'Fess Up Friday

Thanksgiving is my favorite Holiday. I am utterly stuffed right now. I'm getting up at the butt-crack of dawn so thought I should post this tonight - please don't think I'm trying to rush past one of the best days of the year, but.....I'd like to hear about your family's Christmas traditions.

Here's mine:

Day after Thanksgiving has me shopping with the other crazies. I'm home by noon and we spend the rest of the weekend decorating for Christmas. The next week is vacation for the boys while I plan out our "Christmas School". We celebrate Advent and use the Teaching Mom's Calendar to give us ideas to study each day. We put up a "Jesse Tree" which is so cool - the kids pick out a branch that we hang as a swag on the wall and we color a new ornament each day that tells the salvation story beginning with Genesis.....a lot to cram into 3 weeks! We read a section from the Jotham's Journey series each night and the kids take turns lighting a candle on our Advent wreath. This fills our days every day until Christmas. This whole season seems so magical. I have two books that I really enjoy for pointing out the richness of the smallest traditions. They are Lisa Whelchel's book and Focus on the Family's book.
Every year, we buy ornaments for each of us. Although not usually identical, they all match. We write our names and the year on the back of each one. At 6 ornaments per year, I'm sure the tree will get a little full by the time the kids have grown, but I want them to be able to take some ornaments with them for their first tree someday.....Oh, wow - I'm getting teary eyed.....must be time for Aunt Flo to visit.

We have an early Christmas with Chris' family and an early Christmas with my Dad's family about an hour away. The fudge. Oh. My. My MIL is the world's best candy maker. And I'm not sucking up just because she reads this. It's really that good.

A day or so before Christmas, we take the kids shopping for Stocking Stuffers. Chris and I split up and we each take one boy and one girl to let them pick out little things for their other two siblings. The kids get to open one present the night before.

Christmas morning, we start with our final Advent reading and then the stockings. Everybody takes turns so we can all see the other person's reactions. Next is breakfast that cooked in the crockpot all night - we call it a McGriddle casserole - a waffle, sausage, and cheesy syrup concoction. Then we clean up and head out the door for Grandma's house where we'll stay all wonderful day long. Those Grandmas sure know how to cook.

Now, I want to hear about your traditions, so link your name to the Mr. Linky and all participants will be sent a copy of my holiday weekly planner. Hand-drawn.... you know you want one..... :D

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