As we round out the end of an undoubtedly unique year, we would like to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and good health!
Perhaps it’s just me, but in my adult years, it seems as though the true meaning of Christmas has gotten lost in the chaos of the holiday. This year, it appears masked even more than in recent years. No pun intended.
We have a tradition at our house focused on the meaning behind the holiday. On Christmas Eve, we make Christmas cookies that fill the house with their fresh-baked scent. Then, we gather the family around the Christmas tree to read books about the birth of Jesus and living a life with a giving nature. After reading, we each open one present (of course, it is Christmas pajamas). Before bed, Danya puts a few cookies on a special Holiday plate with a glass of milk for Santa while Theresa prepares a yummy breakfast hash in the slow cooker, and we all turn in for the night.
On Christmas Eve, we read books as a family about the birth of Jesus and about living a life with a giving nature. After reading, we open one present each (of course, it is Christmas pajamas).
On Christmas morning, the aroma of breakfast fills the entire house. The kids waste no time digging through their Christmas stockings, but they’re pretty good to not taste all of the goodies before breakfast. We eat together as a family, then proceed to the opening of gifts.
Christmas evening ends with a nice family dinner, consisting of many traditional favorites like ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, freshly baked dinner rolls, and pie!
Most of all, we try to spend the day together. With the older kids out of the house, these moments are shorter, but we look forward to them all year.
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