Okay, so maybe I'm a wimp, but it is COLD outside! Sammy's computer says the current temperature is 34 degrees. Not freezing... yet! On nights like this, I wish I had fleece footie pajamas like my kiddos have. Wouldn't those be great? No cold feet... no elastic waistbands... no gowns that get twisted in the sheets when I roll over at night... just warm fleece from my neck down to my toes!
I need to go digging in all the boxes in the garage, because somehow, I am still missing some winter clothing... including all of my long sleeve tees & sweatshirts. How sad is it that I still haven't unpacked all of my boxes? 3 1/2 months & I'm nowhere near completely set up. I know many people that would be appalled at that fact, but such is my life! I was pretty happy that I got all my dirty dishes washed today. That, in itself, was a huge accomplishment this morning!
My friend, Rachel, posted about her family Christmas traditions, which got me to thinking about some of ours. (Rachel, is this about the hundredth blog idea I've stolen from you?? Thanks!) I grew up in a family of 5... Dad, Mom, 2 sisters & I. When we celebrated, it was usually just us, my maternal Grandparents & sometimes my paternal Grandmother. Every once in a very rare blue moon, we would spend Christmas with aunts, uncles & cousins. On Christmas Eve, we would each pick out one gift to open. Afterwards, we would set out the cookies & milk & write a letter for Santa. In the morning, we found the glass of milk almost empty & cookie crumbs sitting on that same plate. Christmas morning was so much fun! We couldn't come into the living room until everyone was in place with cameras, etc. The stockings bulged full of goodies & Santa left his presents unwrapped underneath the tree. On either Christmas Eve or Christmas day, we would watch the movie, A Christmas Story. Our family probably has that entire movie memorized! ("It was... it was... soap poisening!") And, my Dad has started a tradition of reading Twas the Night Before Christmas to all of the kids on Christmas Eve. Sometimes they listen... sometimes they don't. Each year, they get a little more attentive. When we celebrate Christmas in Kingsville with my maternal Grandmother, we all attend the Christmas Eve candlelight service at her church. This service is so special & helps us focus on the true celebration of the season.
And, then I married Sammy! :) And, everything changed! When his family gets together for holidays, it is the ENTIRE family! (My Life Group knows all about this...) We're talking aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, out-laws, great-aunts, great-uncles, 2nd cousins, girlfriends, boyfriends & enough dogs to fill a rescue shelter! I'm not kidding... there has been up to 12 dogs when I was there & even more before I joined the family! I think they had to get rid of a couple of dogs to make room for me! In their defense, they used to raise Dachsunds, so there was atleast an excuse for all the critters. (I think we've lowered it to only about 6 or 7 dogs this year.) And, Sammy's family goes ALL out on the food!! I joked with his "out-law" uncle one time that the Rogers family was the most "eatenest" family I knew! He agreed. If there is a reason to celebrate, there will be 2 tables filled with food. ALL kinds of food! They do things big, which was foreign to me, but has finally grown on me... literally! :) His family is loud & full of life. It is a completely different environment from what I was used to, but they are his family & they are now mine, also. I wouldn't want it any other way.
Now, with my own family, we have a tradition of attending Santa's Village in Richardson each year. It's a fun, family outing with lots of wonderful photo ops. We also make a fun, Christmas dessert that the kids can help decorate. Last year, we made Santa Claus cookies out of Nutter Butters. They were cute. I'm sure more traditions will arise as the kids get older & I hope they cherish those as much as I cherish the memories & traditions from mine & Sammy's families.
Now, I wish this would become a Christmas tradition... unfortunately, for Kingsville, it was probably a once in a lifetime sight:
