WHOA That's Good Podcast - Don't Overthink Your Christmas Family Traditions! | Sadie Robertson Huff & Chrys Howard (2Mama)

Episode Date: December 13, 2022

Sadie & her grandmother, 2Mama, are talking ALL the fun traditions that are a part of their Christmas season, including a talent show on Christmas Eve, cookie decorating, and enjoying Christmas lights. Sadie shares advice for newlyweds or anyone wanting to start their own traditions. 2Mama has tips and ideas for how to host a fun-filled and memorable get-together — at the holidays or anytime. Plus, Sadie reveals a hilarious (and could-have-been awful!) moment from Bella's wedding, the scoop about her brother's marriage proposal, and how Honey is basically a professional flower girl! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's up, scissors and friends, happy Monday everybody. This is so exciting because normally I pre-record the podcast, but today is actually Monday. We and my grandma, two mamas are recording this this morning and it's going out later this afternoon. So y'all are getting some real time stuff here. We are so excited to talk to y'all about the holiday season. I'm going to interview the Queen of Traditions, the best hosts that I know, and hopefully just the traditions that she has

and the love that she has for traditions and hosting can encourage you this holiday season because it has encouraged me so much. I think it has, it's been one of the reasons I love to host, and I've actually noticed that it's very intimidating for the reasons I love to host. And I've actually noticed that it's very intimidating for people my age to host. They're like, I don't know what to do, I don't know how to do it. And I never really felt that way because I always watch you do it so well. And I have to just do those out there. She's not really a good cook.

And so you don't have to be a good cook to host, okay? I mean, you make your things. You do your stuff. My thing. But you're not like the best cook in the world. That's exactly what I'm thinking. So if you're thinking hosting out of the question for me, I'm not a good cook. I don't have the right house. I don't have the right bowl of all. You're not out of the question.

But we're going to talk about so much more, so many fun stuff. And we have to start by talking about, we had a really exciting weekend. We did. Crazy weekend. Crazy. We started with a wedding.

And the different thing about that wedding was, it was four o'clock in the afternoon, which I loved, which actually we loved at the end when we realized that 730, we were about walking out of it. I know. But it was, it made for a different Saturday, you know, because everything had to be. It's true. And of course, my family, we have Rebecca texting at 340. What time does the wedding start? No, she basically takes back, you missed it. But then she did, I'm not seeing her pulling up here in communion. No, I can't. As Rebecca, that is her Rebecca. And Will, Will and Abby, they all thought it started at 6. They're like, well, I mean, you have to admit for us and

unusual time. It isn't. You have to, maybe the invitation should have had it bolded for. Something big, big for. Big for. Yeah, it was kind of an unusual time, but it was so fun and so sweet. Was that camp, which two mama? Which I love. Loves camp. How many years have you worked at camp?

Okay. I'm gonna have to say it. It's been 51 years. Are you serious? Yes. 51 years. Are you serious? Yes. 51 years. Who does that? Who does that?

That is right. I say everybody grows up from camp except me. And I'm so out there. Everyone's more committed. But it actually is really sweet because you met Chupapa at camp. It's a mom and dad at camp. And then Reeves are, he's like my god brother. We grew up together. He met Lydia at camp and then Reeves, he's like my god brother.

We grew up together at heat, Met Lydia at camp. And so another sweet camp wedding and camp couple. So that was fun. I think this was the first time that we've had a reception in a theater like that. Well, now there was a wedding that I missed. So it's possible. One wedding that you missed. I it's possible. One wedding.

That yes, I have on this. I see. But we've done the weddings at the lake and down in the field, the Sapa field. And this was in the pavilion, which is, for most people, you know, like a pavilion, it's just a big area that's got covering. And it's relatively new for us when I say new.

Like I've been there 15 years. So like 10 years? No, maybe not in that long No, like couple of yeah, maybe four or five years. Yeah, and so and it we actually were able to use the astro tur from Sadie's wedding That's your turn. That's a good thing. Yeah, that's been going around. Yeah That has and so it was beautiful and then had the reception and our newly remodeled gymnasium, which now looks so nice It was great. It was fun. That was the first no well me Christian and honey were just in chanson my as wedding Yeah, that was the first wedding of a friend that me and Christian were both in like we're equally as close with the bride in the

Green when it was really fun and then honey was a flower girl Yeah, and oh my gosh, she made me cry when she ran down the aisle because it was so funny, because rehearsal, she cried her eyes out, would not do it. And I was just like, okay, this is not a good start. And in 18 months, you never know. But this is her third wedding, 18 months. And to be the flower girl on,

and so she literally grabs that basket, she throws it over her head. The flower goes, fall out and she darts down the aisle. It was so cute. And then she gives mom the biggest hug at the end. It was adorable. It was so cute. And it goes back up Friday night, we had rehearsal dinner.

So the weekend was rehearsal dinner, all day wedding Saturday. And then Sunday, we had a big engagement in our family. We'll propose to Abby and they've been dating for a couple years. So it's been, you know, some time coming and it was so funny yesterday we went to lunch for Abby's birthday and will like, I mean, he's my brother so I can just see it on him. He's pretty nervous, you know, but he's holding himself fine until my dad shows up and dad drops off a birthday present for Abby and then he's like,

all right, I'm out of here. He goes, see you all tonight. And Abby goes, see you. Yeah. What's tonight? And she was already kind of fishing. She was at what's tonight. And nobody kind of answered because it was not like she asked, like directly. She was kind of walking up, getting her drink.

And she was like, what's tonight? And like, everybody just kind of ignored it. And Will's face was literally, why does it go so kind? Why does it go so? And he did not And everybody just kind of ignored it. And Will's face was literally, why does it go so far? I mean, why is it like, goes? And he did not eat one more bite of his food. And if you ever see my brother, my brother, I mean, he likes to put away a cheeseburger, okay?

And he literally only half that burger. He didn't eat it another bite. And Abby goes, why aren't you eating your burger? And he was like, I'm just savoring it. And she was like, you're savoring it. And he was like, I'm gonna eat it later. And she was like, when? And he was like, I'm just gonnaoring it and she was like you're savoring it. And he was like, I'm gonna eat it later. And she was like, when? And he was like, I'm just gonna eat it later.

Like he was so nervous. It was so funny. And then when it ended up being perfect, I mean, he said it was just perfect. He blindfolded her, took her to the place. They had their first date proposed. Of course she said yes. And we had, how many did they count?

Like 81 people. I think, yeah, I think 81. I'm up here at Toss last night to like surprise them and celebrate the engagement. So with another wedding, and that was really kind of last minute too, to pull together and then to have over 80 people there. Yeah, that was just super sweet.

Yeah, and Mom told Dad that there is gonna be 40 people there. Yeah. Which dad was cooking for everybody, but dad is so good at this. Fortunately so good. Fortunately, yeah, it was like it was like the fish in the Lots of stuff. It was just kept multiplying. It was like all of a sudden we had enough food It just kept the bowl would just do not become empty. Yep. He had like a corn chowder with sausage and that kind of stuff And then like a vegetable-based stew and I was pretty much the last in the line and I was like it's still full Yeah, no, I mean it was great. It was so sweet and then of course we're out of time out wedding dates. What is the wedding gonna be? Yeah and they're all

like oh what do I wonder we can't marry in April early May and I'm like great I'm gonna be nine months pregnant. So that'll be beautiful great photos you know but actually told them I said I'm actually so glad you're choosing them because I would rather be nine months pregnant than three weeks postpartum like I was for Bella's wedding. Yeah. So we're going to emery Kate with one month postpartum in my wedding. So I think this is just um it's like I'm getting back what I gave to her. It just goes around comes around, comes around, yeah, that kind of thing. Yeah, but it'll be so sweet and we'll just like make sure

I'll have the sewing machine ready to take up or add to. Well, what I did in Bella's wedding, I had to buy two dresses. Yeah, that was like, who knows what size I'm gonna be. So I'm gonna do that for this wedding. But the great thing about doing that in Bella's wedding is because I wore this dress in Bella's wedding and I mean, it was tight, okay?

Like, it was really tight, because it's really exposed part of them and you look about that much pregnant, okay? So anyways, right into the wedding, I'm like, woo, okay, that was good. And then I go to a hug Christian and like I throw my arms around him and both my straps just go pop, like literally pop off.

And I'm like, don't move, don't move. My straps are off, he's like go pop, like literally pop off and I'm like, don't move, don't move, my straps are off, he's like, what, like they broke. It wasn't like it was a snap, like no, no, no, they just like popped. I mean, like the seam just gave out. And so thankfully I had the back at dress, so I just went and changed dresses. There you go. And it was funny, yeah, it looked like it just had a little reception change. So I did that.

You might need to do that. I'm definitely going to do this one. Yeah. We definitely going to do that. I'm going to come back. You know what? It's so fun to look back at the pictures and in Mark time, but these sweet things and they're

wanting to get to be gorgeous. I'm so excited for them. I really didn't make a big deal about it because it is not about me, but it is just funny. That I'm going to like, so so pregnant. But it's so, that's what happens at the age is, y'all are all so close in age, and so it's gonna happen.

It is gonna happen. Yeah, it is gonna happen. But it's so fun, because now honey gets to be flower girls and all these weddings, like literally by the time she's two, she will have been a flower grown for weddings, and then the month after she's a flower grown another wedding. So I'm like, you were gonna just be a professional like.

She is. I mean, as long as, Lori is down at that end and I'm on the other end. It worked. She's out there. We got it down. So it's a fun season of life and it's definitely fun season that we're seven and two because it's Christmas

is right around the corner. Very close. What is it like? What are Very close. What is it? Like, what are we at? One is today, the 11th. I don't even know. The 12th. The 12th.

So we're 13 days away. Wow. Less than two weeks. That's crazy. So I do want to talk to you about traditions because, like I said, you are the Queen of traditions. You know how to start one and know how to keep one. And I think even you saying that you've been at camp for 51 years

just shows that you're committed to the things that you commit to. And so, talk to me about why traditions are important. For those who have never done a tradition, they might be like, why? And those who have always done it, you know, it might just remind them of the things that they love about their family. Yeah, I think that's the thing that just reminds us of what they are and why they're valuable. And for me, traditions are the things that say to your family,

say to you, this is my family. That's sweet. And in saying that, that gives kids a security, that gives them a hope for the future, that gives them so many things that if their world is kind of falling apart, say, a kids away at college and its finals and things are not where they should be in their brain, they can take themselves to, oh wait, in a week, I'm going to be at grandma's house and we're going

to be eating whatever they eat for their, that's their tradition. And so traditions can be things as big as our family goes to the beach every year, or it can be as little as one thing our family does when we pass a state line. We all do it. Two states. And just saying two states every time we come to a state line tells everybody in our family, this is our family. This is what we do.

This is what says we're all together in this race of life. And so to me, that's what traditions do, whether they're big or small, as they bind us together and give us our hope for the future and our promises and our love for each other and all those kind of things. I love that. So what do you think? I love that. Well, I think you're so right. I think it is what says this is my family like This is what we do And it's fun when you get married because when you get married you say that a lot like oh this is what my family always does Every year. I want to do this or this is what my family always does every year I want to do this and like you get to brain traditions together and then you get to create like your family's traditions

And like what we do as a family and then it's also like what we all do as a family. And it is cool because now Christian does two states too. It's just like in our hell, every time we pass with two states, you know? And so it is funny, but it does remind you of who you are. And I think your hope for the future is so right. And like you said, if you're a kid, you know, a college or even in our family,

like when families have gotten divorced, like it's held strong that you've carried so much traditions and everyone's counted on that. Or even for me, times where I've just had a hard year, really busy year, and over the past few years, I've been so busy with work and things, but I know I am not gonna miss Memo's brunch and the Christmas tradition at your house talent show,

which we'll get to in a minute. I'm not gonna miss those things because those are things that are so valuable to me, and matter so much to me. And even now, like, imagining what I want to have traditions for honey, like in our future kids, like, when we talked about where we're gonna be for the holidays, like, Christians family, my family,

it really helped us being like, hey, well, what do we want our traditions to be? Like, what do we want our family to do, our family to hold it, like, what's valuable to us? And so I think traditions also can just keep like, your priorities straight to ground us. Ground us. Ground us. And it's really cool. So I agree.

And all of the traditions that we have have been so sweet. And one thing though I do love about you though, is no matter how much change has happened in the family, you've kept their traditions but you haven't forced it upon everybody to have to be there because people do get married and people are out of town sometimes and things are crazy but you haven't been like oh well they're gone so we won't do it. You just do it and I think that's so important to remember everybody out there is that traditions should be fun and life giving, not binding and sucking the life out of these. And so sometimes we have to be very careful about that, especially as we in the older generation, we get older that there might be a tradition that we have to step away from. And it's hard to just like giving up a baby or, you know, things that you love.

But we have to be open to that to give our family room to grow and our younger people that space for them to have a tradition. So while it's a hard thing to do, everybody out there who's listening to this of the older generation, you just have to be mindful of that. Like, is it time to step away from that and let other, because we have traditions now that we observe in our family that we didn't many years ago,

and we've started new ones that we didn't have, and we've let go of them. And that doesn't mean you don't love each other or anything crazy like that. That just means it's time for something new. Yeah, that's so good. I love that. That was a great way of saying like, traditions should be life-giving and not sucking the life.

And I do think that you have to like look at it and see like, is this good? You know, is everybody still happy? Is there ready one do's? Is it so fun? Or is it like we're forcing it to happen? Because I think the traditions that we have now even at times where we've said okay is it time to let this go and everybody's like no no you know it's good to just do a little pulse check like everybody like this is this fun for everybody and it is so fun and so some of our traditions like to mom said we have as small ones as two states and then I

thought of another one like as soon as we get in the car for any trip we all sing the song We're on our way back up our back Everyone Christian first come to our family. He's like what in the world did I give us up into? We all sing the whole song there maybe Sonorita it's just like a thing but it's like it just like comes from Mamaczo Yes now 91 years old and it was a song back in the 40s, I guess, and in a play, a Broadway musical, that my mom, Joe loved,

and started singing with us when we were kids. And so we just carried that tradition on. And this past week, and we went down to the Super Dome, which is in New Orleans for our school ball game. And I had two of my great nephews in the car with me. My sister's grand children. And so I started singing it and and they were singing it and I turned around and I said, do you guys not sing that song? And they said, oh we do, but they're like too cool now.

You know, they're like, okay, but I just thought it was so fun because that's not our, it's my sister's kids, but they do this, they have the same tradition. Wow, and we all do it too. What you do. It's the thing that says, this is our family. Your family, you and Christian and honey are your family. And then it's your bigger family with your mom and dad and then with me and to papa. And then all the way to Memo Joe and and Papua Shaq and Papua Howard. And so all of those things are those things that like you were

saying earlier, when tough times happen, perhaps divorces and deaths and things, really tough things in family, again, those are the things that can bind us together and get us that security that we are loved and supported and we're all in this together. It's true. I felt that. I want to talk about, so we're going in this together. I'm sure I felt that. I wanna talk about, so we're gonna get to our traditions after this, but I wanna talk about just like the first married Christmas and the couple of years married, because I feel like a lot of people who listen to this podcast are young married couples,

and it is really hard, you know, sometimes to give up your family traditions to go to their families, or their families to go to your families, and I feel like that's like a hard conversation that, you know, to have with your spouse. And it's also, even when I've talked to friends about it, like, what are y'all doing?

What are y'all doing? It's so hard. And people always ask me, what do you do? And so I'll just kind of share our experience. So the first year that we got married, we kind of had a different year because we got married on Thanksgiving break. And then we were gone for Thanksgiving.

So we were with our family for Christmas and Christian and I were like sleeping in mom and dads little like guest thing and we put our little stockings up. It was really sweet. But we didn't really have to think that far in the future yet because we were like, it was just kind of a world when we had just gotten married, but we did know that we were going to alternate. Like we were going to be here this year and we were going to be with his family the next year. And so although I was so grateful to be with our family, I was so sad thinking I wasn't gonna be there the next year. And I was just so ridiculous on Christmas Day. I'm like, so happy that we're having so much fun.

And then we're like leaving and I just like started getting emotional and he's like, why are you crying? I'm like, because we're not gonna be here next year. He's like, you're crying, and you're the one with your family, like how do you think I feel? I was like, I know I'm sorry, but I just can't stop thinking about next year. And it was just like, but the reality is that it's hard, you know?

It is hard to like change your traditions because I like love the things that we do, and you're right. Like I've always looked forward to them. They've meant so much to me, And then I knew I wasn't, this was gonna be my last year of that consistency. And so it was kinda hard. But then the next year we were Christian's family, and it was so fun.

And we had a great time. And I got to experience all of his family traditions. And then the next year we got pregnant, which then we were like, okay, what is this gonna look like? And it was so sweet because his mom was like, you know, we want y'all to be able to be at y'all's home, but that's what y'all want. And so let's think about the best way that we can do this for everybody. And we were the only ones in their family

that had kids. And so as far as the younger kids, the high kids, and so she was really great about saying, let's work around what's best for y'all right now. And so we decided to do Thanksgiving with their family every year and do Christmas with our family every year. And they come to us. They love that. The week before Christmas. And so I get to host their family and it's so much fun. And we're in the process of making our traditions.

I was just calling his mom yesterday and saying, hey, it was like, okay, so I'm thinking, because last year we did like a dinner, like I cooked dinner and then we all did guests. I was like, why don't this year, we wake up in the morning, like it's Christmas morning and do a big breakfast and open guests. And then we like order in for dinner and like make it more casual, like watch a Christmas movie. And she was like, that's all so fun.

So it's fun because now we're getting to create what our traditions are with them. Now like Thanksgiving's become something we really look forward to there in Christmas movie. And she's like, that's all so fun. So it's fun because now we're getting to create what our traditions are with them. Now, like Thanksgiving's become something we really look forward to there in Christmas here. And so, you know, it does take a couple years to work around what it's going to be. And it's okay to be sad about, you know, letting those things go. And I think just giving your your spouse the grace to let them feel the feels that they have because Christian was sad too, you know, of course he was, he had to let go of his things. And that's the part of the beauty of marriage and the hard thing about, you know,

becoming your own family. And so anyways, I just wanted to say that because I know a lot of you probably did just get married or are getting married soon and you're thinking about that and just give yourself the grace to feel the feel as well as also embrace the newness and make the new just as fun and start the traditions with your new family that are going to carry you on for the next, you know, several years.

And so our traditions at your house have always been epic. I remember when we were a little and it would be at school and it would be like, what are your Christmas traditions? And you know, my friends beside me would have like two lines filled photo and I would have like, I would still be writing because we did so many crazy things. And so let's just recat the week of Christmas for our family. Okay, can I back up just one little second? Yeah, because I do want to say that I got married on December the 27th.

So it was two days after Christmas. So as you were talking about all of that, I was like going back to, you know, we got married at Christmas time. And I'm thinking, my mom had six kids. What was I thinking? You know, she was having to do Christmas and do all the wedding and everything.

And that first Christmas was so fun together because Tupafa did the 12 days of Christmas for me and Christmas every day and that kind of thing. That's so sweet. And so it was just a super sweet time and we were so blessed because his family was so sweet and supportive of our family. And so they actually came and did Christmas with us. Oh, it's so sweet. And we didn't live in the same town. And so that was just a super sweet time. And, you know, there is, I think, Christmas and any of our holidays is a great time for us to practice,

compromise, and just being grateful for what we have and where we are at that moment and that thing. So I agree. Anyway, I had to try that. This is the harp on the compromising thing. It really, I have to shout out my mother-in-law to even know she's got a listen to this, but that meant so much to me that she was like, your young mom, like, I know everything is crazy right now. Like, what can we do to make it like the best for all of us? And, you know, Chan at Screshing's brother

was in a place where he could come wherever and they were in a place where they could too. But still, it was sacrificing them having to leave. It was a huge sacrifice and it meant so much to me that she was willing to compromise and ask me that and I know that's rare. And so just shout out to her and also like if you are a mother-in-law in a situation, you're having a hard time with it. Maybe even like talking to your daughter-in-law or talking to your kids about it, just opening the conversation

helps so much. That was a great point. I'm glad you went back. So I'll throw that out there. Okay, so we were... Now what did we say? We're saying that to our tradition. We have had a lot of traditions over the years, that we have loved so much. And what we...for them past many, many years, excuse me, for the past many, many years, excuse me, for the past many, many years, my sister started the cookie decorating tradition. And she started that before she had,

she had over 30 years. Yeah, with, with, I don't know, my kids were little, Corey and Ryan and Ashley were little and she started the cookie decorating tradition. And that kind of kicks off our holiday time. And it's just so fun. And then y'all all came along and we love that. And it's a lot more icing eating than cookie decorating for the first like 10 years of your life. Then we get more creative with our decorating. And then then they all got amazing. And they were like pieces of artwork. And they

were back at it really took it to the next level. Rebecca's amazing. Yes, and I do cheese me because I save a cookie from every year so I have a cookie. This is like the weirdest thing. She could be on light hoarders for this. No, I'm not. It's like my strange addiction. Too often, it literally has cookies in her house.

legitimate cookies that you could have eaten. I would not recommend doing that now. That are held. Oh, 1990. She had like a 19, and they held together. And they held together. And they held together. When you were like, think about it,

why is something that we ate still held together from 1990? It's a little crazy, but when I started it, like when you start in each tradition, you don't really think about the 50 years down the road always, you know, so anyway, I have a whole platter of cook. I just say that when I felt that about this, it was just a couple of years ago, and I was a you, were not saving these cookies all this time.

And it's so fun because I can look at this cookie and say, look, Sadie made this. That is fun. I'll give it to you, it's fun. But I was shocked by that. Okay, so we do cookie decorating, and then my mom has always had a Christmas brunch, another kind of kickoff thing. And everybody's, I think, careful to choose what time, a Jonil's night or in the afternoon,

sometime with all the kids, and mama does a Christmas brunch and puts together all these homemade cinnamon rolls, and just so many things, and she ends it with bananas foster which who does that it's amazing so that's and she is the orange joyous and the joyous and the coffee plushy. Oh man. Everything homemade all that kind of stuff. And now mind you, COVID had hit us like every other family so the last couple of years we've been a little hit and miss on on all of those kinds of things, but those are our traditions. And then we would

come to our house for Christmas Eve, and that's the big family celebration. That's the best part. Everybody. Yeah. All the cousins and extended family. Everybody. And random people. And random people. There's always a lot of people. And I think nobody ever would ask who are they? You know, we just like assume somebody's got them there. We're like, hey, hey, there's a pleasure here. That's right. I mean, that's so fun. And within that space, there's the traditions

that come with that. We gave up many, many years ago, trying to be present, because there's just so many of us at that thing. And we just determined that our gift to each other would be some kind of a talent. So we have this major Christmas Eve talent show that has gone from little kids singing jingle bells

to nearly Broadway singing from Will and just amazing, amazing talent. So our family, this is kind of funny. So all their families have these great talents, okay? Like they can play instruments and they can sing. Some people can do sign language. Don't ask. Don't ask.

Don't ask. Like talented people. Our family, we are talented in our own ways. You are, you're so talented. The talents that qualify you for a talent show, okay? Which is what this is. And so all of us have decided that we're just gonna bring the humor.

So each year we come up with a skit, and we do this for fun. And they're always so funny. So we've gone all out. And a lot of times, well, most of them, and including this year, which I can't talk about the skit this year, because two moments doesn't know, and it is hilarious, and I can't wait. I've been laughing. I can't wait about the skit this year because two moments doesn't know. And it is hilarious and I can't wait.

I've been laughing. I can't wait for you to know because you keep doing stuff and two boba. You keep doing stuff that's in our skit. We're gonna spell what y'all are. And we last night I was like about to cry I was laughing so hard. Some two all the said because it's like in our skit.

And like he doesn't even know he's doing it. But y'all are so good about doing things that something has happened in the year. Like I was gonna say, we did it with the year. We all did dance with the stars. We did like a whole performance. And then I think was mom carrying a doubt,

was like Bruno and Lynn. We performed a dance. We did all kinds of like based on the year. We didn't know like, I'll be like, all the way back when you were little, you were Sandy Luhu. You had that.

We did that. We did lots of skits. Which had been so fun. And they bring our family together, just practicing our skits. But they are hard. Like, even already, we have had a tough time all practicing our skit,

because we're trying to get now, our family's grown so much. Just get now our families growing so much just are you're maybe we have like well if you're counting grandkids like 16 of us now or something and so trying to get all of us to do a skit together which of course I'm trying to run the show because I wrote the skit and I'm like you people show up on time it was so funny because I was like, we're pre-recording this year because I don't trust them to perform. We're gonna pre-record because every year this happens, we get there and I was like, I've wrote a practice and I'm like, are you kidding me? Well, we went to the, we started the pre-recording.

Yeah, you're saying? Because I'm hosting the party and it's just it's hard to host and be ready to entertain and do your talent and that kind of thing. I mean when I say talent I'm putting that real loosely for me and very loosely for most of it. Very loosely. Yes. We have a few cousins who are super talented. The rest of us are just like you know we're just in it for the time. I do a laugh. And so many years several years ago to pop an hour we're gonna do the song for Frozen. So that's how the pre-recording started. And it is on YouTube, yes. And so we were coming back from visiting

the other grandkids in Alabama. And I was making him practice, which is the story of our life, you know, of course. So I was making him practice and he was just not getting the words, not getting them. And then he said, I am, I'm getting them. And so I don't know if you know this backstory. So I put, I said, I'm putting the camera up here on the dashboard. And we are going to, I'm going to show you that you are not getting these words down. So I put it up there and then we watched it back and it was so hilarious that I was like, this is what we should do.

We should just show this and not even try to do it live. So we did. So that started our pre-recording. That's been several years ago, whatever we wanted. And your idea is to shake it off. We did shake it off. We did Greece. So we all did a couple that also made us cry.

You all did. The year of Les Mizz, I met Avan wrote a song and Avan played the piano. And I sang that to all of my grandkids. I was sad. And that was super sweet. And then last year was our 50th anniversary. So we did, I think we did a live something

the year before. Sing a song together about your relationship and then you did a like slideshow or something. Yeah, it was sweet. And when I say sing a song together, remember, we're not talking about like great. That's it. Everybody can sing.

No, it's just, we're just singing. You gotta sing, sing. You don't have to be all that talented to put on a family talent show. It's even funnier. Yeah, it's actually funnier. You're not. Who can't, who can't sing.

And then when the ones who can sing, then you're like, oh wow. Look at them. I remember one year I sang with Macy and Allie. And I was like, Macy and Allie are so good. And I was like, I was up there too. Thank you. Thank you.

You can see. I can say, but I got very overshadowed by two of them. And I've not returned to singing at the talent show. Yes, those two are kind of over the top. They're really good. They're really, really good. And then I love you, text to the group, text to the day. And you said, you know, time for our thing again, you

said, I'm making my famous skits sandwiches that you buy from Sam. I gotta get from Sam. And you said one of the thing and then you're like, and y'all can fill in the rest. And I love that because I think so many people will put so much pressure on them. And we talked about this in the podcast a couple weeks ago with Danielle, who's a chef. And she said, just don so much pressure on them. And we talked about this in the podcast a couple weeks ago, with Danielle, who's a chef, and she said, just don't put pressure on yourself. Like don't try to cook the most gourmet meal. Don't try to do something you never done before

because then it's like, it puts too much stress on you. Just see what you know. And people are happy and it's not about the food, it's about the fellowship, it's about the fun, it's about the memories. You don't want to get every member 10 years from now, what two mom have cooked? We're all going to remember.

Well, no, for sure. Our time together. I will remember what your dad cooked. That would be true. That would be true. That they're not going to remember that. And that yeah, I mean, I get a brisket from Sam's, it's pre-sliced.

I heated up, I do those sister-shooter rolls and put them in the middle of that. And solid. Everybody loves it. I love them. I actually look forward to that because it's a tradition. It's a's a tradition. I love that Danielle said that who is a great cook. Yeah. And so that's just sweet for her to give those of us who aren't that permission to say, we don't have to be the best cook. You can find things. You know, it doesn't matter.

And then we do the secret Santa. And then we do a secret Santa. And kids, the secret Santa and then we do a secret Santa and the kids. Well, oh, and we actually do Santa. Yeah, Santa comes to our house every Christmas Eve. And it's so special of him. It's very sweet of him. It is so sweet. It is so sweet. We are singled out about that and he comes to our house

every year. So all the littles, and when we stay little in our family, you as long as you're still in high school, when you graduate in high school, you're done. You enter the secret, you enter the secret sanicide. But if you're 18 and you're still in high school, you're sitting on Sanisland to get to get to get to get to get. And so my grandson, Avin and Annabat, the two cousins, this is their last year. And then we start of that whole generation. Then we start on the great-grands.

So this will be fun because we've got Honey and Ella who are at the age of not liking Santa at all. We've got Zane and John Shepherd who have a clear understanding that he's the man. Yeah. So they're like running up there, but the two little girls know. And then, and Hollen, I don't know what she'll, she's so chill. What she'll do is she might. They'll remember us all being in the back, and we'd be waiting for Santa.

And some older kids would spark rumors. Yeah. Santa might be two papa. Yeah. And then, no. He is. That is Santa and just the arguments and the fights between the kids. Yeah, because conspiracy theory, right?

Yeah. It is odd that Tupapa does leave his room. But there, it's, yeah, it's strange. We've always thought that we were. Oh, that's strange. That's so sweet of Santa to stop in at our house. I don't know where else he goes, but he comes to our house. So that kind of ends the night for whether kids get all the stuff.

And then we do our secret Santa with the adults who are out of high school and above. And just a lot. Everybody brings their traditional kind of food and you and that's another tradition then you kind of get where you expect this from a Kim, this from Carol's. Carol you know you kind of but that's banana caramel. That's so fun. Yeah you get everybody else's tradition. You get just sweet. They're things and that just kind of and if they don't do it that year it's a little bit like wait. What happened to Christmas?

It is, it is. It's funny. That always makes something really good in random. Yeah. Now here's this random, but you know it's gonna be good. It's gonna be a big part of something. Something. Yeah.

Which is what he, the only thing he'll eat. That's why he really does it. Yeah, that's right. That's what he gave us. That's a big eating. Yeah. And then the next morning we wake up and we do Christmas at our own house and then we come to Tumama's for just her drink.

It's come to do a little breakfast and give set your house and it's always just been so fun and so sweet. And so, you know, that's a lot of traditions. I don't, you don't have to do all those traditions, but I think even if that can inspire you to do one of those traditions, it's just so fun. Just kickstart it for your family, whether it's a breakfast or a talent show, a game night. Something like this. We do games too.

Yeah, we do games. We do games. We do games. New years, we always do Scrabble Tournament. Yeah, we do Scrabble Tournament. So just fun things like that. It's just bringing the family together and having a good time. And I love what you say about traditions.

It's the best way to say it. It's so consistent and gives you hope for the future. And I love that. Someone asked a question, and I want to throw this in there. They said, how to introduce your kids to the storyline of Jesus during Christmas. And obviously, this is the most important thing of all of Christmas. And we probably should have even talked about this at the beginning, the reason for the season.

And part of our tradition at your house, before we even do the talent show, we tell the story of Jesus, but the kids do it. And I think that's a good way to introduce your kids to it, do you want to share that? Well, this is so fun because last night I was, tonight I have a Christmas party for my mentoring group. And I was, I have a Christmas drawer, well, I have a Christmas cabinet drawer and attic. So I was looking through my drawers that I save everything Christmas drawer, well, I have a Christmas cabinet drawer and attic. So I was looking through my drawers

that I save everything from all the years and I came across the stack of C is for the Christ show that y'all would hold up. You know, and that got, I think we may pull that out this year and out, we've got some little ones. But so every year I would get the grandkids together and teach them a play and some kind of, some way to present the storyline of Jesus and you and for Mary one year and John Luke was

Joseph and we had whoever was the baby but then we were all like panicky that y'all would drop the baby or whatever but we do start off every holiday every time we get together with the story of Jesus which is the most important thing and I was I was talking to John Schepard the other day. We were talking about, we went to Susanna and I post about this and we had a little talk about him and we were watching him while the little girls were playing and we talked about his beard,

it's like, like dubs, his grandpa and he teaches us about giving and sharing with other people and those kind of things. And so I think it's important for us to talk to our kids about what Santa represents too about that giving and giving to others and gifts and that kind of thing. But it's more important that we read the story about Jesus. And we've done that too. Like we've had mammma read or we've

done, we've said it, you know, we've taken little parts and read. Last year I think we did the whole candlelight. Yeah. Yeah. We lit candles. Really cool. And saying, holy night, I think, let us and holy night, one of our, whatever better secrets in the family. She's really our best driver. Yeah. She did it. And so we had all the little candles around the room. So you know, whatever traditions you have somewhere in there, that is that is so important. We do that. It's true. This year on the LSSR app, we've been doing an Advent study and it's been like so good because I've never like been the most consistent person when it comes to studies. I'll miss a few days or whatever, but I've really loved this one

because it's short, but it's so good and a couple of things I've said in there. Just it's one of those things where you can know something so well, but even knowing something you still need to be reminded of it. And she'll give you those on a Saturday day when she was just encouraging us for passion. She was like, you can know something, but you need to be reminded of some things. And that's just the story of the gospel. And so as I've been reading the Christmas story, I know this story, but I'm reminded of things. And I'm even, I was open to new things that I haven't even thought about before. And so it's just amazing whenever you start learning about Jesus and really diving into his life, you can never stop learning. Like you can always be

encouraged or inspired or learn more from the life and the story of him coming into the world. I think it's like because my background is education and I always think it's like when we learn, we learn anything when we learned how to do fractions. The first time we saw a fraction we were like, well, what? What are you trying to tell me? This is crazy. And of course, by the end of the school year, fractions are easy, you know. And that's true about anything that we're educating ourselves about. And that, even the story of Jesus, as we get older,

we do see other things. We think about the age of Mary, and we think about the dilemma that they face. And when we're a little kid, we don't see that. Yeah, but with each year because of the growth in us, we see more about what God was telling us and teaching us through that whole story. Yeah, it's hilarious. Y'all are good. I think this is so funny, especially just knowing me because this is just something I would do and I was little. So after hearing the story of Mary, I just thought that was so incredible

that God gave her a baby. This is before, of course, I knew how babies were made, figured it out. But at the time of tonight, I was so little and I just thought that was so cool that Jesus came into the world as a baby. So I remember taking this and be like, okay, this is huge.

I went upstairs at our old house, at our old old house, but I can't. I went upstairs, I got on my our old old house back camp. I went upstairs I got on my knees and I was saying to God God please make me the next Mary God please bring Jesus into the world again I will I will have a baby like telling God like I will birth the baby I want to bring Jesus into the world and it's like so funny that I did that But I actually think about that now like with what I do that. Okay, obviously I'm not the version Mary, but like, I wanna bring the good news into the world

and like the heart posture is the same. Of like, I want to bring Jesus into the world. I wanna bring that good news. And so I think, you know, we can all take that spirit and be like, okay, I might not be qualified. Mary wasn't either, but I wanna bring the good news into the world. I have such a desire to bring hope to people and the story of Jesus is the hope.

Last thing I want to talk about because this is important for young moms out there. Someone asked for moms this time in the year, any advice that you have, and I'll go for young moms and you can just speak to moms in general. But I remember last year, honey, you know, one, not even. And I remember, what gosh, she was only seven months, I guess. It was her first Christmas and I remember, it was like, oh, it's her first Christmas if you got in her stuff. And I hadn't really gotten her a lot of stuff

because I was like, she doesn't know, you know? Like, she's not even gonna know what's going on, whatever. And like, I made it sweet for her, like, of course, the whole tree and everything. And then I bought her a few little things that were a big thing, like that little car that she can walk around in and stuff, what she used one time. But it's just funny because I just remember thinking, like, we're putting all this pressure on ourselves, like, it's her first Christmas, but like, she literally,

like, will not know how much she got what she got, anything. And so I remember I like she was playing with some of her gifts before Christmas because I was like I just need to hurt a habbit toy and I'm like why are they sitting there waiting for two weeks and she's not gonna remember and I wrapped those same gifts and like gave it to her again at Christmas. And of course like she just loved it like she didn't know she's just like looking at a bow and looking at a rabbit paper like she's seven months old and then you know she sees her a little car and she sits in it for like what 10 minutes but it wasn't the car that she loved that was like the thing that I actually got her it was more just the entertainment and everything going on and so I just say to young moms like don't

put pressure on yourself to make it like an Instagram perfect Christmas like you know what makes your baby happy and just make your baby happy. Like, it's just a joyful day of celebration. And I think that because of social media sometimes, it's like this pressure for everything. I look perfect to be perfect. Have all these gifts and do all these things and whatever. And there's so much going on.

If you have a seven month old one, you're all just make it fun. Just make it fun. But this year, of course, honey knows more and we know more about her and what she likes. And it has been so fun to buy her things that we know like she is going to love this because this is what she's thought about all year. This is the things that she's gotten excited about.

And so this year is a little bit more fun, but just for those new moms, like you're a new mom, you know, Rapa Gifts already has, it'll be fine. They'll love opening it. And just bring them into all the traditions. We're going to take honey and chefian Ella and then tonight to go see the lights and they're good to love it.

And so it's just fun. And I won't remember that either. No, but it's just fun. And all those are experiences that will build on each other. You know what I'm saying? I mean, even though they're not gonna remember it, they are just gonna be with you guys. Which is the best thing.

And like, I think, you know, there's a time in your life where when you're young, Christmas is like the best thing ever. And then Christmas is always the best thing, but when you go a little bit older, and you start to figure some things out, it's not as exciting as it used to be. And you kind of miss the childhood that it was so exciting and so fun.

And then when you have a kid, it's all fun to get it all exciting and like that all and wonder and sing it in their eyes and their excitement. It's just, it's really sweet. I think it feels so great about family as you get to relive things all over again and so fun. When Honey was over yesterday, we've got a big Santa that two-pop-a-bottom walker,

and it's like, you know, four-feet taller, whatever. And she will not get near that Santa. But she doesn't leave the room. She just looks so red and she uses them. The shakes are here. I'm like, you don't like that Santa? No, no. No, you know, this is just so cute.

But it's just funny. The fun is thing to watch anything through the eyes of a child and so tonight y'all go look at Christmas lights which we can because I've got something else. And you won't, you will see those lights in a different way because you're watching there are a little sweet faces. Light up, it'll be honey's new, her new like shock face

when she goes, like put your hand over her mouth. She's both of those hands and so cute. Oh, it's so cute It's just we love our babies. We do all I'm wonder it's so fun Well, I hope they all were encouraged with this podcast and it made you even more excited for the season that we're in Christmas Really is the best because more than the magic of Christmas is the truth of Christmas the good news with Jesus Jesus, and we need to celebrate that. And I think it's just so awesome that on Jesus' birthday, it's the day that everyone gives to each other. It's the day of families coming together, traditions coming alive. And I think that, you know, to honor Jesus' life, I think that's such a great way to do it, a day of so much joy. But we also have our hearts throughout to those who aren't having a good

Christmas, who have lost a loved one, who have gotten divorced. Like we just talked about just hard-life things that have happened. And I think also that's a great thing to realize. And remember that this is the good news story that Jesus, a Savior, came into the world no matter what you're going through. There can be hope for a future. And no matter what you're going through, there can be hope for a future and no matter what you're going through, whether you're at the lowest place of your life, you're carrying a lot of burdens or weak that he can be or strengthen that time. And so whether it's the highest of the highest, the lowest of the low for you, Jesus can meet you wherever you're at, there is no story too hard that he cannot intervene in, though story too great that he isn't greater than.

And so just to encourage you, that is the reason for the season. And we're grateful to get to celebrate it because of Jesus and get to celebrate each other because of his love for us. So we love you guys. I hope you have a great Monday and I hope you have a great, great Christmas.

Of course, we have more podcast coming after this, but this will just kick start some fun holiday talk. you