A Christmas Collection And a Family Tradition

First of all, I'll tell you about my collection-- SLOWLY but surely I'm getting my house ready for Christmas.  And I was thinking of what I wanted to share with everyone on my blog.  So I thought of my collection. I like to collect things, so of course I would also have a Christmas collection, and no it's not snowmen...it's Santas.

I've been collecting them maybe for about 20 years--I'm not really sure. I just started getting them, until they turned into a collection, and now every year, I will get a new one.  Come to think of it, I didn't get one for this year, but I will.  These Santas are just part of what I have. (HEY, what's that snowman doing in there?!)   They're all over the house.  I don't look for anything in particular--just whatever strikes my fancy at the time.  I do have my favorites ,though.

Like Mr. and Mrs. Claus

I got these two from a local very talented paper mache artist.

And which one is my favorite?  Well last year, it would have been him--

I still like him, you know the country primitive Santa, but he's been dethroned.  My style and taste has changed alot this past year. so this year, it's most definitely this fun Santa--

And now I'll tell you about our family tradition.  It's actually a bit of a running joke every year.  Each year I ask my kids--who are in their 20's and 30's if they want me to hang their stockings.  And they look at me in disbelief and say "You BETTER hang them!"  Let me describe these stockings. They are the red felt ones that you find at the dollar store with the white trim, and each one has their name written on them (in glitter of course).  And I can't hang them on the mantel, because I don't have a fireplace, so they end up on the stair bannister. 

Each one of them have told me that the stockings are their favorite part of Christmas. Well, one reason is because Santa (and yes, we all still do believe in Santa) fills these babies to the brim plus.  They're always overflowing.  The contents of these stockings are probably worth more than what's under the Christmas tree.

But I know the other reason is that these stockings  represent  all of their Christmases from childhood till now.  Believe me, we're not the picture-perfect family--we have our disfunctional times like any other family, but every year at Christmas we all get together and have the best time and laugh  about our "episodes" we've had during the year--good or bad.  And look forward to the next year for more "episodes" that we can laugh about next year at Christmas. And if we're stil here in 30 years, God willing, when they're in their 50's and 60's, those stockings will still be hung and still be brimming on Christmas morning.

So Scott, Nick, Lisa, Jennifer, and John, if you're wondering--yes I hung them up : )