Twas Christmas day and all through the house...

I think Christmas with my family is the best! On Christmas eve we all gather together (this year about 60 people) at my parents house and everyone...well almost everyone...piles onto a trailer that is filled with bales of hay and we go caroling around to our cute little (Christmas card like) town. As near as we could guess this has been a tradition for close to 40 years. Then we go to my uncles house and have a pot luck dinner with different soups and Christmas treats, followed by the nativity, reenacted by the younger ones (we have LOTS of angels). Then my dad's oldest brother reads the Christmas story from the bible and then we go home for more Christmas traditions.

When my parents and I got home we brought back a tradition from my childhood of getting a new pair of pajamas on Christmas eve. This year there was an upgrade because I was the only one home and all of the pajamas were silky!!!! Then we sat in the front room with a roaring fire and laughed and talked. Then we went to the computer to a website called Norad something or other and we tracked Santa...he was in Brazil.

At 8:30 my dad was ready for bed so my mom and I went downstairs and watched an old movie called Christmas is Connecticut. After 15 minutes my mom was snor...er...a...sleeping so Bella and I watched the movie and tracked Santa again...still not in the US. In the morning my parents woke me up 8:30 to open presents because we had to be at Diana's at 11:00. We all got great stuff, but I didn't even think about getting my camera. Then we headed to Diana's for our annual Christmas brunch.

Diana and I were trying to make homemade gifts this year and this was two of the things that I came up with. Diana helped my make pillows for my mom and sister Emily. My mom's said "Best Friends" and Emily's said "Sisters"...and when I finish Diana's I will get a picture.



Diana's kids were so excited to show us what they got. This is Sam with his DS.



Tanner and Ashlyn both got Rip Sticks...basically a skateboard on two wheels.

Ellie got her first bike and was very giddy, if you couldn't tell!

They all got a sleds for "EXTREME SLEDDING!" Maybe it just seems extreme because I am old!!!

Tanner and Sam got these Frog coin purses from their grandparents serving a mission in the Philippines...the gross part is that they were real frogs, just dried and gutted. It still sends shivers up my spine.

Then Diana made homemade cinnamon and orange rolls and biscuits and gravy for us to eat while we watched Kung Fu Panda...I brought the hot chocolate...still in the container...I like to contribute where I can.



Christmas was GREAT!!!! But I am already sad that it is over. I will end in the words of Carrie on the little house on the prairie Christmas episode in season 1, "happy birthday baby Jesus!"