Now that December is in full swing, we’re getting excited for the holidays! As you know, family is important to us at Induron. We love our Induron family and spending time together at work during the holidays, but we also love hearing about the traditions and memories our team has with their own families at home. Here are some of the Induron family’s favorite holiday traditions and memories:
“Each Christmas, our church has two really cool services. Members bring their extended family that is visiting, so you can see everyone’s full family! Everything is decorated for the Christmas Eve service, and everyone comes in really quietly dressed to the nines. It is a somber service of just hymns and Christmas music. Then, on Christmas morning, everyone goes back in full-on PJs or just however you get there and celebrate Christmas morning! Attending these services has been a family tradition for us since our boys were young. Oh, and my wife, Hailey Jones makes her famous sausage balls and breakfast casserole every Christmas morning! We destroy it, and everyone naps wherever they fall in all the decorations and opened packages.” -Nick Jones, Induron Sales Representative
“One kind of quirky tradition over the last 6-7 years is my Christmas present to my daughters. For years they have made fun of my gift choices, such as ugly sweaters, out-of-date styles, loud jewelry… I’m sure you get the picture. At first my solution was gift cards so that they could get what they wanted, but that just didn’t feel right in the spirit of Christmas, so… I invented the ‘Christmas Shopping Trip Present.’ On Christmas day, I find a creative way, usually a handmade card, that invites them to go on the shopping spree. The weekend after Christmas we all go lunch, then to the mall or outlet stores and spend the afternoon together shopping for their presents. Everyone knows their dollar limit and can get any number of gifts within that budget, but they key is that we do it together AND that I don’t have to listen to them make fun of my gifts LOL. They love it!” –Paul Powers, Induron Sales Representative
“One of my favorite holiday traditions involves painting of a different sort than that upon which I am focused the rest of the year. When my wife, Emily, and I spent our first Christmas together in 2008, we decided it would be fun to paint an ornament together in commemoration of what we hoped would be the first of many holiday seasons shared. We’ve kept the tradition over the past 10 years, commemorating major milestones in our lives on each year’s ornaments: our engagement and wedding, the buying of homes, time in different cities and the birth of our son—just to name a few. The tradition has taken on even more significance now that our son, Everett, is old enough to join in and enjoy the project. While Emily does the creative heavy lifting, Everett and I handle the things we can’t screw up, like background colors. The past two years he has selected an ornament of his own to complete independently. He is quite proud of his work. When we decorate our Christmas tree each year, it is a very personal trip down memory lane. As we look at the tree, more covered in memories than store-bought decorations, it is a fantastic reminder of everything we have to be thankful for and the excitement of those ornaments yet to come.” –Andy Odorzynski, Induron National Sales Manager
“What I remember most about Christmas growing up was family time and looking forward to enjoying that special time together. The memories that seem to last the longest for me are those great family moments when we were all together. Our Christmas is nothing extravagant or over the top. My family, the four of us, always go out for a relaxing breakfast on Christmas Eve and draw a Christmas themed picture with crayons or markers while eating our breakfast. That night, we either walk or drive to view lighted houses and decorations in nearby neighborhoods. On Christmas day, we typically sleep in, prepare a breakfast and hang our favorite or most special ornament on the tree. We then open gifts and begin calling our extended family members; aunts, uncles, cousins and special friends to extend holiday greetings. We prepare a Christmas meal that varies from year to year. We conclude the day by always spending the evening together binge watching a favorite series or movie(s). The time together for the four of us during the holiday is special and precious and the best gift of all.” –Tom Wunderlin, Induron Sales Representative
“Christmas starts at the Watson household the week of Thanksgiving. We spend Wednesday afternoon picking up a Christmas tree from a local nursery owned by a family friend, Twin Branch. After our Thanksgiving festivities have come to an end, we officially kick off the holiday season by watching Christmas Vacation and on Friday we put the tree up as a family. We have started a new tradition this year for our 14-month old daughter, Ellison, to visit Santa Claus (she was sick last year). Unlike many children her age, she was actually very excited and curious to meet him.” -Mike Watson, Induron Sales Representative
“Most of my Christmas memories revolve around specific times and places. In the 1950s, our family was small, so it was just the immediate family in the morning, and then a Christmas dinner at my grandmother’s house up in Maine—always lots of snow and cold! As the family grew, we did the tree in the morning and regional gatherings at home or at relatives’ houses. Later in the 1970s, it became a reunion of friends from high school and college. We would gather at one of our old stomping grounds and celebrate. These days it is still family, and since many in the ‘Greatest Generation’ are getting up there, we gather at their houses for the afternoon and dinner. Still a great day of family and sometimes friends!” – Kendall Smith, Induron Sales Representative
“’Tis the season…Thanksgiving is over. The holiday lights are up in the town center, local stores and the mall. Our neighborhood is adorned with lights and decorations that range from elegant to kitschy, except one. Our home sits dark and plain with no trace of holiday spirit to be seen. But, this is not bah humbug. You see my daughter was born in December two weeks before Christmas, and I realized quite early on her birthday could/would get lost in the holiday season. Our biggest holiday tradition is the Christmas Holiday season doesn’t start at our house until my daughter’s birthday is over. We spend the weeks after thanksgiving building up to her birthday celebration. It has always been important to me that her day remained special and apart from the holidays. Once the candles are blown out, gifts unwrapped, and the cake has been shared, we bring out the holiday lights, music and decorations. My daughter and I then decorate the house for Christmas and enjoy and embrace the joy and wonder of the holiday season.” -Jeff Rog Sales Induron Coatings
“For the last seven years, the holidays for the Hood family have been all about The Nutcracker! I have been blessed to be able to dance with my two daughters in The Birmingham Ballet’s version of this traditional holiday ballet. This season is the first since 2010 that I have not prepared for and appeared as both a Party Dad and Mother Ginger! I’m lucky to be able to participate with my kids in something that they love.” -Davies Hood, President Induron Coatings
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Induron team! We hope you have a blessed holiday season!