Traditions and Fads

The day after Thanksgiving, there are several traditions that we try to uphold.  First, we always have turkey soup.  John's dad used to be the one to make it for us, but since I took over the pie business, we can't go there for Thanksgiving anymore. I do my best to follow his recipe, but it isn't quite as good as Papa's!  We also made sugar cookies.  After the cookies were baked, we headed out to the tree farm to cut down our tree.  We have been doing this since Isaac was a baby and it is something we look forward to each year.   







The boys and I with the tree before Daddy cut it down in record time.



Jack's job is to drag the tree back to the van.  Every year, I wonder if this will be the one where the tree goes flying off the top of the van.  So far, we have not had that experience.

We saw the most beautiful sunset on the way home from the tree farm.

Jack and Ethan helping to decorate the tree.

Enjoying some yummy sugar cookies.

The finished product.

Our house is fully decorated for Christmas.  There is even a tiny tree in a certain little girl's bedroom.  It will be staying up until she comes home - whenever that may be.

I will now proceed to climb on my soapbox for a little minute.  A relative of mine visited a local store recently.  Apparently, the proprietor had heard that we are adopting and mentioned to said relative that it is such a fad right now.  EXCUSE ME?!?!?!?  According to dictionary.com, fad can be defined as: a temporary fashion, notion, manner of conduct, etc., esp. one followed enthusiastically by a group.  The last time I checked, adoption was a LIFELONG commitment, not a temporary notion.  Who in their right mind would choose to adopt in order to be trendy or fashionable?  Obviously the people who make such ridiculous comments don't know what they are talking about.  Rather than questioning what motivates people to adopt, I wish that the focus could be placed instead on the fact that chidren are being given the opportunity to have families and futures that they would not have had otherwise.