{How We Celebrate} Local Traditions

As a Louisiana girl living in a Texas world, families are back home, and holidays are often spent back home. While we are still finding the best ways to balance spending time with extended family while creating our own story, we have found a few must-have local traditions that we want to hang onto as we grow together in our own hometown.

I think we all hold on to some sort of sentimentality about the holiday season. Many of us have fond memories of the traditions our own families held so dear and want to recreate something similar for ourselves. On the other hand, some have past memories that aren’t so fond, and want to change the vibe of the holiday season.

For us, there are two priorities — the reason for celebrating Christmas first, and the magic of wonder of the season second.

I want our children to know the symbolism behind the decorations. I want to hear their little voices recount the story of Jesus’ birth. I want to quiet the noise that can sometimes surround the season and focus on the love we can pour out on one another.

And I want to see the sparkle in their eyes, whether they are staring in wonder at yard decorations or lighting up as they recognize ornaments from years past as we decorate the tree.  Their eyes hold the joy and excitement of upholding traditions, and we’ve chosen the city’s tree lighting to be one of those times to celebrate local.

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Occurring usually at some point during the first week of December, the tree lighting is a perfect way to take the spirit we’ve invested into putting up our own Christmas tree out to our city. We run into friends and often have to bundle up. We share the excitement with each other. We learn to be patient with one another. We celebrate, locally, here, with our family away from family.

{How We Celebrate} Local Traditions | Houston Moms Blog

It’s in these yearly traditions that I hope to slow down and celebrate the freedom the season can bring if we take the time to notice the tiniest of moments, for next year they will no longer be the same.

{How We Celebrate} Local Traditions | Houston Moms Blog

Next year, what delighted one child may be passed along to a younger sibling.

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Next year, they will all be slightly harder to lift up for the best view.

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Next year, we won’t be able to keep a certain toddler in the stroller.

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Next year, how we celebrate this local tradition might look a bit different due to weather, illness, homework, schedules, or any of life’s curveballs.

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Yet next year, we can look back fondly on the past year as one lived with intention to grow as a family during this season of joy, hope, anticipation, and magic.

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What I love about blogging, about scrapbooking, about photo book making, is picking and choosing what you want to record and remember. Sure, there are rough patches and struggles, obstacles and chaos. But what I want to see in pictures when I look back is the joy and the meaningful moments shared together. Michelle at This Moment Photography captures just that. In my head, this local tradition night of ours was a bit chaotic {She may or may not have grabbed our youngest a time or two from running off!}, but in looking at the video she created of this traditional start to our Christmas season, I see a beautiful existence. I see moments, small and big, that are who we are right now as family. What a beautiful Christmas gift to not only experience this time together and hold it in our hearts, but to have a video to cherish.

How We Celebrate Local Traditions from Michelle Roycroft on Vimeo.

Connect with Michelle and book your session below…

This Moment Photography

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Please Note :: As we wrap up this post, we have to give This Moment Photography a great, big thank you for graciously sponsoring this series and capturing all of our special celebrations as part of it.  We are so grateful to partner together with her on this project and encourage you to contact her too!

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Jenn L
Jenn is an English teacher turned stay at home mom to boys Wyatt {2010}, John {2013}, and Abram {2014}. South Louisiana born and raised, North Louisiana educated, and Texas “polished,” she has found Houston to be home with her husband for the past ten years. After infertility struggles, in 2010 she traded in A Tale of Two Cities for Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site and has since been busy discovering ways to learn while playing, maintaining a semi-scheduled family life, and integrating both Texas and Louisiana culture into her family. Besides making memories with her boys full time, she enjoys reading, running, crafting, cooking, and football. Y’all stop by When In Doubt, Add More Salt to read more about family adventures with the boys and Jenn’s thoughts on hot summers and Pinterest pin attempts, and her love/hate relationship with March Madness brackets.

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