Dare to DIY Blog Party with the NewlyWoodwards: Week 6; Dare to Have Traditions

This is the last week of Kim's DIY Blog Party. I can't believe that the end is here, but I really can't believe that Christmas is just around the corner. This Christmas has come more quickly than any other I can remember!!

Christmas to me means being with the ones I love. Growing up that meant packing up the car/van and hitting the road. I have many fond memories of Christmas travels. There were the many, many books that my mom would read to us as dad drove. There were the fights over who got to sit where. There was the year one sister decided to brush her teeth in the van and when she tried to spit out the window it actually went into the back seat and landed on my other sister's pillow. There were the countless sandwiches (some with mayo and some without) that were made in the morning before leaving so that we wouldn't have to stop for fast food on the way. The Christmas decorations that adorned our hotel room the one Christmas. The family that we picked up off the side of the road after they hit a deer. The list could go on and on. Looking back I realize how truly wonderful it was to be able to spend so much quality time together. Getting there was really half of the trip.

This year as we celebrate our first Christmas with a child of our own, I wonder what traditions will emerge for our family. Will I read the same stories to my little girl as my mother read to me? As she gets older will she stay up late the night before a trip with the hope of being able to sleep in the car as much as possible? One day, will she have siblings to fight with over who gets to sit where?

In the end, spending Christmas with those near and dear is really one of the best presents of all.