Christmas day with my Family.
I can't believe how quickly Christmas has come this year, I feel like yesterday was October first. Christmas is only three days away and I just can't believe I'm back here again. I love Christmas, ever since I was little It's been my favorite "holiday". We have so many family traditions, and so many events we normally do together as Family, like puzzles, Christmas cookies, sledding, wrapping gifts on Christmas eve (whomever needs last minute help) and so much more.
Christmas day is my favorite, we get up early, and get our stockings, we have homemade cinnamon rolls and treats, then we get to the living room and read the Christmas story from the Bible, my parents have always been very clear that Jesus is the center and Santa never existed, we learned all about St. Nickolas and the incredible giving man that he was who "Santa is inspired from" or used to be, sadly Christmas these days is all about who can buy the most expensive gifts. After the reading ends we put baby Jesus in the barn (a family tradition since I was a very small child) Then my dad chooses the first person who unwraps, if you don't know my Family, Imagine ten siblings, 5 nieces and nephews, two brother-in laws a sister in law and 2 grand parents (my parents) and a few family members who come later.
That is a lot of people, and a lot of gifts, my parents have a theme every year so we don't know who's gift is for whom, it can be anything like Car brands, Disney characters, Superheros, and so much more. I'm not sure what they've chosen this year, but we always have to guess who each other are before we get to open gifts, it's become a long standing tradition for my Family and we all love it. Gift opening takes six hours or so from start to finish, we normally take a break half way through for about twenty minutes and keep on trucking. Seriously Christmas day with my family is my favorite day of the entire year, I have my favorite memories in the world from this day over the years since I can remember. After gifts are unwrapped, we start prepping lasagna and making the meal for dinner, (my mom's incredible recipe that she's made every year since I was a child) The extended Family normal comes after three, we try to be done unwrapping by then, but it's not always the case.
We eat and have a huge feast prepared by my Mom and Sisters, family members bring things to share and we all eat together after my dad makes a five to ten minute prayer of thanks, ha ha. But really it's always beautiful and meaningful to us. My sister and her family made a last minute decision to join us this year, so they are traveling all the way from Texas and we're so excited we get to see them again this year, it's never the same when they're not here. My aunts, Uncles and Cousins normally come up but they are home this year, so it will be a much more intimate and dare I say "smaller" Christmas this year. I am so greatly looking forward to it.
Chris and I finally started Christmas shopping this year, we are doing "Secret Santa" with both sides of the family this year, but if you know me you know my love language is "giving" to a fault, I generally go overboard, but this year ever sibling/cousin gets only one gift (excluding secret Santa) but I just can't *not* give gifts, it's pretty much engraved into my brain. I try to shop a little differently then most, I shop by specific personalities, and try to find something from the heart and not just something they might "like". We only have four people left to shop for not including each other. Only three days until Christmas and I'm starting to get so excited, this is truly my favorite time of the year! Chris has a 4 day weekend this weekend and I'm even more excited to spend time with him after the busiest year he's had at work to date. I'm so thankful for Family and I can't wait for Monday.
Christmas day is my favorite, we get up early, and get our stockings, we have homemade cinnamon rolls and treats, then we get to the living room and read the Christmas story from the Bible, my parents have always been very clear that Jesus is the center and Santa never existed, we learned all about St. Nickolas and the incredible giving man that he was who "Santa is inspired from" or used to be, sadly Christmas these days is all about who can buy the most expensive gifts. After the reading ends we put baby Jesus in the barn (a family tradition since I was a very small child) Then my dad chooses the first person who unwraps, if you don't know my Family, Imagine ten siblings, 5 nieces and nephews, two brother-in laws a sister in law and 2 grand parents (my parents) and a few family members who come later.
That is a lot of people, and a lot of gifts, my parents have a theme every year so we don't know who's gift is for whom, it can be anything like Car brands, Disney characters, Superheros, and so much more. I'm not sure what they've chosen this year, but we always have to guess who each other are before we get to open gifts, it's become a long standing tradition for my Family and we all love it. Gift opening takes six hours or so from start to finish, we normally take a break half way through for about twenty minutes and keep on trucking. Seriously Christmas day with my family is my favorite day of the entire year, I have my favorite memories in the world from this day over the years since I can remember. After gifts are unwrapped, we start prepping lasagna and making the meal for dinner, (my mom's incredible recipe that she's made every year since I was a child) The extended Family normal comes after three, we try to be done unwrapping by then, but it's not always the case.
We eat and have a huge feast prepared by my Mom and Sisters, family members bring things to share and we all eat together after my dad makes a five to ten minute prayer of thanks, ha ha. But really it's always beautiful and meaningful to us. My sister and her family made a last minute decision to join us this year, so they are traveling all the way from Texas and we're so excited we get to see them again this year, it's never the same when they're not here. My aunts, Uncles and Cousins normally come up but they are home this year, so it will be a much more intimate and dare I say "smaller" Christmas this year. I am so greatly looking forward to it.
Chris and I finally started Christmas shopping this year, we are doing "Secret Santa" with both sides of the family this year, but if you know me you know my love language is "giving" to a fault, I generally go overboard, but this year ever sibling/cousin gets only one gift (excluding secret Santa) but I just can't *not* give gifts, it's pretty much engraved into my brain. I try to shop a little differently then most, I shop by specific personalities, and try to find something from the heart and not just something they might "like". We only have four people left to shop for not including each other. Only three days until Christmas and I'm starting to get so excited, this is truly my favorite time of the year! Chris has a 4 day weekend this weekend and I'm even more excited to spend time with him after the busiest year he's had at work to date. I'm so thankful for Family and I can't wait for Monday.
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