Christmas Traditions

[DianaB]

On Christmas Eve we go to my husband's aunt's house. My MIL kept an unbelievably dirty house so when my husband grew up they always had Christmas at his Grandpa's house and this aunt lived with his Grandpa and has continued with the celebration at her house (we don't open presents there any more). We'll be told that we need to be there at 6:00 but they only say a time because, well, you're suppose to tell people a time to be there, but they really mean 8:00-9:00!! We have all kinds of goodies and just visit. It's really crowded with aunts, uncles, cousins, and etc. but it's just not Christmas for my husband unless we go.

For Christmas my daughters (14 and 24) come and get in bed with my husband and I and open their stockings. Then we all get up and get dressed, maybe eat a little something and then we open presents. We each take turns opening our gifts, one at a time. When we get done and have cleaned everything up then it's time to work on dinner. The rest of my family (married daughter and son and their kids) come over about noon and help finish up dinner. After we eat we open presents, again, one at a time. After we open gifts the kids all go downstairs and play and the adults play games or put a puzzle together. My son and his family will have to leave sometime mid afternoon and go to his wife's family's gathering. My daughter's in-laws live too far away so they'll stay all day with us.

This year before we open presents I'm going to have everyone open a little present at the same time. I bought little guns that shoot little foamy disks and we're going to have a shoot-out first!!! It should be fun with 13 guns going all at the same time!!!!

My favorite part is hearing the little chatter that fills the house as they arrive!!!