Slight Change in Tradition....

Most families have holiday traditions that they enjoy year after year. A special meal, certain ornaments or decorations, an outfit that only comes out for December. Our Christmas traditions include some of the usual elements (the tree, colorfully wrapped gifts, having friends and family join us to share time together) and some that are sort of "just ours". My Santa Claus collection has grown over the many years. As I spread them out throughout our house/apartment they remind me of past Christmases and other homes they decorated. I used to make Christmas cookies for all the years the kids were home until the college years, but since I don't enjoy kitchen time that was one tradition I was glad to cross off the list.

Dave took charge of making a gingerbread house year after year with only a pause while we lived on the sailboat for two years. He picked it up again when we moved to Milwaukee and it was something he enjoyed sharing with our two local grandsons starting when they were very small. He would assemble the house itself and the boys, Evan and Zach would add the colorful treats.

                                

If they came to our place to make the house then the boys would take it home to help decorate their kitchen....and break it open on New Year's Day. (There was always some kind of surprise inside!) At this point, with one young man in college and the other a high school senior they basically "humor" us by participating in this long-lived activity.

I was trying to think of some way to make this year's house different and at least amusing for them when I saw an idea on Facebook. We bought the pre-made house and assembled it a bit differently this year.

We brought the creation to West Bend on Thanksgiving Day....a bit early this year but since Evan was home from college we bent the "rules" a little bit. After dinner they went to the kitchen table and began their work. It didn't take long before they sat back and showed us the results.

It was a bit different this year....but there was still a surprise for each of them buried underneath. I'm already pondering next year and wondering what we could do that would, once again, make this Christmas tradition hang on a bit longer. I just hope Facebook comes to the rescue once again.