Missed them...but its okay!

Christmas was a little different for us this year as all of our children weren't with us. Dayna and Jack have been married for 3 years and decided that it was time for them to start some of their own family traditions and spend the holidays together. I thought it was really sweet. They spent Christmas Eve watching a favorite Christmas movie of theirs and eating yummy food. And then opened Christmas presents together early Christmas morning. We missed them, but understood their decision to just be together. Deron and I never did go from house to house during the holidays. From the beginning of our married life together, we started our own Christmas family traditions and have done it that way since.

Todd and Dana wanted to start their own family traditions together also. They had a nice dinner together on Christmas Eve and then after opening their presents together at their house on Christmas morning, they went to Dana's parents for a 

little while. Then they came over to our house to open the gifts that we gave them and spent a little while here that evening. Then afterwards we all headed over to Grandma and Grandpa Wilkerson where they always have a big dinner at their place on Christmas night. We eat lots of yummy food and play games, usually scum, until late into the night. 

We missed having all of our children with us for our traditional Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas morning festivities but we realize that they have to grow up and leave the nest, making their own lives and traditions together. Its part of growing up. Its fun to see what they do for the holidays and how they decide to spend them. It nice to see that they have carried on some of the traditions that they had as children and have also been able to implement ones from their spouses side of the family too. Its exciting to see them grow up and do fun things as couples and grow closer as their own individual families. As each child leaves the nest our holidays change just a little bit, but we still enjoy doing the same family traditions that we've done for 22 years and look forward to many more years of Christmas together. Christmas is my favorite time of year and as we grow older and become empty nesters we hope to be able to go and visit our children in their homes for Christmas, enjoying the traditions that they have carried out in their families. Christmas really is the best time of the year!