'Tis the Season to be Giving!
And that's exactly what I'm doing! I love giving gifts so much more than receiving them, so this giveaway has been a blast for me. Thanks so much to all who entered the previous two contests. I've loved reading your delightful posts. That said, because I'm so full of CHRISTmas cheer, this time I'm giving you a chance to win not one, not two, not even three - but FOUR books. (I sound like an infomercial!!!) Yep, you read right. The winner will receive my three contemporary novels and the first book in my 1920s "River of Hope" Series.
Titles are as follows:
Through Every Storm
Long Journey Home
Tender Vow
Livvie's Song
What do you have to do to enter? Why only one thing! In the comment box below, share one of your favorite family traditions, and wa-lah, you've entered!
This contest will have a shorter window of time for entering. I'm closing it on Tuesday, December 20 (MY 36TH ANNIVERSARY!!!) in hopes the winner will still receive his/her books before Christmas. It's gonna be tight, but we'll make every effort.
So, come on, my sweet, precious friends. Jump on board!!! Above all, enjoy these final days of the Christmas rush, but don't forget that JESUS is the reason for the season!
31 comments:
Christmas traditions change as children become older. One of my favorite traditions when my daughter was young was the making of the reindeer food. We would make a bowl of oats and glitter. We would spread it all over the front yard on Christmas eve, the glitter was suppose to be reflective and help Rudolph find our house. In addition we would make a birthday cake for the baby Jesus and sing happy birthday to him on Christmas day.
Hey Sharlene, I love all your book covers. Only book i read is " Maggie" I really need to put all your books on my wish list for next year. Yea, it would be my christmas list.
We go to west virginia to visit relatives and grandma for christmas every year. We had often a christmas party with all relatives and kids over. we are home for christmas in last three years now. We down home, go to christmas eve at church. it such blessing that we remember Jesus' birthday.
One of our family traditions is to all gather at my mom's house for bruch on Christmas morning. All the kids bring something to show off that Santa left and some of the adults bring things to show off. Then we open presents again.
Every year we love to make rock candy, peanut butter candy and coconut candy. We usually start watching Christmas movies in September till Christmas eve. Lots of time with family.This year is different without our son Jonathon. He is in Afganistian. I would just say remember our troops and their families during Christmas time and remember to pray for them. :)Thank you and God bless. sandra clements
Oh, Lesa, that is such a sweet memory and tradition, and you're right, traditions do change with time. Families evolve, and each one begins its own traditions - which is as it should be.
One of our traditions has always been attending the Christmas Eve service then coming back home and opening our gifts on Christmas Eve. That tradition began for us after we got married. Hubby and I opened gifts on Christmas Eve so we could get up bright and early to head for his and my parents' homes. We continued that Christmas Eve gift opening after our kids were born, and to this day it remains our family tradition. Our own married children open on Christmas morning with their families. It's funny, but also sweet, how traditions get started and then evolve.
Blessed Christmas to you and yours...
On Christmas eve my kids each open a couple of presents. Usually a stuffed animal and jammies. They really look forward to it!
While writing my post, Terrie, Deb, and Sandra all chimed in with your traditions. Loved reading them, ladies.
Sandra, you are so right about remembering our US troops during Christmas. Many will be lonely and needing our prayers.
I really wish there was a "LIKE" button on my blog, so I could tag your comments. teehee
Christmas tradition for my family is to get together with my mom, brothers and grandmother (who will turn 90 in April 2012). My kiddos make reindeer food on Xmas eve and we sprinkle outside at dark! We also make a gingerbread house for Santa to nibble on as a treat. We attend Xmas Eve services and celebrate Jesus's birth. After services, we take a drive through the neighborhood to look at all xmas lights. Kiddos watch the Santa tracker as he delivers presents. From Angela Phillips... Facebook Friend and also a previous Elementary student from Ravenna Elementary.
Our family gather at our home around 4 pm on Christmas Eve. We catch up with each other, (our youngest's family live 4 hrs away) The guys all play pool, while I and the girls finish any thing that needs finished for our dinner, the kids (8 grandkids soon be 9)play.. We all set down for a big family dinner, talk about what we are grateful for for the past year and some wishes or prayers for the following year. It really means a lot to me. As a family we don't get to all get together a lot through out the year...
We eat out at the Japanese Steakhouse every Christmas Eve before church as a whole family. Aunts, uncles, grandparents, kids. All together laughing, celebrating, and catching shrimp! Love it.
One of the family traditions that I started when my daughter was born was to get a special ornament for the tree every year with the year on it. Some years were more difficult to find than others so we got ornaments that were special to that year so we would remember what year it was.
My favorite family tradition is being with my family. Life is short and every moment is special, especially CHRISTmastime! And we spend time with my grandparents and open presents and just spend time with each other.
JESUS is the REASON for this SEASON!
:)
A tradition that I started when my kids were young was to place a stuffed lamb under the tree to remind them of the greatest gift. The presents would not show up until Christmas morning to keep the focus on Jesus. Now that Courtney is on her own, she asked for a lamb for her own tree to keep the tradition!
My favorite tradition was when my dad on Christmas morning wouldn't allow my nieces and nephews out of the bedrooms where they were sleeping until "Santa" left.
Then Dad would proceed to ring the jingle bells and say Ho Ho Ho all the way down our stairs and out the front door.
My nieces when they would hear the front door close they would run to the window in hopes of see Santa and his sleigh.
Christmas was so wonderful with my Dad. Even though it has only been three years I miss him a whole lot.
Laura
Hello Sharlene. How are you doing? One of my favorite Christmas traditions as a child, was putting up the tree. What made it a tradition, was that we did it the day after Thanksgiving, and used unique as well as typical ornaments that we have collected over the years. Then we took it down the day after the New Year. I still keep to that tradition at the age of 30, and plan to teach it to my children when I am lucky enough to be blessed with them.
One of our family's favorite traditions is making press cookies for Christmas. We eat some, give some away as gifts and bring them out when friends come over. There are green Christmas trees with colored sprinkles for ornaments, white candy canes with green or red sugar sprinkled on top and green wreaths with red or green sugar on them. Our boys loved this tradition. Especially since their first cookies like this came from their Grandma. Now the youngest keeps up the tradition with his four children. :-)
Happy anniversary Sharlene! God bless!
I grew up in Lamont, MI, a small village on the Grand River, and every December my dad, my brother and I would walk over to a neighbor's who grew Christmas trees. We brought a saw and rope, and wandered (for what my father thought was hours)through those trees until we found the "perfect tree." We had very high ceilings in our living room, a 150 year-old house that was originally located right down by the Grand River, but later moved up the hill overlooking the Grand. Scott and I thought that we needed a really tall tree, so we would choose the "best one" and my father would say, "that's way too big. It'll never fit in the house." "Yes, it will," cheered my brother and I. Dad always gave in, sawed the tree down, tied the rope around the stump and off we traipsed, my dad pulling the giant tree and Scott and I singing Christmas carols, skipping and sliding all the way home. My mom always had hot chocolate with marshmallows waiting for us when we got back home, and candy canes to keep us busy while my dad cut a good sized portion off the bottom of the tree in order to get it into the house. He'd set it in the stand and bring it into the house, set it up and that evening we would all work on decorating the tree of the year to the tunes of Bing Crosby et al, while a fire burned in the fireplace. Memories are like the shadows of the mind.....
Nancee Marchinowski
My greatest Family tradition is the decorating and getting the perfect tree..
And of course the making of all the calories !!
Suger cookies..Gingerbread,tarts and everything else we could think of !!
Christmas is my favorite holiday , love the smell in the kitchen after we bake and cook , the kids coming to our house singing carols, decorating the tree with my brother , celebrating with family and friends the birth of Jesus .
We have four kiddos. Each year they draw names and make their brother or sister a special gift. This present is opened on Christmas Eve. After the kiddos go to bed, my husband and I exchange one gift. I love Christmas!
In college a few of my girlfriends and I went to my parent's house to make Christmas candy and cookies a few weeks before Christmas. We had such a great time that we decided to make it a tradition. 10 years later, with all of the various moves, marriages, babies, careers, and other events in our lives we still make a point to go to Mom's house and bake! We wouldn't miss it for the world, and if I do say so myself, all our candy recipients would be quite disappointed as well! Oh the memories!
Now that our son is older (and I love real Christmas trees, but my allergies and budget don't) we put up about a 3 1/2 ft. artificial tree with colored lights and our own small ornaments. Was glad to see our son didn't mind as I noticed him putting the first gift under it yesterday.
As a family we go to the Christmas Eve service at our church and sing Silent Night by candlelight.
Well, when I was little we always went to my Aunt's house for Christmas. As we grew up and had kids of our own, we went to my mother and father's house. Since we moved to Michigan when our two kids were still little, we just had our own Christmas at home. Now that they are married and have kids of their own, they all come here to my house. My daughter actually told her husband (before they were married)I don't care were we spend any other holiday, but we ARE spending Christmas AT MY PARENTS HOUSE!! lol I just LOVE having them all pile in. It takes us over 2 hours to open all the presents. My husband hands out the gifts to one person at a time and we all watch to see what it is. Then we have a Prime Rib dinner. It's pretty pricey, but that's the only time we ever have it, so it makes it special. We spend the evening playing games (usually a new one or two has been received as a gift).
Thanks for the chance to win your books. They would be a great Christmas present for myself.
Sandy
I have SO, SO enjoyed reading all your posts. Traditions are a wonderful thing; they make Christmas that much more special. I wish all of you a most blessed day of celebrating our Lord's birth.
When I was little, my mom would help put a program together to share with our family and grandma. We would always read the scripture about Jesus' birth. Then it was gift time. My dad always loved to decorate the house and yard with his many designs. For my family now, I like to take the grandkids and go looking at lights and sing songs. And of course, can't forget the paper chains and snow flakes. Our kids enjoyed that and now our grandkids are decorating my house with them. Good memories!
On Christmas morning, we go next door to my father in laws and have breakfast with him . then we open presents at his house. It is a nice tradition.
kristine.morgan@yahoo.com
On Christmas morning, we go next door to my father in laws and have breakfast with him . then we open presents at his house. It is a nice tradition.
kristine.morgan@yahoo.com
My family has always done a big family celebration on Christmas Eve. We get together with my mom's side of the family and do a big dinner. The kids go out with the dads/uncles to look at Christmas lights and the moms/aunts would get everything all picked up. When we got back it was present opening time...kids first, then adults. Everyone stayed the night wherever it was hosted. Kids woke up to filled stockings and a yummy breakfast :) Things are gradually changing as the kids are now having kids and have more families to contend with, but Christmas is still my favorite time of year.
Every since I married and found a fool proof recipe in Family Circle for divinity I have made it for 32 years and sent it to my family in Illinois. I left there when I married and have leaved in a lot of states.
My Grandmother used to make it and it was a favorite of my Mom's. Even in her last month's I made it while she dealt with Alhemizer's and it was a special memory before God took her home. Family asked if they were going to get it this year since Mom was gone. God gave me so special people to bless with it to since I wasn't making it for my Mom.
jrs362 at hotmail dot com
Our Christmas tradition has turned into such fun game. Some people call them a white elephant exchange but ours is called recycled trash. Everyone participates, even even the grand-kids. Last year, my 7-year-old grandson just had to have the biggest gift. His expression was priceless when he pulled out an old ugly wood and glass chandler. This year he'll probably go for the smallest! I can't wait to see what it is!
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