A Christmas Recap

Every family has their own traditions for the holidays. As ours has grown up, many traditions have stayed and some new ones have been brought on. We are a traditions welcoming kind of family. And this year brought many many new traditions to our family. 

Christmas Eve held much newness for our house. In the past it has just been our family together. Maybe add a boy friend or girl friend some years or some aunts, uncles, and cousins. But typically just family. This year we invited my brothers girl friend and her family as well as my sisters boy friend and his family. Lots of new people on the house!

We served our traditional Christmas Eve meal, lasagna. But seating was a bit tricky for us this year. With 15 people we needed two tables. But try as we might, we could not come up with a good solution of where to seat people. And I don't know about you, but it is always nice when you go to dinner at someone's home to already have assigned seats.

Knowing we would be drawing numbers for white elephant gifts later (another new tradition), we had everyone pick their numbers early before dinner and then they had to find their number at one of the tables. They were all mixed up and you didn't know where you would end up. It added such a fun aspect to dinner! Most of the couples got separated and the tables were very varied amongst the three families!

After dinner we did white elephant gifts. We set a limit of $10 and everyone had to bring a gift. For those of you who have played white elephant, then you know how much fun it is!! Lots of laughs were shared and stealing done!

While Christmas Eve held the biggest hanged, Christmas Day was kind new to us too! For the first time EVER someone that is not part of the family spent Christmas morning with us. If I am being completely honest(which I always am) I was not looking forward to this. I pitched a major fit. But in the end it was nice to have my sisters boyfriend there and he made it a very nice morning. 

We woke up and started present opening by 8am. Both of my brothers had somewhere to be by 10 so we had to start early. This was something else new to us. Having siblings gone to be with other families most of the day. 

We all sat down for lunch at 1 and next things I knew it was 2 and it was just my parents and myself left in the house! I was he only child home most of Christmas Day. I'm not really complaining about that, but it made me notice two things: 1. I have no life 2. We are all growing up. Not too sure how I feel about either of those things!

Over all it was an awesome and amazing Christmas Day! It was spent with all five of my favorite people and I loved every minute of it! We not only got to celebrate our time with each other and open gifts, but we celebrated the best gift of all, the birth of Jesus Christ.