I LOVE this time of year!!! Although it's sad to see people want to take away the merriment by either taking Christ out or by just being plain rude and grouchy. But I love the decorations, the excitement my kids carry throughout the month, the snow (where is it?!), not to mention the goodies!
I carry such good memories of Christmas time from my childhood which make this time of year my favorite. As a kid, we'd go up to my Grandma and Grandpa Fairbanks' house. Along with my cousins, my sister's and I would put on a little program of songs and skits for the adults...I don't think there was a year I didn't pee my pants for laughing so hard! Ahhh...good times. And we also would get matching pj's that we would wear home while looking for Rudolph's nose in the sky. As my kids get older, I hope the traditions that I've tried to start with them and their cousins and grandparents, stick with them and bring such wonderful memories as mine do. All these good memories are what brings the excitement to Christmas time.
Last year we started leaving crackers in closets for the elves...the kids had such a good time checking every morning to see if they ate or took a bite of one. We also baked cookies one night and drove around the neighborhood and voted on the best decorated house, and awarded them with the cookies. They talked about that all year long! It was one of the first things Logen asked if we were going to do this year.
And of course, we get together on Christmas Eve with family and have dinner and a pinata for the kids. But this year, I'm going to attempt to help them (with cousins) put on a program like I used to do. I'll probably still pee my pants laughing at them! Pops reads the nativity scene out of the scriptures (as he's done since I can even remember), and we usually act it out as he reads. And as always, Grammy will give the kids matching pj's that they get to open and wear home.
On Christmas morning when the kids wake up, they know not to go downstairs, but to wait for us to wake up. Which didn't happen quite that way last year...they kept taking turns coming into our room asking "is it time YET?!" Bob finally gave up at 5:30am...I think he was more excited than them because he was all too eager to get up. We have a prayer and remind them that we are celebrating the Saviors birth and then we follow Bob down stairs. Since it is the Savior's birth we are celebrating, the kids only get 3 gifts...to symbolize the 3 gifts the Savior received from the wise men. One gift, usually the biggest, is from Santa, one is from mom and dad, and the other is from whomever name they picked out of a bowl in the beginning of the month. They're supposed to keep it a secret and do nice things for the one they picked, but being kids, they forget. Anyway, this year Logen started asking me why they only get 3 presents and others get TONS of presents. I told him that it's the Savior's birthday we're celebrating and he's lucky he gets anything at all! Then I remind him that on his birthday, he gets TONS of presents. I don't want them growing up thinking Christmas is all about gifts and presents. I want them to remember why we celebrate it and do as the Savior does...GIVE. After the damage is done, we have breakfast...if they're not full on candy. My siblings and I used to go up to my parent's house for breakfast...my dad cooked. But now that we live so far away, I've made Bob carry on that tradition in our house (thanks honey!). And then we relax......or try to anyway. Did I mention that I LOVE this time of year?! :)
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