Ritz Crackers and Away In A Manger

This morning I finally felt well enough to do my traditional Christmas baking. So with a one-year-old under foot, I began making all my favorite holiday treats – the yummy confections that I only take time to make once a year.

As I was spreading peanut butter on Ritz crackers and melting chocolate to dip them in, the words of Away in a Manger poured from the speakers of my kitchen stereo. Memories of my Meme.

When I was little, we made chocolate dipped crackers at her house. I would call her on my parents old brown rotary phone and together we would sing.

Away in a manger, no crib for His bed,⁰¹ The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head; The stars in the sky looked down where He lay, The little Lord Jesus, asleep in the hay

It got me thinking about all the other Christmas memories that I cherish from childhood.

Spending Christmas Eve at G-Dad’s house. Changing into my pajamas before we headed home to wait for Santa.

Granny boxes – filled to the brim with clothes and other goodies – and ALWAYS a new package of underwear. 🙂

Wreath cookies, Christmas tree cookies, mini pecan pies, and NOEL cookies.

Getting a new Hallmark ornament each year.

The booklets of $5 bills my Pop would give the grand kids. It sure looked like a lot of money to our young eyes.

Matching pajamas with my sister every year. (Already have our pair for this year!)

One thing I love about being a mommy is beginning traditions for Jackson and experiencing Christmas through his eyes. It’s magical. It makes me giddy inside.

I want him to grow up and have magical Christmas memories sparked by something as simple as a Ritz cracker or the words to a Christmas hymn.

He’s not quite old enough to participate in traditions yet, but a few that we’ve started are getting him his own Hallmark ornaments, participating in Light ‘Em Up, getting new Christmas pj’s on Christmas Eve, looking at Christmas lights, and next year we will do Elf on a Shelf. 🙂

And most important, we will talk about the true meaning of Christmas each day leading up to the birth of Christ. We will go to church as a family on Christmas Eve. We will read the Christmas story from the Bible. We will make sure Jackson knows the best gift, the greatest gift of all, is Jesus himself.

What are your favorite Christmas traditions? How do you keep your focus on Jesus admidst all the Christmas frenzy?