Christmas Traditions

It's important to have fun things to remember about your Christmas. Special moments, special gifts, and special family traditions. This year we carried on an old tradition and started a few new ones. The most exciting tradition we started this year was Christmas Cookie baking. Now, yes, I've always made Christmas cookies. Good old stand by's, cookies I grew up with, and perhaps one new trial cookie each year. This year though, Ainsley joined in the fun. I purchased two magazines full of holiday cookies and let her go through and pick out the ones she wanted to make. Eight different cookies in all (we only conquered seven.) Here's a picture of the cookies we made this year:

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

Little did I know she would pick out cookies that required some serious decorating. We had spritz cookies, grandma's classic chocolate sandwiches, spice x-mas packages, butter stars w/ butter frosting, red velvet shortbread cookies, peanut butter blossoms (my grandma's recipe), and christmas sandies. I told her that each year we would carry on with her picking out the cookies (Andrew will join in as well when he's old enough.) My hope is that she continues to have a love for baking and that we have a fun time together in the kitchen. Not to mention, we will have a wonderful selection of cookies to share with our friends and family.

Another tradition we started this year was a birthday cake for Jesus. Ainsley really focused on the fact that we were celebrating Jesus' birthday at Christmas time. Naturally, she wondered if we could bake a cake for him. So, we baked together again and sang happy birthday to Jesus on Christmas Day. It warmed my heart to hear my family singing to Jesus. I hope that this is a tradition t hat we continue through the years. Here's our first Happy Birthday Jesus cake.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin

And last but not least the tradition of Christmas PJs carried on! This year the kids had christmas PJs with dogs on them. Ainsley loved them and Andrew was just as happy as usual. I wonder how long I will be able to keep them matching.

From Andrew Tyndale Rankin