Traditions

Maybe it's too early in the season.
Maybe they've turned them off early.
Maybe they've moved.
Maybe they are tired of all the car's.

Last night we too Aidan and Austin out to look at all the lights and holding true to the "tradition" we had to see the houses that had the most lights covering the lawn, house, driveway with the display synchronized to music.

We traveled from the Ponderosa to Webb Road and back in our search of entertainment.

First stop....The lights on St. Paul which probably should have been our last stop since it's pretty tough to measure up but onward we went in search of "spectacular".

There were the lights in the circle drive near Central and Webb Road which Aidan loved only because of the smoking train, then there were the lights from 17th & Park Place that found a new home in the 1100 block of Lawrence Ct., and a few other places we found on the trip.

After leaving each neighborhood sounds of "again" and "more lights" were heard from the backseat and I was reminded of the "annual" Oswald family tradition from my childhood,

Those drives included Eastborough, Vickerage and Downtown (now known as "THE CITY" to Aidan) to see all of the lights. My brother and I would gaze in wonder at the house after house of lights, the lights that were in the storefront windows, the lights hanging from the street light poles and the hot chocolate that was passed out at some of the houses.

Where did those people move to, when did they stop putting up lights?

Traditions are hard to let go of, but they remain in my memory...........From finding out my Grandpa was Santa, Homemade rolls on Christmas morning, Christmas Eve Church Services with the little kids Christmas program and the choir singing the Hallelujah Chorus, the sack of peanuts and candy that was handed out by the "old" guys at the church.

Then the new traditions started as we grew up and moved away, presents at our place for the kids, then to the parents houses on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day (alternating every year).

Over the past 6 years we've yet again started new ones, now the Ponderosa is where the kids come to gather, either on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day and they've started their own set of traditions...........

Life. It goes on, no matter how much we want to hold on.