traditions matter.

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, NYC-2012

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, and no matter how busy times can get for us with baking, carpooling, shopping, tending to sick kids, attending numerous school concerts, piano/violin recitals, church parties, church activities, doctors appointments, a two and a half hour drive to the temple, a trip to NYC, weddings anniversary, birthdays, visiting teaching, seeing the Bishop for Tithing settlement, attending all your church meetings, etc...we always manage to squeeze in a family photo to send to our dear friends and family.

I remember when I was a little girl I would always see my mother put pen to paper to write letters, and send Christmas cards to her friends and family. She would write her heart out to her cousin in Las Vegas (still does to an extent), and in return would retrieve numerous family photos of friends. I was impressed, and learned from her example.

Seeing numerous cards on a mantle made us feel loved, and it still does when I receive them today.

As each year passes we seem to get fewer cards (I have to blame technology for that), and as that happens I always tell myself that I am not going to send out as much.

Wrong!

Even though I put our yearly Christmas photo on face book, and on my blog, I still manage to send cards to those we love, and the ones who don't do the whole card thing can just view it through social media.

Sending cards has always been a huge tradition in our family, and I will never stop sending them. Even when postage increases I will find a way to afford that! I have cards galore saved in a box from previous years, and it's so interesting to see how much our friends, and families change throughout the years.

That tradition matters to me, and all of those photos are priceless memories.

May we continue to build more Christmas memories this year. It truly is the best season of all!