This year my husband Alan and I were able to spend Christmas with our grandchildren. While driving to their home which takes us about 5 1/2 hours, my grandddaughter Ivie ( eldest) texted me on my phone.She  asked me when would we arrive at her home. I know our daughter, son in law, and our granddaughters were excited we were coming to spend Christams with them. Alan and I were just as excited. We always have a fun time together.

Traveling in car  brought back many memories of when I was a child, and my grandparents lived far away. My grandparentss would come for Thanksgiving and would stay until New Year day. The holidays were so exciting having them spend time  with me. My grandmother made a large variety of cookies. And when we became adult, she would give us our own box of selected candy and cookies along with canned cherries, peaches, applesauce and salmon. My grandparents lived near fruit orchards and they loved fishing. They did all their own  canning. We all looked forward to our own Christmas goody box.

I did continue the tradition on a smaller scale, by making 4 different kinds of cookies, pumpkin bread with orange frosting and 1 candy. When we arrived my granddaughters were so excited to see all the goodies I had made.

While shopping  a few weeks prior at  Trader Joe’s (a specialty market) a large precooked gingerbread man. I thought it would be fun to decorate this cookie. I bought 4 cookies for us girls to decorate, I figured my husband and son in law would not mind not participating in this activity.

I purchased all types of shapes of candy to decorate.  My granddaughter Bailey and I sat down and drew out a designs on paper  of what we wanted our cookie to look like and coming up with different ideas. My granddaughters were so excited. On Christmas day we decorated our gingerbread man. I made my gingerbread a Girl, Erin’s was a Hawaiian girl, Bailey’s was a colorful Snowman, and Ivie’s was a Hippy!

It was fun creating a new tradition together. Did you create a new tradition?