With five children and four grandchildren, Ty and Chris Akins are anticipating the holidays to be full of tradition and sentiment.
Ty Akins, Chairman of the Habersham County Commissioners, and his wife, Chris, talked with Now Habersham about the importance of family, celebrating Jesus’ birth, and creating traditions and memories.
Joining traditions
One such tradition comes from Chris’ family. Her mother was German and her grandmother moved to the United States from Germany. As a child, her grandmother would set her snowboots outside the door for “Kris Kringle” to fill with fruit, candy, and nuts. Over the years, Chris has continued the German tradition by giving her children brown bags to put outside for Santa to fill.
When Ty was a boy, his Mom would make sausage balls for Christmas morning. Ty maintains this tradition along with his mother. Ty takes his sausage ball-making very seriously. It is something the whole family enjoys and looks forward to tasting on Christmas morning.
“We’ve been able to incorporate our childhood traditions into our family and it feels wonderful,” Chris Akins commented.
Coordinating holiday events
Coordinating a big family isn’t easy. “There are times when all our family members are here and those times are incredible. Other years, we are missing someone because they had to be somewhere else, but they are always in our hearts,” Chris added.
The Akins family enjoys decorating the tree together, watching out for their “Elf on the Shelf” named “Snowflake the Elf,” and cooking meals in the kitchen together.
“Chris is an amazing cook,” Ty said. “We look forward to Christmas dinners and she just takes it and runs with it, creating incredible food for us all.”
Strong marriage
Both Ty and Chris understand the importance of time together, communication, and being present for one another.
Their history together is unique, having known each other for many years before being married. Chris is a poet and wrote poetry about Ty which was published in an International Library of Poetry Book. Chris says they genuinely know the love they have for one another and that to the core, they are meant to be together.
Christmas morning
The Akins’ house is full on Christmas morning. As Chris put it, “It’s a family affair.” After opening gifts and eating sausage balls, there is target shooting, playing games together, and hunting.
Snowflake the Elf made a zipline down the stairs the year before and the anticipation as to what she will do this year is always on their minds.
Advice for others
Chris understands the pressure women are under especially during the holidays to decorate the house in magazine fashion, to cook, to clean, to wrap gifts, and to make memories. She wants to let everyone know, “It’s not always the biggest most elaborate gifts that make Christmas memorable. It is the laughter, the time with loved ones, that bring the happiest moments.”
Ty and Chris want to wish all our Now Habersham readers a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!
