when does it change?

i had the opportunity to talk with my aunt on Christmas morning, who lives in England with her husband. we were discussing (by phone, of course) the hecticness of our family traditions as they stand now - how we try to squeeze in three celebrations and a church service in two days. i told her that for now, i loved it. i love the busyness.

and she told me that one day, i'll be tired of it. i'll want a tradition of my own. funny thing is that until she said that, i hadn't realized how true it is. i'm okay doing it this way for now - maybe even for a few more years. but i know that when we begin a family of our own, i'll want to know what it's like to wake up on Christmas morning in my own bed, to the sounds of little feet running up and down the hallway, checking to see if we're up yet, or to the feeling of being watched, only to find my own little ones peering over the top of the mattress at me.

there are only two significant changes to my holiday traditions that i can recall in my lifetime. the first was the year mom & bob were married. that Christmas, matt and i were engaged, so he came with me to christmas at the farm, and it was decided that mom & bob would head back that same night to seattle, instead of spending the night at the farm as we had always done as a family in years past.

the second was about the same time, when matt and i decided that we would do "eachother's Christmases" as a family. so while i was used to two celebrations in one day, suddenly, there were three, and some family politics meant that pushing his family's celebration off to another day of the week would cause weeping and gnashing of teeth, and so we've chosen to do it this way. for now.

as we are more settled in our life, in our marriage, we are feeling the urge for a baby, even though i know i'm not ready for a few more years. and i think i've decided i want a dog first. (remember 28 days? first a plant. if you can keep the plant alive, then you get a goldfish. then a dog. then you're ready for a relationship. etc. totally applicable here.) so i wonder when our traditions for Christmas will change. maybe when we have a baby. maybe when our baby grows into a preschooler that really comprehends Christmas... or maybe when we get a dog.