Christmas is a time of tradition in our home. Our newest traditions started 8 years ago... we moved to our house in Escondido and Mom and Dad were alone... no kids on Christmas morning... no grandkids on Christmas morning. They spent one year alone (9 years ago) and after months of beating around the bush, Mom told me how sad they had been alone, so we invited them to come down to our house on Christmas Eve and the tradition has stuck ever since.
We all (even Jess and Chris) went to the early Christmas Eve Mass then Jeff and Dad took Jessica and Anna to see Christmas lights while Mom, Chris and I went home and started cooking. Beef Stroganoff for Christmas Eve dinner... and then onto our annual traditions...
... while Mom and I finish cooking for the next day, the family sits and watches the original "Grinch"... we ONLY watch that Christmas movie on Christmas Eve night...
... we take photos of the kids, in their new pajamas, under the Christmas tree...
... we put out cookies and egg nog (for Santa) and vegitables for the reindeer, along with a letter/list for Santa...
... then Jeff cuddles up with the kids to read "Twas the Night Before Christmas..." reading the story used to be my Dad's job... until the first year that Mom and Dad were here for Christmas Eve... I handed the book to my Dad to read to the family and he handed it to Jeff... and said that he was now the "Dad" and it was now his job... (insert happy tears here...)
... the kids then go to sleep... Mom and Dad retire for the night... and I usually go to bed while Jeff wraps my gifts (that he bought earlier that day...) while he watches his FAVORITE Christmas movie ("It's A Wonderful Life"), but since we bought each other a computer this year, I stayed up and watched the movie with him. Boy, do I love that movie... and my wonderful husband!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment