When Christmas Comes To Town

Christmastime is crazy. Since Jaysen and I got married we have made sure to share the holiday with both of our families. Every other year we are with his family and vice versa. On the years that it is my families turn, we go to my Grandma's house. Ever since I can remember my family has gone to her house for Christmas Eve. She has always made it such a huge event and takes no shortcuts when it comes to making sure it is a fabulous evening for everyone. In fact, as the family has gotten larger and larger {her kids, grandkids, and great grandkids} the family room was made bigger in order to accomodate everyone.



Santa Claus comes every year so that the kids can get in their last minute requests. We eat until we are so full we can't move. We sing carols. We play the bells. We learn about the true meaning of Christmas. It has been this way forever. Traditions are a part of what make the holiday so great.


About eight years ago a few of the traditions were changed as the families grew. Instead of going to my Grandma's house again on Christmas morning to open presents, we open them on Christmas Eve. This is done at the end of the evening. My grandparents pass out gifts to EVERYONE. {That's a lot of gifts!} They love to give these gifts and give them from their hearts. I appreciate them and all they do for their family. There's a lot of us and I know it takes months of work for them to cross everyone off of their list.

This year we are spending the holiday with my husbands family. I am new to their traditions but have found that no matter what activities take place, all that matters is that we are able to spend the holiday with family. This mean that this year we will be eating pizza from the favorite local pizza place. We read the Christmas story. We play fun games. We exchange ornaments and the kids open up their pajamas from Grandma and Grandpa. The opening of the pajama boxes is almost like an unveiling ceremony. The kids get so excited to see what their new jammies will look like each year. And every year as we put up our Christmas tree we get to reflect on the ornaments of Christmas' past that we have received from Jaysen's siblings. I have come to love and appreciate these traditions of his family and look forward to them every year.


The past few years I have struggled with the overwhelming amount of gifts that my kids receive every year. Not only do they get presents from me and Santa, but from cousins and grandparents too. My daughter receives presents from four sets of grandparents. My son...wow. His birthday is this month as well so he is in present heaven. To top off that...he has two sets of parents and six sets of grandparents that give him presents {that I know of}. Yeah....I don't know if he even knows what he gets every year because there is so much. Now, I'm not saying that grandparents and cousins can't give gifts to my kids. In fact, my kids give gifts to their grandparents and their cousins themselves. It is just disheartening to see my kids simply looking for the next gift to unwrap. What is interesting though, is that the gifts that have had a lasting effect on my kids have never been the toys. Even so.....

I worry that my kids don't grasp the true meaning of Christmas.



I worry that the commercialism of the holiday is all they remember.


I worry that they will grow up and the only traditions they can look back on are opening presents.

I have been struggling with this for a few years now. There are so many other kids that receive little or nothing for Christmas. If you have seen the movie, The Polar Express, you will remember the adorable little boy who doesn't believe in Santa because he's never gotten a present from him. His family was too poor. And then there's my kids who have never wanted for anything. Am I the only one struggling with this? I worry that I have enabled my children to have this cushioned view of life.

I have tried to reign things in this year. After seeing the piles of presents that my kids opened, I told myself that was it. I wasn't going to do it again this year. Their presents are bought and I am done. I wanted to focus this year on teaching my kids the true meaning of Christmas. I want to take them caroling to the nursing home. I want to have them take presents to those who would otherwise go without. I want them to learn about the reason we give gifts in the first place.


I told them yesterday that we were going to be giving presents to baby Jesus this year because it is his birth we celebrate. Trying to keep things on my toddler's level I told them that we were going to have a birthday party for Jesus. The Wise Men took him presents to celebrate his birth and we have been told to give to others to honor His life. Not necessarily materialistic things, but of ourselves as well.

If any of you have other ideas that would help me to continue to keep the true meaning of Christmas as a theme for my family this year I would love to hear them. One aspect of Christmas that is identical no matter where we go to spend the holiday is that the story of the birth of Jesus is told. I grew up playing characters from this story as me and my cousins acted out the scenes. I am so grateful that my grandmother has kept this tradition alive. I love her so much for all of the time she puts into every Christmas Eve. She is 76 years old this year and I worry there won't be too many more years of her Christmas programs.

Sorry for the ramblings here....I've been frustrated over a few aspects of Christmas this year and needed to ramble on a bit. :0) Thanks for listening.

Must have been on the nice list....

Because I was spoiled rotten this year for Christmas. I got two of my wish list items, plus other things I couldn't have even wished for!

Santa brought me an iPod (yes, it's true...I didn't have one. Jaysen did, but not me) and now I can take my entire iTunes collection (1500 songs) with me wherever I go. I told Santa not to buy one for me as they are not one of those "needed" items. But, Santa must have thought that I was REALLY good and gave me one anyway. The stinker! He also brought me a new Cricut cartridge (the Mickey font) and I can't wait to be able to use it!

The picture is of me and my Grams...she put on a huge Christmas Eve program (as she does every year) and had me narrate it. The program included caroling, which is what we are doing in this picture. It's one of my favorites from this year. :0) My Grams got us a Grain Mill to grind wheat. I'm excited to try it out. I may just have to go get myself a bread machine here soon. Either that or a REAL bread pan. The one I have has seen better days. ;0)

My sister-in-law Holly got me the pasta machine I was wanting! I'm so excited to whip it out and make some yummy pastas!

And my mom got all of her daughters a beautiful necklace. I'll have to post a picture. Oh! And she made these amazing purses. Out of placemats! I'll post a picture of that one too! They are definitely on my "to do" list. I want to make oodles of them! Seriously! I'm thinking one in every color.

If I didn't post about the gift you gave, it wasn't because I wasn't grateful or that I didn't love it! We were truly spoiled this year and received far more than what was expected. I actually have some Christmas cash burning a hole in my pocket that I need to go spend. I'm thinking I'll be able to go and get the angel for my nativity with it! YAY!

Jaysen got the Guitar Hero game for our new Wii and we've already broke it in. I totally rock...and he's not too shabby himself. ;0) We're thinking we need to get a second guitar so that we can battle each other. Won't that be a fun family home evening? :0)

So, I am dying to know what all of YOU received! Fill me in! I hope you all got a few wish list items as well! For those of you that I "know", you have all been really NICE to me! So, if was up to me you'd all make that list! Can't wait to hear what you got!

To: Landon's Teacher

I found this cute idea in a Simple Scrapbooks magazine and thought I'd share it with you. It's a keepsake box for your childs' teacher.

materials:

5½ x 3½ x 5½ wooden box (or any wooden box with a hinged lid)

coordinating patterned papers (those shown are FoofaLa)

acrylic paint to match papers

rub-ons

letter rub-ons

ribbon

chalk

pencils

project by Elizabeth Dillow, Mountain House, CA

Instructions

1. Open the lid of the wooden box, and paint the edges of the lid and box. Let dry.

2. Measure the inside of the lid and the interior sides of the box; then cut patterned paper to fit. Adhere in place. (Elizabeth used a Xyron machine to cover her paper with adhesive. With cardstock, try something stronger, like PVA or Yes! Glue.)

3. Measure the exterior sides of the lid and the box; then cut patterned paper to fit. Adhere in place.

4. Embellish the lid of your box using theme rub-ons, letter rub-ons, and other appropriate accents. (Elizabeth used a box with a faux chalkboard top, adding two short pencils and a piece of chalk tied up with a ribbon.)

No guarantees that Mrs. Grubbs will be getting one this year. But it's the thought that counts right?