Top Three Tuesday – Holiday Traditions

I had the idea of sharing my favorite holiday traditions because it’s that time of year. Honestly, though traditions are super hard since Ava passed. This will be our second Christmas without her. Last Christmas was a blur. She had passed in September and Christmas was awful in the worst kind of way.

As I look back it appears even in the thickest of fogs, we were able to salvage a few traditions. Here are the before and after Christmas traditions we have hung on to.

• Reading Twas The Night Before Christmas snuggled in bed on Christmas Eve.
• Watching Christmas movies in Christmas jammies as a family of four.
• Putting out homemade goodies for Santa and his reindeer. The girls dreaming of what Santa might bring.

• Reading Twas The Night Before Christmas at the cemetery on Christmas Eve.
• Watching Christmas movies in Christmas jammies, while remembering the funny things Ava would say.
• Kris, Emma and I lighting Ava’s candle. Watching the glow, smelling the sweet scent and dreaming of Ava.

The best traditions are the moments you share with loved ones. Old, new or revised, the only thing that matters is you have loved ones and moments to share with them.