Traditions...

For our family,
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are simply loaded with tradition.
Every year, we go to my In-Laws house.
We celebrate Christmas and family and have a nice dinner.
By doing this...we have made the choice to stay home on Christmas Day..
which we REALLY love!

(Above, is what Makylie wore on Christmas Eve day.
I found the outfit at a local consignment and FELL.IN.LOVE
So perfect for Christmas...Valentines day...
any other day that I feel like having Maky look A-dorable!!! :)
I just wanted to showcase how cute she looked!)

Oh Christmas....
How I love thee!

So also, every year...after we get home from grandmas...there is a gift waiting for each of the kids. We started this...when Karman was 5 years old, and have continued it every year since.
The kids get so super excited...even though the gift inside is always the "same".
They get together...I snap some pictures....then they rip them open!

*It was fun, because to Makylie, who doesn't quite remember last year yet....it was so new...she just had no clue what was inside at all. She was GENUINELY jumping-up-and-down excited.*
That is what makes all of this so worth it!


Checking out each others loot...

Then we show what we got...

Sometimes they are Christmasy, sometimes they aren't. We have found as Karman has gotten older, that if we get her the Christmas thememd Pajamas, she will only wear them through December, where the little kids will wear their Santa jammies in July...because they don't care what anyone thinks.

Then they all go change into them.

The idea is that we don't get out of our jammies on Christmas day at all.

So they are nice, new, cute Pajamas for all of the pictures on Christmas Morning.

Of course....we have the Santa plate tradition. The kids leave out all of the homemade cookies.

They pick each individual cookie out themselves, and are meticulous about which one of these, or those are good enough for the big guy in Red.

We NEVER forget those reindeer either.

And either milk or cocoa for Santa.

I always read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas....

Then we hurry and get to bed, so that we can fall asleep as fast as possible.

*******

Nothing can top the giddy excitement of Christmas Eve.

*******

You know,
This season rolls along.

As much as I love it...I do get wrapped in the activity of it all...and I tend to have a lot to do everyday. Most of it revolves around the kids, obviously...from making cookies, to decorating the tree, to doing crafts...but there is just, overall, a lot to do.

As it begins to come to a close...I find I can breathe a little lighter...and just be.

Enjoy the sights, and sounds,

the laughter and the love.

The fact that my family is all together...

And that is just what I am doing today

Merry Christmas family and friends!