All right, we are back. The intentional parents podcast Phil and Daniel Elizabeth are here. Hi everybody. Hello. Oh, there you go. You're my Merry Christmas. Yeah, your microphone was distanced from you. That's great.

Merry Christmas.

All right, we are back the intentional parents podcast Phil and Daniel Elizabeth are here. Hi everybody. Hello. Oh, there you go. You're my Merry Christmas.

Yeah, your microphone was distanced from you, Diane. Um, today's our Christmas episode. Um, I'm really excited. We're talking about Christmas next week. We hope to release a Christmas episode, the week of Christmas. But who two Christmas episodes is better than one?

What'd you say? I think in three is better than two because we love Christmas. This family is all into Christmas. Oh, man, we love it. We should, uh, we've had a lot of people asking about our traditions and what we do. And I think it's so funny because a lot of the stuff that we do.

I know for Elizabeth and I has been, uh, from stuff that you guys do and vice versa. We all kind of hand down traditions. I would want to really quick. What's a tradition that you guys do that was handed down from your parents?

So what's it all? Yeah. I'm sure there's a couple. Yeah. What? Well, one for me was going to church on Christmas Eve late at night. Like the midnight service? Yeah, but it's called. I wasn't Catholic. So it's called midnight mass in the Catholic church, but I was not that I wasn't a Christian that I was quote, Protestant.

And, but they had 11 o'clock candlelight service that ended at midnight. Okay. And, uh, and then when I became a worship pastor in a church, we did these big, huge musicals. Yeah.

And then didn't, but we didn't do Christmas Eve services. So I would go with my mom and dad. And I would and Ted Simmons saying, oh, holy night from behind.

Oh, that's cool. And I just loved it. It's still my favorite song. So the tradition that's carried over for me is a holy night. And then, of course, if the church that we're part of, which we are here at River Bend is doing Christmas Eve gatherings. Yes. We're going to be there. And it's just so cool to light the candles and worship as a family.

Yeah, you know, on Christmas Eve with the Christ. So I think that's, that's a tradition that's carried over for me for my childhood anyway into our family. How about you, Diane?

I think, um, the one that we've carried over from our parents. I think you would agree, Phil, is just rather than do a very simple quiet Christmas.

We just go all out. My parents just were so generous at Christmas. You know, they would think of something all year long. They would think of just the right gift. It was usually something we needed and couldn't afford on our own or it was just something just so great.

And they're really thoughtful about about each of their kids and grandkids and what they gave. I mean, they, my parents were incredibly.

Yeah, when your parents were able, you know, financially, they were really well off. They were able to give big things. You know, there's a pair of skis and his lift tickets. Our family didn't have that kind of money. But yeah.

But, you know, what you, you can always spend your money on yourself. And I think they showed us what it means for a young family that every penny is going to needs. Yeah.

You don't have a lot of expendable income. Right.

But my parents were so generous with us on Christmas. It was.

Yeah, the whole gift giving tradition. I mean, uh, it's, it's in scripture. The wise men came bringing gifts of gold, frankincense and weren't murder the king. And I mean, yeah.

I think you'd say that's really where it came from time to give gifts to each other. And of course, St. Nicholas, who now become Santa Claus, you know, he gave. And so, yeah, I remember as a kid, you know, this is pre obviously pre the tech world.

Well, I was born in 1950. So like in 1956, 1957, I'm, you know, 67 years old. So there were still delivery trucks. And I can't remember if it was UPS or not, I'd have to look up.

It was UPS, but, but there was no toys or us yet. And so Firestone tire shops, which are still around the country to make a little extra money. They would sell toys.

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