The Christmas season is one that is filled with traditions old and new. This year we learned about a relatively new tradition thanks to our grandkids, it’s called the Elf on the Shelf. Basically an elf doll that comes with a book. The story explains how the elf is “magically enchanted” and will keep watch over the kid’s behavior during the day and return to the North Pole overnight to report their behavior to Santa Claus. Of course this entails telling Santa whether the children were naughty or nice. According to the book, if ANYONE touches the elf, it can no longer report back to Santa Claus. But “magically”, every day, the elf’s position changes, giving the children the task of locating the elf before its departure for the year on Christmas Eve. It’s a lot of fun for kids and the parents can get really creative in finding new ways to position the elf before the kids find it in the morning. I’ve even heard of elves that go swimming or bake cookies and leave huge messes! Whether you are an “elf on the shelf” fan or not, it’s just another way to create traditions for children. So whether your favorite Christmas tradition is driving around at night and viewing decorated houses, building a snowman, or just enjoying a cup of something warm in front of a fire, we hope you have been able to do that this year. We are thankful for the birth of Christ, that gives us the “reason for the season” and we wish all of you and your loved ones a very merry Christmas and many happy holiday moments.