Thanksgiving is now in the rearview mirror, and as insane as that feels, somehow we’re already heading into December. I can’t believe how fast time flies and how quickly the months go by. December has always been one of my favorite months for obvious reasons: it’s Christmas! Insert Buddy the Elf yelling, “SANTA!” And that’s the reason I wanted to write this week’s article: Christmas traditions.

When you’re young and growing up, there’s something special about building those Christmas traditions with your family. Some of the best memories we carry into adulthood come from those simple moments, the little things you don’t even realize are becoming core memories until years later.

Some of my favorite traditions growing up were the ABC Family 25 Days of Christmas, going to the movies on Christmas Eve, and our family tree-trimming parties. Christmas Eve always started with the incredible hors d’oeuvres my dad — Big Jim — made every year. My mom would lock herself away for hours to wrap all our presents, and Hunter and I would do everything we could to sneak in and get a peek at what we were getting.

And of course, nothing ever topped the excitement of racing down the stairs on Christmas morning with Christmas music playing on the TV, a fire crackling in the fireplace, and a mountain of presents waiting for Hunter and me to tear into.

I really do miss those days.

But as you get older and find your partner, something interesting happens: the traditions you grew up with start to blend with someone else’s. You suddenly have the chance to remake traditions and grow two families into one. It can be tough at first, because it’s hard to let go of the things you’ve loved for so long. But as you work through it, you realize you’re growing, and you’re creating new memories as a couple.

Now we get to blend two families. For example, my wife’s family always did the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve. So now we go there and celebrate with them, and afterward we head to my family’s house for our traditional movie night. Then on Christmas morning, Lauren and I open presents together just the two of us. That’s our moment. Our tradition. Our memory. And each year, we add another tradition that’s just ours.

Yes, this has required some bending and some tough choices from both of us. A few of our old traditions just don’t fit anymore. It does sting that she isn’t for the tradition of opening one present on Christmas Eve — I really liked that one! But there are still great memories we carry with us, and at the same time, we’re building new ones. Our hope is to honor both the Raemore and Webb traditions while also creating traditions that reflect who we are together.

And as time goes on, when we have children, they’ll grow up surrounded by two loving families and a lifetime of traditions, old ones, new ones, and the ones we’ll create just for them.

At the end of the day, that’s all we can really hope for… to be together, be present, and honor our families. If we can hold onto those three things, I believe we’ll build meaningful holiday traditions that last for generations.

This holiday season, my advice and challenge to you is to enjoy the little things. Don’t get wrapped up in the idea that everything has to be perfect. If you’re with your family, it is perfect. Enjoy the time, and love one another.

Have a great holiday season and build your own traditions and memories.

“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road…” ~ Deuteronomy 6:6-7