Holiday Traditions

We both had a pretty rough 2007. We started 2008 out on the right foot, vowing to ourselves more than anyone, to make this the best year ever, and to get back on our feet and enjoy life as much as humanly possible.



We sometimes both get a little overemotional or sappy, and this holiday season has been a steady reminder of how grateful we are for what we have and for those that are in our lives. This holiday season, we went out with the old and in with the new, and have made a multitude of new traditions that we will probably carry on for the rest of our lives together. Thought we would share some of them with you all:



Putting up our tree. We put the tree up together the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. We put on Christmas music, drank some wine, and hung the ornaments on the tree together. The last ornament to go on the tree was the ornament that we picked up in New Orleans on our summer vacation. We'll pick up another one in Texas this coming year, and hang it right next to the New Orleans Lamp Post.



Sleeping on the floor next to the tree. When we were done putting the tree up, we hauled the mattress out to the living room, and slept on the floor in front of our tree together.



Shopping online together. We did the majority of our shopping online this year. We sat together, on the couch, with our list of those to buy for, and purchased what we could online, making a long list of those we needed to buy for in the store.



Sarah wrapped. Dan lounged. Together. And we loved every second of it. She likes wrapping the presents, and he liked lounging on the couch watching football and chatting while she made the presents beautiful with wrap, ribbon and bows.



Ringing the Salvation Army Bell Together. We went to the West Lafayette WalMart together and stood in the cold and rang the bell for the Salvation Army. It was a fun time, and we laughed almost the entire time. Also made us feel good to know that we were doing good to help someone less fortunate than us.


Christmas Lights and the Living Nativity. Last Saturday night, we went to the Living Nativity in Lafayette. Listened to Christmas music and drank hot chocolate in the car while we waited in line, and after driving through the nativity, drove around looking at Christmas Lights, still drinking the hot chocolate and laughing.

Dinner and the Mall during the hustle and bustle. One thing that Dan wanted to do this year was go to the mall during the "peak" shopping time this year. On the 23rd, we had dinner at the Other Pub, and then headed out to the mall to venture through there with all the other crazy shoppers. Headed home, and curled up with The Christmas Story. It was one of our favorite times this season, and we look forward to it again next year.

Our holidays were amazing! We had such a great time with our family and friends. We have lots more to post, but taking us a while to get through the pictures! :)

Hope the holidays were blessed for you and yours! :)

Much love!

Dan and Sarah