Our Yearly Holiday Tradition

Doug and I aren't big into decorating,
drinking eggnog(unless there is vodka involved)
or caroling but we have
been searching for something that does
fit our style to celebrate the holidays.
(since my mother is now grieving due to of my apparent lack
of obigitory decorated dying plant in my 500 sq foot loft
because she is afraid that I am an atheist) *sigh*
This year, after a 2 year hiatus(which involved my mother
actually delivering a decorated tree to us last year)
we decided on a small rosemary
tree that we later "cut down" to have fresh
spices for our dinners YUM!

Additionally: after 5 long years of frantically
Googling on Christmas Eve to try to come
up with a way to make our night together
one to remember, this year it came to me :)

So, our holiday tradition was born.
Please feel free to steal or borrow any
part for your own family!

Weber Family Box
Eventual Contents:
*Snugly blanket(when I find the PERFECT one
I will add it) Description of the Perfect
blanket: Soft, BIG(so our who family can fit)
made out of something washable, the PERFECT COLOR
RED(for those that know me, this is especially important)
*Mix CD: this is next year's project but I would
assume that it will include a lot of Neil Diamond
(what my mom played NON STOP during the holidays)
and Manheim Steamroller
(Doug's family) mixed in with some more contemporary
favorites and choral music.
This is so we can play this OVER AND OVER incessantly.
If we have children they too can experience
arguing with their spouses over what "real"
Christmas music is.

Ah the joys of matrimony.

and Last but not least The Journals.

This is the part that I chose to tackle
this year because it felt to be the most
urgent.
I searched and searched for the perfect books
and finally found them here
and here
(I can't find the exact one on the website but this is close)
Then I wanted to personalize them and make it clear
what the purpose of the book was(both for currant
and future generations)
So I added these to the front cover and title page:



It reads:
Douglas Weber Family
est. 9/25/2003

Yearly Journal
Started December 2008

Our intention is to not only document the years as they go
by, but to learn where we came from, where we are going
& to provide a vignette into how and why each person in our family
became who they are, in a concise, artful and somewhat scientific way.

Each new year provides an opportunity for reflection and goal setting.
We are borrowing from the Wayd Weber family tradition and making it our own
with the addition of the journal and hope for them to be cherished family heirlooms.

Each member will have their own book to be written in each Holiday season, each year,
as accurately and as thoughtfully as possible, to be preserved within these pages for
generations to come.

Although we do not claim a religious affiliation The Douglas Weber family values honesty,
hard work, generosity and above all else believe in the Golden Rule:

"do unto others as you would have them do unto you"

"A master in the art of living
draws no sharp distinction
between his work and his play;
his labor and his leisure;
his mind and his body;
his education and his
recreation. He hardly knows
which is which. He simply
pursues his vision of
excellence through whatever
he is doing, and leaves others
to determine whether he is
working or playing.
To himself, he always appears
to be doing both."


Family History

Douglas Michael Weber+Mickelle Heather Bench Weber
Doug and Mickelle met in college at Utah State University in Logan, Utah Mickelle's Sophomore year
(studying for her BFA in photography) and Doug's Junior year(studying for his BS in computer science). It
was magic from the beginning! They dated for a year and a half, were engaged for 2 months, and then were married
September 25, 2003 in Salt Lake City UT.

This tradition began in their 5th year of marriage.

then for the questions(I put them on the L so it would be
easy to flip back and look at them while writing)
Name:

Age:

Year:
Dimensions: Height ________
Weight ________ Waist _______


* Mantra for the year or just a quote you like:


* Why I do/do not like my age:


* What I enjoy doing most:


* Favorite foods:


* My pet peeve:


* A good book I read this year:


* My favorite things:


* Interesting person I met this year:


* My best friends:


* Vices:


* Favorite place you traveled:


* Someplace you would like to travel:


* Major World Event this year:


* If you were able to jump in a time machine and give yourself

some advice for this past year what would it be?


* Your hardest moment to overcome this past year:


* What will I be doing in 10 years and 20 years from now?
* One thing I wish I could do better and how I will accomplish it:

* If granted one wish what would it be?


* My Accomplishments this year:

* Performance on Last Year’s Goals:


* Goals for next year:


* Something I remember/have learned about David:



Doug and I each have our own(no Cleo doesn't although
I was tempted)
I burned the edges of the title pages to make them a

more interesting addition.


Here are more pics enjoy!