Christmas is my favorite holiday. I love it because it feels like we celebrate for a long time. This year was Avery’s first Christmas and Mason was at an age where he understands more and can participate more.
We used to have an artificial tree, but we got rid of it about two years ago when we moved because we didn’t have anywhere to store it. This year, we decided that we wanted to go to a tree farm and cut down a real one. We went the first weekend they opened so we could have our tree up for as long as possible. It was fun to get hot chocolate, go out a tractor ride around the farm, and pick out a tree with the kids. Luckily my brother and parents went at the same time so the guys could help eachother with getting the trees on the cars. We took it home, set it up, and decorated it with lights and ornaments right away. We have special ornaments from my childhood, from gifts during our relationship, and every year we pick out at least one new one that represents us a family somehow. This year we got a baby Jack Jack because Mason loved Incredibles 2 and we made a custom one at the Christmas Bazaar that has all of our names on marshmallows in a cup of hot chocolate.
This year we went to both of the big Christmas Bazaars which was a lot of fun. We usually just go to one. We also spent a night getting hot chocolate and driving around to see lights, but Mason fell asleep before we got to the really good ones. I also planned a special date night to do something new this year. My mom watched the boys while Sean and I went to a special candlelight Christmas tea. It was so much fun! There was live music and all the food was delicious. There was a roasted duck sandwich and an eggnog dessert. I loved it and hope to do it again next year.
Christmas Eve traditions: We had the morning at home with our kids because my parents had to work for part of the day. We baked and decorated sugar cookies for Santa and then we went to an afternoon Christmas Eve service at our church. After that, we went to my parents house and my grandparents came over. We had chinese food for dinner which we do every year. It’s a lot of fun and it’s really good. My mom also makes the best hot chocolate in the crock pot. It’s really rich so it’s hard to drink more than one cup evern if we want to. It’s so good, we only have it on Christmas Eve, and I look forward to it all year. We turned on Elf and opened up one present which is a new pair of pajamas. My mom got us all matching Minnie and Mickey pajamas. They’re so cute and I love matching with the kids! We went home after that so they could get some sleep before our eventful day on Christmas. I read them Olaf’s night before Christmas and What Could Be Keeping Santa before bed which was a lot of fun.
Christmas traditions: We all woke up early and I think I was the most excited because I wanted the kids to have so much fun. We went to the fireplace to find our stocking and open those up. I think the stocking are my favorite because I love finding the best things for them and I overdid it a little because Mason’s was too full. After stockings, we head over to my parents house. They always have a stocking for me too and this year I got a Disney Pandora bracelet which is something I’ve been wanting forever and was so excited for. My grandparents were there and we all open our presents together. I kept telling Mason he could take a break if he wanted because I was so excited for him, but I knew it would be a long day and didn’t want him to get burnt out too fast. After presents. we had a big breakfast of hashbrown casserole (my favorite), apple cinnamon muffins, homemade cinnamon rolls, and sausage balls. Then most of us went to watch the new Star Wars movie. My mom and grandma satyed home with my kids and youngest brother. We’ve gone to watch the newest Star Wars movie on Christmas Day for the past couple of years. I don’t know what we’ll do now that that was the last one. It was such a good movie though. I lvoed seeing it with family and then going home to a great lunch with more hashbrown casserole, sausgae balls, and ham. We went home after lunch because we were so tired and the kids were so tired that they went to bed early and slept amazing. I wish it was always like that haha. It was an amazing Christmas and I loved all the family fun and experiences I got to have with the kids.