Christmas Eve we gathered with extended family, ate appetizers, children opened gifts, ladies drew number for $10 gifts amongst each other, men did the same, and we drew for men’s and lady’s stockings. My brother, sister-in-law, and niece stayed over at our house.

Christmas morning we had our tradition cinnamon rolls, opened stockings, my parents exchanged gifts, niece received gifts from my parents, and those still at home received gifts from parents. I also accidentally opened my gift from our sibling exchange (oops). We then watched White Christmas.

We then went to my grandparents, ate more appetizers, gave and received gifts from grandparents, from sibling exchange (we drew names from each via drawnames.com which is awesome, we filled out our gift lists on it, I want to use those for birthdays also), and parents gave gifts to the married siblings. Some people watched Rogue One (very Christmassy), and we played games (including Fishbowl, which we also played on New Year’s Day, and some played on New Year’s Eve, it seems to be trendy).

From top left clockwise, the $10 ladies gift I gave, most gifts I gave Doctordiva whose name I drew (the fox print fabric is an infinity scarf) minus a flower in a vial necklace and lotion, the gifts wrapped (I gave my mom a set of state made jams and jellies), and the belatedly-finished-still-not-given shrug for my niece (I still also have a sweater dress to finish for her).

My sister declared once she got out of school that she was going to start Harry Potter. Um, how about wait 5 days until Christmas?! I hid my copy, and told and texted everyone in the family to refuse to let her borrow their copies. It is HIGHLY out of character for me to misplace books also I’m not a good liar (and I didn’t want to lie, so I cut off from saying I didn’t know to saying it wasn’t on my shelf), but she suspected nothing.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving we helped my grandparents decorate for Christmas, and these are the areas I helped decorate.

I smashed a bunch of random Christmas photos into this collage. From top left clockwise, the bell wreath hanging from my doorknob (I’m keeping Christmas up until after the twelfth day of Christmas; its the 4th as I’m writing), the first version of my neat bookshelf (I cleared the floor and draped all the messy corners in white or gray), Sugarplum things she’s a decoration, my gingerbread house, my plate of appetizers from Christmas Eve (I LOVE that as a meal, and my grandmother fixed more and fancier appetizers for Christmas but I didn’t get a photo), the second version of my neat bookshelf (I’d smashed my snow globe decorating and later Mom bought another for me), the gorgeous wood Advent calender my mom bought for my brother and sister-in-law, Musicalmiss’s Dr. Suess “gingerbread” house (most of my sisters and I gathered at my brother and sister-in-laws house for a gingerbread day), and center is my hope chest nativity scene (I had three neat areas to decorate, the other is in the top collage).

Clockwise from top left. Awesome leftie sewing Gingher scissors with a case from my mom (I bought some sewing scissors but they weren’t nice like my mom’s so I always borrowed/kept hers), my stocking stuffers, more tea from Mom, athletic sweatshirts and cozy socks from Mom, blouse and gloves from Mom, and all the lovely movies Musicalmiss got me (she had my name).

Clockwise from top left. Some goodies I picked out some bags of goodies from family friends. Necklace and earrings from my grandmother. The $10 ladies gift I received on Christmas Eve (well, I drew for myself and my sick sister, and I picked this one because I knew what is was as another sister gave it, lol), and my gifts from my grandmother. That is an antique knitting basket/bag. That jar is a ton of lotion, I might be getting a slight hint as to the slight problem of the state of my hands, maybe.

Our Christmas decor.

More of our Christmas decor. I missed getting our main tree with all the gifts downstairs.

I borrowed questions and ideas from: here, here, and here.

~Winter Dislikes
When I’m too cold, having to drive in the dark, scary icy roads, ugly “green” Christmas type landscape.

~Winter Likes
The changing seasons, Christmas, Coziness, Fleece onsies, Movie nights, Winter foods.

~Do you like playing in the snow or enjoying it from the window?
Usually, enjoying it from the window, I should try sledding once in awhile.

~Any books you prefer to read in Winter?
I can’t think of any, but I should make some selections.

~When do you start getting excited about spring?
I’m usually ready for it when it is officially spring.

I borrowed questions and ideas from: here, here, and here.

Christmas Eve
~Do you have a celebration?
Yes, we go over to my mom’s extended family for supper and gift exchanges.

~Do you open gifts?
Yes. We draw a name at Thanksgiving. We also have a $1 gift for the stocking of our sex, and a $5 gift for the gift exchange of our sex. The kids get gifts from everyone.

Christmas Day
~Have you ever had a White Christmas?
Yes, but not recently. We used to get more snow in December, but recently it has snowed a bit before Christmas and then tons in January and February.

~Christmas pajamas?
No, but Mom bought us fluffy onesies one Christmas recently, and we all wore them to Christmas lunch and supper at my grandmother’s.

~What are your Christmas morning traditions?
Dad makes home-made cinnamon rolls, and we dig into our stockings and open our gifts from our parents. For the last few years, we wait for my grandparents to come because my grandmother wanted to watch us open gifts, and she also gives gifts to her “grand-animals.”

~Do you travel for Christmas?
No, our family is local.

~Do you stay home or visit on Christmas Day?
We start at home and then move to my grandparents’ house (which is less than half an hour away) for lunch and supper.

New Year’s Eve
~Celebrations?
We usually have an open house for my parents’ church. Originally it was on New Year’s Eve until someone encountered a car driving the wrong way on the interstate then we changed it to New Year’s Day. The program involves smoked pork, home-made doughnuts, a ping-pong tournament, board games, too many people, noise, and it is not a good tradition. It needs serious modification. But we are going to be gone this year, so we don’t have to have it.

~Resolutions?
Haha. I like drawing them up anyway, and making grand plans.

If you want to join in:

I borrowed questions and ideas from: here, here, and here.

~Do you truly prefer giving or receiving?
I love getting gifts that I like best, yes. I do enjoy giving to people I like to buy for, people that I can give good gifts too. I don’t enjoy it for people who are hard, who buy everything for themselves already, or who I don’t know very well. I don’t like being stressed about it.

~When do you buy gifts, early or last minute?
Unfortunately, I seem to always be late which it makes it less fun. I need to get better, so I can enjoy Christmas better.

~Are you a brilliant, adequate, or terrible present wrapper?
Adequate, I’d love to get to brilliant (creative) at some point.

~What is the best gift you have ever received?
A custom made hope chest a few years back from my mom.

~What is your favorite gift you have given?
One that is upcoming, I think.

If you would like to join in:
Gifting
~Do you truly prefer giving or receiving
~When do you buy gifts, early or last minute?
~Are you a brilliant, adequate, or terrible present wrapper
~What is the best gift you have ever received?
~What is your favorite gift you have given?

I borrowed questions and ideas from: here, here, and here.

~Christmas movie: White Christmas

~Christmas story: So many, I need to see all our old Christmas stories. There is an adorable one about a snowman.

~Traditions: Our Christmas Eve and Day gatherings, watching as Hallmark as a family, etc.

~Christmas carol: I prefer the merrier sounding carols like “Here We Come A Wassailing”

~Christmas treats: Truffles, cake pops, meringue Christmas trees, gingerbread men, gingerbread, peppermint fudge, and cinnamon rolls.

~Favorite holiday drink: Hot chocolate. I would still like to try eggnog and wassail though.

If you would like to join in:
Favorites

I borrowed questions and ideas from: here, here, and here.

~Real or fake tree
We have almost always had a fake tree. My dad doesn’t like the bother of a real tree. When I have my own family I want a real tree. Actually, I’d like to have a tiny tree in my room, but that hasn’t ever worked out yet.

~When do you decorate?
Usually shortly after Thanksgiving. This year I think it was a week after.

~Who decorates?
It used to be everyone, but now it is mostly Mom and the little girls. Certain of them have very specific tastes/styles/ideas.

~Do you decorate your room?
My room is usually in a state of disorder as far as design and organization goes, so most Christmas decorations either would not match or would be lost in the busyness, but I do have one neat half bookcase that I’ve decorated this year plus a adorable little bell wreath hanging on the doorknob outside my door.

~When do you take the tree down?
Usually shortly after Christmas.

~White or multi-colored lights
White all the way, definitely more elegant.

~Outside lights
We don’t have any, but I love a some white lights with candles in the windows and wreaths and garlands.

If you want to participate:
Decorations
~Real or fake tree
~When do you decorate?
~Who decorates?
~Do you decorate your room?
~When do you take the tree down?
~White or multi-colored lights
~Outside lights