Christmas Traditions

Looks like the world knows about my little corner of the blogosphere now. Thus far, its been all positive feedback, which is awesome. Should you find anything already written or things yet to come offensive or rude, I'm not all that concerned. However, if you want to have a good rational conversation, I'm game.

Now onto the real post...

Christmas traditions. We have none. Its weird. Growing up it was always Santa gifts on Christmas morning and then big family lunch at Granny & Pop's house. Then after they got older we started shifting the location between my parents house and my aunt's house. Pop passed away first and then Granny in 2007. Christmas of 2007 my immediate family (parents, brother, sis-in-law, and Berkeley) spent at a rented house just south of Myrtle Beach. Since then we've gone back and forth on spending Thanksgiving and Christmas either in Durham or in North Myrtle Beach.  Few things are solid in our traditions. One that is a must is being with family. The other one that I'd like to keep is opening adult presents on Christmas Eve so that Christmas morning is all about the kids. I know that as the kids get older (well that's just Parker right now), that will be more difficult and not as important because their gifts won't be as exhausting for the rest of us on Christmas day.

This year, Mom, Dad and I wore ourselves out. Because we have no solid traditions, we end up going wherever people ask. The three of us did our gifts to each other on the 23rd. Christmas Eve we got to go to the service at church, which is one of my favorites. Then we went to my brother's house. My sis-in-law had her sister and bro-in-law in town so our Christmas stuff all happened at their house. We did the adult gifts Christmas Eve with my nephew sneaking to look through the railing. Christmas morning we schlepped all of Parker's gifts to their house and spent time watching him open gifts. After breakfast we swung by our house and picked up food. I hate that Christmas was on Sunday and I didn't get a chance to go to the service at church. But my dad's family always does lunch so we had to rush there. After a slow lunch and gift opening session we left to head to our house and pack up for the beach.

What we didn't know was that my uncle, who had been a little sleepy and odd at lunch, was actually having a medical problem. My parents and I weren't far from our beach house (3 hours from home) when we got the call that he was headed to the hospital. After one night down there we headed back this morning. My uncle is doing better, but it certainly makes me appreciate that our family does make the tradition to see one another over the holidays. Its good to remember that no matter how much I enjoy the gift giving, the people that I'm giving them to are way more important.

The Celebration Barbie ornament for 2011 (I have a whole tree of Barbie ornaments)

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas (or whatever your holidays are) and you have a happy and safe New Year!