Duckworth Christmas Traditions

Merry Christmas! I can't believe Christmas is just around the corner. This is my last week at work and I'm looking forward to the much needed break. We are getting to see State play in the bowl game for new years and we can't wait. It has been so long since we have done anything for new years so this will be a trip we are looking forward to! Its going to be a long drive but well worth it! We get to see a lot of our friends and see the dawgs play another football game. I'm so thankful we are getting to do something fun this year. I"m getting to go see Sarah and Jodie for a night during Christmas break so I'm pumped about that. I haven't seen Seth and Jodies sweet baby Mason yet so I will get to meet him. My childhood friends Bree and Melissa are coming to see us in Tupelo for a night too! I couldn't be more excited to see them. They both live in Meridian and I don't go back much anymore so its tough catching up. I miss my friends from back home! Looks like Christmas will be a good holiday for us. We will be spending it in Tupelo together with family and friends and getting to do our traditions we started.

 I thought I'd share a few of our traditions we have decided to do each Christmas. If anyone has any good traditions to share comment on this post!

1- We always ride around the week of Christmas and look at Christmas lights and drink hot chocolate. I love seeing all the houses decked out. My neighbors house looks pretty darn good this year. Makes our house with only a Christmas tree in the window look sad! I love the over the top houses. I know a lot of people say it looks trashy but come on its Christmas! The bigger the better to me. I really look forward to doing this soon. (all you Tupelo people let us know where the good neighborhoods to see lights are!)
2-Cookie decorating. We decided to add doing this on Christmas eve together. It will be a fun tradition to have when we have a family.
3-Make a pizza Christmas eve. This is another tradition we thought would be fun to have with a family. Making a homemade pizza together and decorating cookies. Plus pizza is so different from what you eat on Christmas its a good change up.
4-Midnight Mass- Church service at 10:30 is my favorite service of the year! I always look foward to it.
5-Opening a present on Christmas Eve. We decided this would be PJ's each year.
6- Simple breakfast in your new PJ's and opening presents. I always remember eating biscuits, sausage, onion and mustard. Don't knock it until you've tried it! We aren't exchanging gifts this year so this tradition will be put on hold for future years!
7- Traditional Christmas dinner. Of course the normal Christmas dinner everyone has! Then we will take naps and be lazy the rest of the day!
8-Prayer Vent- I stole this tradition from someone else. You take an advent calendar and instead of putting candy or a small gift in each day you put someones name. Each day you open up the day and pray together for that person or thing. We didn't do that this year but I think this is something we will be adoptting for next year. Loved this idea!

I love traditions and making our own traditions together. We always have the traditional new years day meal together too. I hope its not going to be too hard finding some black eyed peas and greens in Jacksonville! We will be needing the luck and money for 2011. I'd love to hear some of your Christmas traditions or ones you remember loving as a child! Please comment!

Merry Christmas! Remember Jesus is the reason for the season!