Christmas Memories Are Forever

Are your children anxious for Christmas to get here? The closer it gets to Christmas, the more wound up the kids get. Don't tell anyone, but I think I'm just as excited as the kids.

Do you remember Christmas when you were a kid? The wonder and excitement increased daily as that special day drew near. The real magic of Christmas is in the memories that it creates. Some of my fondest memories involve simple inexpensive things that we did with (and for) our kids when they were young.

Going out to select our Christmas tree was always a great time. We'd sing Christmas carols in the car all the way to the Christmas tree farm. With saw in hand, we'd troop out into the field in search of the perfect tree. Sometimes it would take hours, but we loved every bitter cold minute of it.

One year, we selected a particularly large tree. It was so big; I couldn't carry it to the car. We had to ask the farmer to help us carry it out. The farmer arrived a few minutes later with his 16-year-old daughter in tow. Together, the two of them carried the tree all the way out to the car. Imagine my embarrassment as I watched a young girl and her father carry the tree when I couldn't. The family still gives me a hard time about that and calls me 'wimpy' whenever we get together for family Christmas gatherings.

Make an effort to create memories that will last a lifetime! It doesn't have to be expensive. Our annual Christmas tree excursion is an example of the fun things you can do as a family that can bring a lifetime worth of laughter.

Get involved with your kids, do crafts, projects, and activities with them. I recall one activity; using nothing more than an inexpensive piece of cloth, we created a gift for our five-year old. It was a simple inexpensive gift that we made for less than a dollar. The real value in the gift was a wonderful story that we crafted about the object. Her squeals of delight and the look of absolute amazement on her face as she discovered it on Christmas morning was priceless. What's more, she was the envy of her neighborhood friends when she showed them her precious treasure!

You can create lasting memories in many ways. For starters, there's a great website for young children. It's called Santa's Place. It's a daily journal of Santa's activities that started on October 1. In it, Santa talks directly to your child (or grand-child). He asks them questions, fills them in on how the elves and reindeer are doing, sings songs, etc. Your children will love you for it!