This year Clint and I are in charge of hosting the Trickett Family Christmas Party, and when we started brainstorming the things we wanted to do, it was apparent to me that this year was going to be different. It was going to be more than a party, but an ongoing event that would bring the spirit of Christ into the lives of everyone in our family. (At least if we had any part in it!)
I began planning a way that we could share our very favorite Christmas tradition with ALL of Clint's family, and so I began in the beginning of November planning and preparing a wonderful Gift of Time for everyone!
The theme is LIGHT.
16 individual families within the Trickett family, and a special gift bag full of gifts and letters complete with activities, traditions, and instructions for families to feel united, and for ALL of us to feel united no matter where anyone is in the world. Even if they couldn't be present at the actual Christmas party.
There was an introductory letter on the outside of the gift bag, which inside contained 5 gifts with 5 different letters, each one with a number one through five on it,
and a letter to spell out light..."L - I - G - H - T - "
Each week between Thanksgiving and Christmas everyone would open a letter with the gift and follow the instructions to complete a certain task that week, that would hopefully bring an added measure of LIGHT into the family.
L-Luminary:
Use these white paper sacks with snowflakes cut out and put a tealight candle in it. When you see someone doing something kind, put your luminary in their room and at the end of the night, tell what you saw done that day that brought light into your home.
I-Intentional Invitations and Including Others
Use your popcorn and Christmas light bulb necklaces to celebrate and invite someone to do something fun with your family - Go see Christmas Lights, Go to the Giving Machine, watch a Christmas movie etc.
G-Give Good Gifts
Use this beautiful plate, cookie mix and oven mit to bake some goodies and take them to a neighbor, sing someone a Christmas carol, or just visit someone in need. Just make your gift a good one. :)
H-Holiday traditions
Do this puzzle together! Grandma Trickett loved doing puzzles! Whatever you choose to do, do one of your favorite holiday traditions this week!
T-TRICKETT FAMILY PARTY!
This weekend we will be hosting the actual party at our house, and playing games, sharing our thoughts and lighting more luminaries, and having our favorite Christmas tradition continue on...spending the gift of precious TIME with the people we love so much.
I also created a Google photo album for everyone to share pictures of what they are doing as they celebrate this gift of time. We will be watching a slide show of all the pictures from everyone along with all of the other fun activities that we have planned for the party! (Along with the FINAL GIFT for the gift of time! It's a surprise so I'll share it later.;)
We took all the bags to Thanksgiving with us where we were able to hand out most of the gifts to everyone, and share with them what we would be doing for the Christmas party this year.
It's been really fun so far. :)
Along with the bags that were handed out at Thanksgiving, we gave one to Jill's daughters Kelsee and Kassidee, we mailed one to Cory and Melody in Tennessee, one to Chad and Mayumi in Korea, and one to Kierra and Riley in Hawaii.
I'll bring this family closer together one way or another! ;)
You just watch me!
I do believe that one of the best and most lasting gifts that we can share with others at Christmas is our time, AND our love. I hope that this Christmas party this year shows just a little bit of the love we have for our family, AND the love that the Savior has for each of us.
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