5th Day of Christmas Giveaway with Melissa Taylor

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Welcome to the 5th Day of Christmas Giveaway!!

Each day, December 1-12th, I am featuring a fellow Proverbs 31 sister and an aspect of Christmas. You’ll get to know her and she, in turn, will offer a fabulous giveaway! Simply leave a comment on her post to be entered in the drawing.

And, one soon-to-be-very-giddy gal who comments on all 12 posts will win the GRAND PRIZEYou may comment on all posts until Monday, December 13th when the winners will be announced. (to see the grand prize and get caught up on the posts click here)

Now, here’s our fifth P31 gal……the sweet Melissa Taylor!!!

Hi! I’m so excited to be a part of Karen’s 12 Days of Christmas.  My name is Melissa Taylor. I have been on the Speaker Team at Proverbs 31 Ministries for six years. I also work in the P31 office full time as admin assistant, prayer coordinator, and part time radio assistant. I’ve been married for 21 years and have 4 great kids!

We moved a lot during my early childhood. Before the age of 9, I had spent Christmas in Taylors SC, Memphis TN, Winter Park FL, Albany GA, Greenville SC, and Charlotte NC. Moving around so much was difficult because life was always changing. There were some things however that remained constant.

One of those was my very favorite Christmas tradition. My favorite tradition is one that most families do during the holidays. And it’s one that has provided me with more than just a good time. It represents love, life, family, memories, and it’s something I’ve always been able to count on year after year. Growing up and still today, my favorite tradition is decorating the Christmas tree.

Our Christmas tree was never one that most would consider beautifully decorated. I know in many homes I’ve been in, the tree is amazing. Every ornament strategically placed, every light coordinated to compliment the decor, ribbons and flowers and ting ting spruced throughout looking as if Martha Stewart herself had decorated it.

I have a friend who doesn’t allow her kids to touch her tree. That’s her thing. I know another family who places all the kids’ homemade ornaments on the back of the tree, only the perfect store bought matching ornaments in the front. All that is okay, but that’s not the way it was in my family.

My mom made decorating the tree a true family event. No matter where we lived or what was going on in “real life”, the tree decorating time was fun and memorable. Our ornaments were mostly homemade or purchased somewhere that held a special memory. Each ornament told a story and of course we retold those stories year after year. Life changed, but decorating the Christmas tree brought us back year after year to a place where we felt the love and comfort of home.

This tradition continues in my home today. Tree decorating time is our favorite. My kids love putting up the ornaments they claim as their own. With the Christmas music in the background, party mix and hot chocolate on the coffee table, we come together creating new memories with the same old tradition.

Since my childhood, there have been many more ornaments and memories added to our family tree from my own husband and kids. And this year will be extra bitterweet because we lost my sweet mom, it’s our first Christmas without her. Even though she will not physically be here, with many of the ornaments we hang, there will be a memory of mom and a story to be told. Her legacy will live on partially through decorating the tree.

Melissa’s Giveaway

As you read this, I am vacationing with my family in Walt Disney World. As an early Christmas gift, my inlaws have taken the whole Taylor family to the most magical place on earth. It’s one of my very favorite places because of the special memories I’ve had there during my lifetime with my family.

We will for sure purchase a Christmas ornament to mark the occasion. And so I will purchase 2, one for us and one for today’s lucky winner. If you win today, you will receive an ornament along with some hot chocolate and party mix.

If you have a special tradition or memory you’d like to share, we’d love to read about it. Just leave a comment and not only will you be sharing a special tradition, but you’ll also be entered to win today’s Christmas prize. If you don’t have a memory to share or the time today to share it, just tell us who your favorite Disney character is. :-)

Magical Blessings,




192 Comments

  1. Micky and Minnie get my votes. We have ornaments celebrating our trips to Disney World, and bringing them out each Christmas conjures up stories of our trips. Safe travels and Merry Christmas!

  2. My favorite tradition is Christmas Day with my side of the family. We get together with my mom and siblings, switching houses every year. Instead of a big, sit-down meal, we pig out on appetizers. Everyone makes two or three different things, elbow to elbow in the kitchen, then we pig out until we can hardly move. There are always the favorites that we make every year, but it is also fun to try to find a new fave!

  3. I made an advent calendar when my oldest was expected. It tells the story of Jesus birth. My semi adult kids won’t let me get rid of it. It is tradition. However, the best tradition is that on Christmas Eve, we bake a birthday cake for Jesus. Papa reads Luke 2 from the old family Bible. We sing Away in a Manger and it is very emotional.

  4. Our favorite tradition is to give the children 3 gifts that represent the 3 gifts Christ got when he was born. This way they keep focused on the reason we have Christmas and not on themselves.

    Our favorite Disney character is Mickey.

  5. Passing out cookies at a cookie give away….so many new kinds to try. The Christmas Story…..Jesus is th eason of the season

  6. The youngest child present who is able to delivers all of the packages to everyone. It keeps them busy while waiting and it makes them so special, especially when they are young and can read the tages on the packages!

  7. I used to love helping my grandmother make homemade chocolate covered cherries! I can still taste them in my memories.

  8. We love to make, roll out, cut and decorate Christmas cookies every year. Then we take them into the lovingroom and enjoy the Christmas tree lights.

  9. I love setting up our nativities… the ones that go high up on a shelf, out of reach… and the ones the kids can play with… right now Mary is standing on the sink in the bathroom :)

  10. Every year I order or bake a birthday cake for Jesus. On Christmas day we gather around (about 40 of us) and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus. This helps us all (even the little grandkids) toremember the real reason we celebrate Christmas.

  11. Our most exciting family time is also cutting a fresh tree and everyone decorating…my youngest son takes the lead. Now that he’s getting taller the tree is getting more evenly decorated!

  12. Sweet Melissa…I just love you friend. ((HUGS)) You continue in my prayers.

    Decorating the tree is quite the tradition here as well. This year however, tradition changed a little. With our one and only son now away at University, I was not looking forward to decorating the tree without him. He gave us the go-ahead, knowing he wouldn’t be home in time to do it this year (he’s just starting exams this week), however, it just wasn’t the same. On the afternoon I planned to decorate the tree, I had an idea. I phoned my nephew and asked him if he wanted to come over and help Auntie Joy…and he couldn’t come fast enough. We made hot chocolate, popped popcorn, listened to Christmas music and had a lot of fun. He doesn’t go off to University for four more years, so I think a new special tradition has just begun :)

    My favourite Disney character? Mickey! Without a doubt!
    Joy

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