I know I just wrote about gift giving, but one thing we've struggled with the past three years since Kellan was born is figuring out how to avoid going over the top with holiday presents. You may know as well as I do, scaling back can be difficult.

Our family celebrates Christmas and we are trying to emphasize other aspects of the holiday besides gifts. We've talked to grandparents and other relatives about trying to avoid large and expensive presents. Kellan hasn't asked for a specific toy and if anything, he's most excited about eating his grandfather's special Christmas cookies. This may be the first Christmas he actually remembers so we are trying to plan some activities that will stand out for him other than ripping open gifts... not that that's a bad thing. It's supposed to be fun, after all.

Our family is participating in a couple of charitable giving programs so we can focus on giving as well as receiving. I also want to talk about holiday celebrations around the world so Kellan is exposed to traditions other than our own.