Tradition of giving...

The time finally arrived for one of my favorite holiday traditions - I can't believe that it's been six years since we started this doing this and I think I may love it more and more each year. 

I love that this crew is just as excited as we are about this night. 

I love that they know why we are purchasing groceries.

I love that they ask if we can put "one more thing" in the basket. 

I love that they can read the list all on their own. 

I also love that they're still little enough to want to stop and be silly in the middle of paper towels. "Look, it's a bench! We should stop and take a picture here!"

Oh. Okay.

We added a few more items in the basket and headed to check out... 

and then I told the guy in front of us that 

1. I needed to take a picture of his "items"

and

2. That I may need to follow him to wherever he was going

(which was hunting so then I had to let him know those two things maybe don't mix).

Instead we loaded up our cars with all that precious cargo for an extra special delivery.

They all insisted on getting out in the cold rain and load up the carts to get all that food ready for families that need it. 

I wonder how long we will get to do this with them. I wonder if this is the memory that will stick with them. I wonder if they will do something with their own families 20 years from now. 

I know that it's one of my favorite days each year. I know that years from now, these are the moments that will matter most to me. I know that I am grateful for the friends we call family and the memories we make together. I know that when those six are grown up and have families of their own,  once a year I'll still wander through HEB, gather items on a list and end the night eating some "fancy" dinner at the Cracker Barrel.