Every year my family and I take a day, this year two, to put up our tree and decorate it. It seems simple and tedious but for us it is one of our favorite parts of the year. There are ornaments dedicated to each of us, that each of us put on every year. I personally have three, a Tweedy Bird, A reindeer, and an Olaf! I have put them on the tree every year. Then to top it all off, Dad puts the angel on the tree every year.
My break always includes a Christmas party at my Grandma and Papaw’s house. They invite all of the kids, grand kids, and great kids, and then we all cram into their tiny house to play games, give gifts, and eat all of the sweets that grandma has made.
This year this party has already happened. It happened last weekend, when all of us kids crammed ourselves into my grandparents’ little house. We played bingo, had a fake auction for presents, and ate way too much food. We all had an amazing time as always.
We also have a party at my Grams and Paps. This year we are meeting the weekend before Christmas. This Christmas is alway jam packed full of laughter and fun as we once again are crammed into a tiny house for games, food, and gifts.
We start off the party with a dinner, traditionally chosen by the grandkids; this year it will be lasagna! After dinner we exchange gifts, from the aunts and uncles and the grandparents, before playing the saran wrap game filled with little trinkets, money, and fun little snacks.
After the gifts, game, and food, the kids are tapped out and tired. So the adults then take this time to play games themselves. Every year each adult brings one game and two gifts, one serious, and one gag gift. This can be difficult because these gifts have to work for all of the adults in the family. And this year it got harder, as the family is bringing up two more adults, my cousin and I, who are a little different than the rest of the adults.
The adults then play games for ‘money’ that they will use to bid on one gag gift and serious gift after all of the games are finished. At the end of the night every adults ends up with a funny and serious gift to take home and enjoy.
Christmas Eve — my favorite day out of all of my break! I love Christmas Eve because it is the day that my family slows down a little bit. We still have plans but it is not an all day event. For starters we sleep in and when we do get up we put on Christmas movies, chilling out for a little bit.
This year my eldest brother is bringing his daughters over to exchange gifts with them and he is staying at our house for the first time since he moved out a few years ago. All three of the siblings will be under one roof for Christmas just like old times. Which means that we are going back to our original Christmas Eve traditions!
Starting with evening communion at our church. A service held every year at Robinson Free Methodist Church in Robinson.
After my brothers, parents, and I will change into our pjs, make hot cocoa, and watch the polar express. After the movie my brothers and I exchange our gifts from each other, before going to bed.
