Ever since we got married, Micah and I have been asked {either by older couples who mentor us or by our other newlywed friends who are trying to figure out what married Christmas is supposed to look like} what Christmas traditions we are starting as a family. This is only our second Christmas as husband and wife, so we definitely don't have all our holiday traditions sorted out {and probably won't until we have kids}, but last year we started one tradition kind of accidentally that I think is going to stick. Christmas stockings. Last year, we flew home to Seattle for Christmas and we got in the standard newlywed arguments about where we were going to do Christmas Eve and Christmas morning and how we were going to pay for family gifts and all that jazz {you know, I think Christmas is almost more complicated if you are from the same town. It's easier to get from one house to the other, but you can't just say "we are going to your parents' for Thanksgiving and my parents' for Christmas"}. Even though I was excited to go home for Christmas, I kind of wanted a little mini-celebration with just my new husband. The thought of going back and forth to our parents' houses, sleeping in my brother's room for a week and living out of luggage didn't seem like the most romantic scenario for a first Christmas, and lugging all of Micah's gifts to Seattle didn't seem very efficient, so Micah and I made a plan. The night before we left for Seattle, we did our own little personal stocking exchange. It was so fun and a special time for the two of us. And made packing our luggage much easier... Our first Christmas... No, Micah does not always feel compelled to wear a shirt for our stocking exchange. So we decided to make it a tradition. Whether we are travelling home {like last year} or whether family is coming to us {like this year}, we set aside one night before all the fun Christmas chaos begins to do our own little couple's Christmas. We did our stocking exchange on Sunday night, since my parents flew into town on Monday. We exchanged stockings, Micah allowed me to take lots of pictures with the tripod he bought me {as long as he was able to try to fly his new remote control Black Hawk helicopter in the photos... see below}, he made me bacon and eggs for dinner, and then we made sugar cookies together with dough Micah put in my stocking. Ha! {Many of his food gift items were things he would enjoy eating with me...}. The night was simple and sweet, and I think we've found our first Russum Christmas tradition. We realized that I don't have a Christmas stocking... Micah bought me one last year, but we decided it wasn't cute enough for the money and we want to get matching ones eventually, so we took it back. Micah secretly did not want to take these pictures as he waited for me to set up the camera on the counter with the self-timer since he knew I would be getting a tripod in about two minutes, but he waited patiently and smiled any way. Good man! Micah is not much of a planner, so last year he was scrambling to put together my stocking on the night of the exchange... {aka half of my gifts came from Safeway....haha!}. However, Micah has learned that I am honored by thoughtfulness and planning, so this year he got everything ready in advance! I got a tripod for my camera, lots of fun beauty products, and he even picked out one of my favorite nail polish colors all on his own {Essie's Chinchilly}! The loot. Yes, I ask for deodorant and toothpaste in my stocking. It saves me time and money at Target in January! The Russums with their pet hawk. Micah had this all set up on the counter, although he ate half the dough before we got around to baking! :) Micah would like to introduce you to his new favorite toy! I hope that even when we've been married for a long time and have lots of little ones, we will continue to sneak away one night to do our own little stocking tradition. We will still do family stockings on Christmas day, but I like the little ones we do for each other the best! What are your Christmas traditions? Merry Christmas, Jen ... Read more