Christmas Traditions New & Old

Written by:  Carson and Mom

               

Christmas Eve we kept a long time family tradition alive and spent the evening at Grandma G’s as a family. We sang carols accompanied by grandma with her new piano, and new-found piano skills. 

We also ate LOTS of good food (Grandma always makes sure everyones favorites are on the menu), and had a white elephant gift exchange (last year it was socks which started us on a happy sock fettish, this year it was gourmet hot chocolate flavors).  We exchanged our family gifts and spent qaulity time together.   

Of course we had to change into our Christmas Eve PJs before heading home so we would be ready for Santa.  They were so comfortable that the next day we didn't take them off and went to the matinee of frozen in them.  Everyone in the theater thought that was such a good idea.  We even heard one little boy say to his mom, "See they didn't have to change."  After a fun night at grandmas, all the kids had our slumber party in Austin’s room and dreamed of how great Christmas morning would be!

This is one of the Nativities we saw at this year's Festival of Nativities.
It is the Holy Family with the "The Family:  A Proclamation to the World" inscribed on it.
A great way to remember that because of Jesus Christ, families can be together forever. 

First thing Christmas morning we woke up and read the Christmas Story like we do every year as a family in mom and dad’s room.  It is one of the things we do to help us remember the meaning of our celebration. 

Then, we went downstairs and opened stockings. This year each of us was able to play Santa as we drew a name of a family member and were responsible to fill up their stocking. We each got 30.00 and were told to get as much fun stuff as we could afford (or fit in the stocking!!) For FHE one night we all went to Walmart and got into little groups and filled each other’s stockings. There were some pretty creative stocking stuffers and some very thoughtful, some very funny. 

Tanner got some little spoons in his stocking from Mckenna because he had no tablespoons at college to eat his cold cereal with.  McKenna got a HUGE spoon from Tanner, just because...and Carson felt that Dad needed a machete to add to his scouting/camping gear collection.

Now McKenna knows what Tanner felt like at college!  Good thing she got him those spoons.

  Next we all opened up all of our individual presents, which I’m sure everybody loved! My favorite part of Christmas this year was being able to have the whole family together again with Tanner back from college. I can’t wait for next year, and I look forward to all the fun traditions and family time in store next Christmas!