In Just 2 Days....

My dad will be here!!!!

I'm a HUGE Daddy's girl and can not wait for my dad to arrive on Saturday. He lives in Oklahoma and flies out every year for Christmas. I'm so fortunate to have such wonderful parents. Even though they divorced when I was 8, they have become really good friends over the years. He even stays at my moms when he visits - in separate rooms of course! But how lucky am I that I don't have to split up my holidays between my mom and dad?

My Dad, Brother and "Buddy"

My Brother arrived yesterday from Austin, Texas. He's actually my step brother from my dad but chooses to spend Christmas out here with us. He also stays at my mom's house.

So this year we will have a full house - combining my family with J's family (mom, brother and sister-in-law) for our usual Christmas morning. All together we should have 12 of us in our Christmas Eve pajamas enjoying our time together. I'm really looking forward to it.

Pictures from Christmas 2006

Christmas morning last year at my house

My sister and brother



It only takes a minute to create memories that last a lifetime.

"Meaningful family traditions provide parents with an invaluable tool for carrying out their divine responsibility to rear children in love and righteousness. As families establish and follow traditions, each family member is strengthened and the family as a whole grows in unity and love."

Christmas Traditions

We have so many wonderful Christmas traditions. Our tree ornaments, Christmas Star, Christmas Eve mouse gifts, Stocking Stuffers, Santa's gifts and Christmas morning breakfast all are a huge part of our Christmas celebration.

When we were little (I can't remember when this started) my mom would let us open a present on Christmas Eve and it was signed Christmas Eve Mouse. It was always new pajamas. So on Christmas morning we were always sporting our new p.j.s. That tradition has continued on through the years. We buy our own Christmas Eve Mouse gifts but it is still fun to have new p.j.s for Christmas morning. My kids look forward to their Mouse gifts. I love my mom for all her fun little traditions.

Stocking Stuffers are a huge part of our Christmas morning. My mom, sister and I always go way overboard on the stockings but they are a highlight of the morning. Each of us will pick up little things here and there that will make it into the stockings - by the time Christmas rolls around we have HUGE stockings. It takes us all easily an hour to go through our stockings. We put in fun stuff, necessary stuff and totally off the wall stuff. Always saying "Santa knew....." as we open gift after gift.

When daughter was little she'd spend the morning with us and then have to go to her dads house by 10 or 11. This made it difficult to get everything done unless we woke up really early. So we still do the same. My family will come over to the house usually by 6:00am (yes, we are crazy) and the adults will wake up the kids. My mom will usually go outside the windows with sleigh bells and wake them. And then they come down the hall to find all the goodies Santa has left for them. Quite the production - quite the memories!

A newer tradition that we have started is carrying over from J's family. His late father used to make a huge Christmas morning breakfast (chorizo, eggs, potatoes, the works). Last Christmas J treated us all to a wonderful breakfast just like his dad used to cook. We will keep this tradition as it is so special to him and so good to eat!!!

Another tradition carried over from J is the Christmas tree topper. His late father's birthday is December 11th. His family used to wait to decorate the tree on his birthday because everyone was usually around on that day. We use this day as the day we put the tree topper - a star on the top of our tree. It's a great way to remember his dad.

I know we have other little things we do every year but those are the big ones that we are sure to do every year. I'm so blessed with my family and our traditions and blessed with the addition of J's family and their traditions.