The McMurray Family: New Christmas Traditions

If you know me at all, you know I love the holidays and traditions, they are my favorite! However, in the past few years, some traditions have gone away with my parents getting divorced and some have just become to hard and needed some simplifying. So, this December I decided to start 3 new traditions for Christmas and I'm excited about them. Overall, they have worked out very well.

#1 - Christmas Pajamas - given to the family on December 1st. Since my parents are divorced we no longer get PJ's on Christmas Eve. We have Christmas Eve with my Dad and my Mom really wanted to continue the tradition but it was too expensive and she wasn't even there to enjoy having us open them. So, instead of having my family open pajamas at home after we visited my Dad on Christmas Eve until late, I decided to give my kids Christmas themed PJ's on December 1st to wear all month long. Justin even suggested that us adults get some too and I was only too happy to go along with his comment although I think he was joking :) I guess we didn't get a picture of Timmy, whoops. Note to self, next time get a photo of the family wearing them all together.

#2 - Elf on the Shelf - This year I decided to follow the tradition of the elf on the shelf. The kids named him Elfie although I wanted him to be named Norman or Quinn but they won out. Basically, he shows up around December 1st or after Thanksgiving and watches the kids during the day to make sure they're being good. Then he visits Santa each night to report on their behavior and then comes back and hides somewhere new each day. There have been a few nights that he hasn't moved, whoops. Here is at least one picture of him visiting. The kids are not allowed to touch him or he loses his magic. He has to hide up high so that Mikey doesn't grab him. It's been fun but a bit of work.

Elfie auditioning for Mission Impossible

#3 - Scones and Layton Lights - Growing up my family always went to Winder Dairy to get scones and chocolate milk each year on one Family Night in December. It was fun but always crowded and hard to get a table. For many years after being married I have taken my kids to join my family and fought to secure a table big enough for us to fit around and drove an hour each way on a Monday night. Justin only came once and that was enough for him, he didn't like the crowds, the long drive etc. So, this year I sadly told my family I would no longer join them in this tradition but start my own! I decided we would visit the Layton City Lights and then I found a cute cafe around the corner called Sill's Cafe that serves huge scones and chocolate milk and hot chocolate. We tried it last night and it was the most wonderful evening! We went to the lights first and the kids loved so many of the lit up animals that we went around twice. Then we went to Sill's and ordered 4 scones, chocolate milk for the kids and hot chocolates for Justin and myself. The service was fast, the scones were huge and we all a fun time except we didn't come close to eating them all. I ate one with Allie and Justin ate half of one and then 2 were untouched so I brought them home and ate one for breakfast this morning. Now, if I could just get my family to love scones as much as I do!!