure i made andrey sing carols with me all. december. long. i clearly remember decorating the tree. andrey was wrapped up in lights – trying his best to drape them exactly how i wanted them. to the left! a little to the right!  i remember that i felt uber domestic and can recall thinking, “ok. he passes this test. he will be a good husband. we’re going to have a nice little life together – he lit my christmas tree.” we packed our suitcases and hauled the tree out to the curb days before christmas. i was going home to my parents’ and santa would be stuffing my stocking. only one christmas lesson for andrey at a time.
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i’m trying really hard to stick to my rules. i’m in charge this year. all on my own. we won’t be going to utah. my grandma didn’t make her yearly tri-city trek and amy’s pecan logs seem really really really far away. i’m finding that most traditions involve people that i love. like decorating the tree. i really miss my dad. every year. and we’ve somehow snuck by with this FAKE PRE-LIT thing this time around. it’s cheating. bad. i made enchiladas the other day. by myself for the first time. i wore an apron. we had ALOT of leftovers. enchiladas are usually feasted on with a giant table full of them and them. i ate mine on my bed while nursing gavin. i tried to get andrey to buy some slippers the other day. and a robe. “don’t you need these?” he looked at me funny. we’re playing santa this year. for reals – like the lucas jude boy has made requests and is counting down days. doesn’t andrey know he’s going to need a robe and slippers to do this???? he did learn the hot-chocolate-first-thing rule a few years back – but how did i forget the slippers part?
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i’m trying to make my own traditions. to help with the far away feeling.
so tonight we made cookies. sugar cookies. lucas was in charge – i stepped back and gave him full reign. he loved it. these cookies do not resemble snowflakes. not even close. they are smooshy, uneven and even a little burnt. they are adorable. and sooooo tasty. perfect.

i’m hoping for another year of the nativity performed by “the cousins” and some of danyelle’s cinnamon rolls for christmas morning. brunch down the street at jeff’s and hopefully – hopefully! santa will remember to fill my stocking.
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it’s feeling festive in this cozy house. it’s feeling fine. christmas can go ahead and come this year.

what’s your favorite holiday must-have???
we’re collecting traditions over here.