Logan really enjoyed his first Christmas celebration! SERIOUSLY could a kid get any CUTER than this!? I just don't think so!!In our family we celebrate Christmas a day early, we have been doing this since I was in High School. We have family in Sacramento which is about 3 hours from where I lived so traveling to see them for Christmas meant for a busy and kind of rushed Christmas Morning. So we decided to have Christmas morning on the 24th and then we could have a nice relaxed Christmas day and travel up to see family without the rush. Well then that meant that Christmas Eve was also bumped up a day, so we began celebrating Christmas Eve EVE. And after awhile the Christmas Eve celebration grew and eventually the family from the Sacramento area began coming down to celebrate with us on the 23rd and then we'd go up to visit them on the 25th. It may seem excessive but we loved it! That meant that we celebrated Christmas for 3 days instead of 1 1/2! WONDERFUL idea!!
So on this Christmas Eve EVE we had about 40 people (not all pictured above - several were still inside or napping or running around too excited to stand still!). That is actually a pretty small crowd compared to the 55 or so that we usually have when everyone is together! We always have hors d'oeuvres (okay - funny thing real quick. Who in the UNIVERSE knows how to spell that word off the top of their head right? I usually spell it horderves or just skip it and say appetizers instead, but whatever! So I googled it and found the true spelling, along with a little explanation that says that the word is French and means: "outside the meal" but the IS our meal on Christmas Eve EVE) So we have hors d'oeuvres and in the past few years we have had a Hot Chocolate Bar as well, with several types of Hot Cocoa and different syrups for added flavor... and lets face it, CALORIES! But hey - eat, drink and worry about the weight loss after New Years right?
My family doesn't really do things half way, that's just the way it is! My sisters all have nice serving dishes and my mom has gotten some nice pieces in the past several years as well and it's always a pretty spread! So here are a few pictures of the food (we were still missing the cream puffs and quiche when I took this picture too). YUMMY!
Another tradition in my family is to dress the kids up and act out the nativity. Remember that I said that my family doesn't do things halfway? Well there are no sheet costumes in this family. My family searches for costumes to use JUST for the nativity all year round and adds to the collection over the years. My mom also has REAL gold, frankincense and myrrh that she has in special jars and things that the wise men get to carry. We have in years past read straight from the scriptures the whole Christmas story, but this year (and last year) we started to read a shortened version with just selected scriptures to make it go a little faster. This year some of the grandkids didn't really want to dress up and be IN the play, so they were designated narrators and read the story as the kids acted it out. But in the end I guess they ended up dressing up and all participating in addition to narrating! I guess they aren't quite ready to grow out of that yet! Lol! So we read a few scriptures and then sing a Christmas song that goes with that portion of the story and then read some more and then sing some more and then read and sing and read and sing! It's a great tradition and I'm glad my kids have so many cousins to make it fun for them! Logan got to be the star of the show and played the baby Jesus! Sweet boy!
After the Nativity Play Emily and Brynne and Nathan were jumping for joy! Okay they were really just playing but it was fun!
My neighborhood growing up has evolved into quite an attraction at Christmastime. Every year there are several camera crews out there capturing the crowds and excitement. It's been dubbed "Candy Cane Lane". Every house in the neighborhood puts up Christmas lights. Every tree and bush and roof line is adorned with bright twinkling colorful lights. And then there are the lawn decorations and the wreaths and music and even Santa's workshop set up in someones Garage complete with a red cushy chair, and you guessed it... the big guy himself! Crowds come in throngs and walk the neighborhood streets and ooooo and ahhh and some even carol. Cars turn off their headlights and cruise the streets going no faster than 5 or 10 mph (a little annoying to those who LIVE in the neighborhood but we've learned that you either stay home in the evenings or park your car outside the neighborhood and walk to it, otherwise it will take you no less than 30 minutes to get out... EVERY NIGHT!). It is quite a site! Here's a few pictures that DO NOT do any of the homes justice and remember EVERY home looks like these, decked out to the max!
There are also 2 or 3 companies that have horse drawn carriages that prance the neighborhood as well and every year my family reserves a horse drawn carriage ride around the neighborhood. We pile as many of our enormous group in as we possibly can and then the rest walk behind and then we set out to admire the lights and carol to the cars and pedestrians who've come to admire with us. Here's the carriage and the two beautiful horses that drove us around:
and here is some of our group waiting in my parents front yard for the carriage to finish it's round with its previous group and pick us up:
and here's the back half of our group riding in it (I couldn't get the front half where I was sitting):
And here's cute little Logan all bundled up ready to brave the "cold" California night!
Peter and I laughed as we saw everyone dressed in hats and gloves and scarves and big puffy jackets. We've gotten so used to the UTAH cold that makes it hard to move your fingers or to talk right because your tongue is frozen after only a few minutes outside! *sigh* You gotta love California weather! At least we did!
So on this Christmas Eve EVE we had about 40 people (not all pictured above - several were still inside or napping or running around too excited to stand still!). That is actually a pretty small crowd compared to the 55 or so that we usually have when everyone is together! We always have hors d'oeuvres (okay - funny thing real quick. Who in the UNIVERSE knows how to spell that word off the top of their head right? I usually spell it horderves or just skip it and say appetizers instead, but whatever! So I googled it and found the true spelling, along with a little explanation that says that the word is French and means: "outside the meal" but the IS our meal on Christmas Eve EVE) So we have hors d'oeuvres and in the past few years we have had a Hot Chocolate Bar as well, with several types of Hot Cocoa and different syrups for added flavor... and lets face it, CALORIES! But hey - eat, drink and worry about the weight loss after New Years right?
My family doesn't really do things half way, that's just the way it is! My sisters all have nice serving dishes and my mom has gotten some nice pieces in the past several years as well and it's always a pretty spread! So here are a few pictures of the food (we were still missing the cream puffs and quiche when I took this picture too). YUMMY!
Another tradition in my family is to dress the kids up and act out the nativity. Remember that I said that my family doesn't do things halfway? Well there are no sheet costumes in this family. My family searches for costumes to use JUST for the nativity all year round and adds to the collection over the years. My mom also has REAL gold, frankincense and myrrh that she has in special jars and things that the wise men get to carry. We have in years past read straight from the scriptures the whole Christmas story, but this year (and last year) we started to read a shortened version with just selected scriptures to make it go a little faster. This year some of the grandkids didn't really want to dress up and be IN the play, so they were designated narrators and read the story as the kids acted it out. But in the end I guess they ended up dressing up and all participating in addition to narrating! I guess they aren't quite ready to grow out of that yet! Lol! So we read a few scriptures and then sing a Christmas song that goes with that portion of the story and then read some more and then sing some more and then read and sing and read and sing! It's a great tradition and I'm glad my kids have so many cousins to make it fun for them! Logan got to be the star of the show and played the baby Jesus! Sweet boy!
After the Nativity Play Emily and Brynne and Nathan were jumping for joy! Okay they were really just playing but it was fun!
My neighborhood growing up has evolved into quite an attraction at Christmastime. Every year there are several camera crews out there capturing the crowds and excitement. It's been dubbed "Candy Cane Lane". Every house in the neighborhood puts up Christmas lights. Every tree and bush and roof line is adorned with bright twinkling colorful lights. And then there are the lawn decorations and the wreaths and music and even Santa's workshop set up in someones Garage complete with a red cushy chair, and you guessed it... the big guy himself! Crowds come in throngs and walk the neighborhood streets and ooooo and ahhh and some even carol. Cars turn off their headlights and cruise the streets going no faster than 5 or 10 mph (a little annoying to those who LIVE in the neighborhood but we've learned that you either stay home in the evenings or park your car outside the neighborhood and walk to it, otherwise it will take you no less than 30 minutes to get out... EVERY NIGHT!). It is quite a site! Here's a few pictures that DO NOT do any of the homes justice and remember EVERY home looks like these, decked out to the max!
There are also 2 or 3 companies that have horse drawn carriages that prance the neighborhood as well and every year my family reserves a horse drawn carriage ride around the neighborhood. We pile as many of our enormous group in as we possibly can and then the rest walk behind and then we set out to admire the lights and carol to the cars and pedestrians who've come to admire with us. Here's the carriage and the two beautiful horses that drove us around:
and here is some of our group waiting in my parents front yard for the carriage to finish it's round with its previous group and pick us up:
and here's the back half of our group riding in it (I couldn't get the front half where I was sitting):
And here's cute little Logan all bundled up ready to brave the "cold" California night!
Peter and I laughed as we saw everyone dressed in hats and gloves and scarves and big puffy jackets. We've gotten so used to the UTAH cold that makes it hard to move your fingers or to talk right because your tongue is frozen after only a few minutes outside! *sigh* You gotta love California weather! At least we did!
4 comments:
I love your postings! What a great family you have with the best traditions!
i miss california weather and your fun neighborhood and your awesome family!!! we walked your neighborhood last year and it was AMAZING to say the least! we were able to stop and say hi to santa too which the kids LOVED! so glad you had a wonderful christmas!
Looks like an amazing Christmas in Cali. I love your family- that must have been a blast. That pic of Logan is to die for...he is so smiley! My goodness! He melts my heart!
Is the girl in the middle of the first nativity picture (in stripes)named Jessica? She looks just like a girl whos dad just moved into our ward and is in my class now.
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