Christmas Traditions

I love traditions. For as long as I can remember on Christmas eve my mom would prepare a full spread of snacks for us to graze on all night.....till we couldn't keep our eyes open for Santa anymore! We continue that tradition in our house - actually, since the man and I moved back home my mom has spent Christmas eve at our house so we can all wake up together on Christmas day....and so we can graze on delicious snacks all night! Of course, we always have way to much food! I had a pretty major surgery on December 20th, and I haven't had much of an appetite, so it just figures that we bought lots of good stuff and of course didn't prepare half of it!! To say the least, I haven't had to cook at all this past weekend!

We also have a tradition of having Christmas with my moms side of the family the Sunday before Christmas. When my grandma on my moms side was still alive we'd go to her house on Christmas day. That was until my cousin Katie started having kids. Once she had kids, grandma decided to switch Christmas at her house to the Sunday before Christmas. That way no one had to leave their house, OR their toys on Christmas day to come to her house. It was the best idea she had had in a long time! This year my cousin Katie and her husband Ian hosted Christmas. They have a gorgeous home with an amazing great room and kitchen that Ian added on - and it's perfect for our huge, loud, sometimes obnoxious family! We eat, chat, some of us nap (snoring included!) and this year we played catchphrase. I think everyone had a great time! The photo above is of all of the grand daughters and spouses of grandchildren over 18 - we got cookie exchange cook books and have vowed to have a cookie exchange next year - maybe a new tradition?!?!

Here's hoping that whatever traditions you and your family have, they are done with lots of love and laughter.

~xoxo