Black & White Wednesday - Christmas Traditions

I LOVE black and white photos, but I am not sure that I like Christmas decorations in black and white! I love the colors of Christmas, and these photos just don't have the same appeal to me as they did before I converted them!

Traditions:

Each year, Brendan, Emma and Jackson choose a H*llmark ornament for their Christmas tree. I blogged about that here last week. About four years ago, we also started a nutcracker collection for Brendan and Jackson. Their first nutcracker came from the annual Nutcracker Ballet performed by the North Carolina School of the Arts.

Last year was Emma's first Christmas home, and I wanted to start a collection for her as well. We thought it would be a wonderful tradition for Emma to start collecting snow globes. This year's snow globe features the sugar plum fairy ballerina from the Nutcracker, and it is also a music box which plays The Nutcracker Suite. Each night, Emma requests that we start her music box, and that is the last thing we hear when we shut her door.

Jackson has his nutcrackers placed around his room...

This nutcracker is also a music box, and his arms move back and forth as well.

Since Brendan was asleep this morning when I was taking these photos, I had to sneak in his room and only captured this one shot of his collection...

Emma also kept her 2009 snow globe (music box) out all year, and we played it every night until she got this years. She LOVES anything princess or ballerina so she instantly wanted to hear the music from the 2010 snow globe!

And this year, one of her best friends gave her this adorable little snow globe to add to her collection:

Things are so hectic here right now. My last day of work before Christmas was yesterday, but I am still not sure I'll be able to get everything done before Friday. 'Tis the Season!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!