Family Moment Monday - Christmas Traditions

So, I was just cruising around Bloggy Land reading some of my favorite blogs and I came across this one from Motherhood For Dummies. My family loves traditions, especially Christmas traditions...so you know I had to join in the fun!

~~~

Some of my favorite Christmas traditions date back to when I was a little girl. We would enjoy a Christmas Eve party at a dear friend's house. They lived in a neighborhood that was known for their decorations. People would wait for hours, just so that they could drive thru the development on Christmas Eve. Santa Claus was a special guest at the party and my sisters, brother, and I loved being his helpers as he greeted all the children in the cars that slowly drove by. After the party was over, we hurried home to set out milk, cookies, and carrots for Santa and the Reindeers...then we had to go to bed in our matching Christmas PJs.

When we woke up early Christmas morning, our overflowing stockings where laid across the foot of our beds. Excited, we would grab the stockings and all four of us would sneak into one of our bedrooms to open the gifts together. We were not allowed to wake up the grown ups until 6am...so we had to be really quiet...even though Mom & Dad knew that we were up. As soon as the clock struck 6am...we all shouted "MERRY CHRISTMAS" at the top of our lungs...and kept shouting it over and over again until a groggy Mom & Dad joined us. They would invite us into their room so that we could sit on their bed and help them open the fun gifts that Santa left in their stockings. We would all giggle about the "gross" things that Daddy received from Santa...Smoked Oysters, Escargo, Pickled Herring, etc.

After all the stocking goodies were opened, we had to take turns in the bathroom washing our faces and brushing our teeth & hair. During that time, Mom would head down stairs to put the Caramel Sweetrolls in the oven to cook while Dad made sure that everything around the Christmas Tree was just perfect for our first glimpse. It seemed to take forever before they told us that we could come out...and one of them would always take a photo of our excited faces as we got the first look at all the Christmas goodies.

All of us enjoyed these traditions so much that they continue today with the next generation. This year will be the 20th anniversary of our attendance at the Christmas Eve Party...and our children cannot contain their excitement because they get to help Santa before he leaves on his whirlwind trip around the world...

Here are a couple pictures of the four "big" kids at last year's party...





We have also continued with the other Christmas Eve tradition of hurrying home to await the morning excitement, only now we all gather in the same house. All the children have a slumber party in Bryleigh's bedroom while Mom Mom & Papa sleep in Kyla's bedroom. The other grown-ups get to sleep where ever they can find a comfortable spot to catch a few precious moments of shut-eye...





before the 6am "MERRY CHRISTMAS" wake up call...and the stocking gift opening frenzy that follows.







We also have to take a few photos of the Christmas Morning Gift Splendor before the Children see it...













As well as the "First Glimpse" shots...





Hope you all enjoyed this little glimpse into my favorite Christmas Traditions...and please share some of yours with me, as well as Motherhood For Dummies.