Our family is growing, moving farther apart, and seeing each other less often. It's a part of life but not one I'm really excited about.

When my kids were small I realized that we had only one, yes that's right one tradition growing up. I wanted traditions for my kids because I wanted them to have roots and memories, so I invented traditions for them and it was wonderful.

When trying to establish new traditions for your family you have to be flexible and willing to try things and let them go if they don't work. As our kids started getting married and moving away I realized that we wouldn't get to see them nearly as often as I would like and that some of our grandkids may not get to know us well. It made me sad, however, instead of crying about it, lets do something about it. Even the smallest thing can make a person feel loved and involved and rooted in a family that loves them.

We are lucky enough to have the cooperation of everyone involved so that we can be together as an extended family at least one major holiday a year. Like most of you, we get the kids for thanksgiving the other family gets them for Christmas and the next year vise versa. We had started a collection of Christmas tree ornaments for our kids when they were little, based on their own likes, and when they moved out they took them with them. I thought a simple idea was to improve on that a little and hand it down to the next generation.

So, when we have the kids for Thanksgiving during that long weekend we make a tree ornament. It's of my choosing, although I will listen to opinions and votes, and its fairly simple. I find oriental trading to be of great use for this. Everything handy in a kit, some glue, maybe some thread, easy! We sign and date the back of the ornament and they all match. Plan your time well for the novice crafter and the little ones. This should be a fun event, not a stress filled activity. Simple is better, but the more practiced can easily step in to help the others.

When we have the kids for Christmas, grandma and grandpa are in charge of either making or buying matching ornaments for everyone and sending them on to the families. We have done this for 4 years now and we all love it. We have matching ornaments that are dated and as grandkids come along they will have their own collection and their own memories of the ornaments they have made with us. They will be able to take these ornaments to their home and hopefully hand down a tradition that makes them feel tied to family.

Its fun, it's easy, and it's pretty inexpensive. But once again the memories are priceless.