Its almost Christmas...

Yep its almost Christmas and I am so excited!!! Christmas Eve will be here in just a few hours and then the family togetherness starts. Tomorrow evening my Dad, Step-Mom, Brother, and Sister will come to the house and we will have dinner and then open gifts. My Brother n law most of the time doesn't make it because he has to work and we never know if Eric will be there or not. It usually stays pretty low key. Eric and I get up Christmas morning and open gifts together when we can but we never know what his schedule will be like.

The CRAZY Christmas doesn't happen until we go to my Mom's parents at noon on Christmas day. We pack 20 to 25 people in my Grandparents fairly small house and let the fun begin. Somehow we all manage to find a place to sit and eat. Imagine being in a busy restaurant with people being very loud, and some being rude all asking for 5 different things at once, well that's what its like. You get to a point where you cant hear yourself think. Its a little more than my Sister likes to deal with but I love it. I wouldn't have it any other way. After we eat we all cram into the living room for our dirty Santa gift exchange. That gets pretty hilarious to because we all end up fighting over a 6 pack a beer or lottery tickets....really redneck I know. Eventually that game ends and then we spend the rest of the day laughing and drinking and playing games in-which my little cousin wins every-time.

Later that day we will head to Eric's Grandmas where they will play cards into the wee hours of the night if possible. They like to play pretty serious so I usually try to hang back for a little bit and visit before I play. They don't really appreciate it when you are playing a game and trying to visit. They don't mean any harm by it, its just how they play.

As I wrap this blog post up we are 30 minutes before its officially Christmas Eve and I cant wait to spend time with my families. Even though we can be pretty dysfunctional it makes me who I am and lets face it will make for some good blog post.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Im like a kid......I LOVE CHRISTMAS!

There is no denying it, I love Christmas! I love everything about it. I love the hustle and bustle, the decorations, the parties, all the lights and obviously celebrating the whole reason for this Holiday. Since I can remember Christmas has been a happy time. A time that even if things weren't going great they began to look up at Christmas. If family members were fighting or what have you that put that all to the side for the Christmas Season. The other night Eric and I were reminiscing about Christmas memories and it made me feel so warm inside, like I was smiling from the inside out. I am not ewwy and gooey about many things but Christmas I am. If I could afford it my house would be so decorated it would belong at the North Pole. I am big on Christmas traditions and try my hardest to keep them as long as I can. Christmas Eve has always been spent with my Dad and his side of the family. We used to do it at my Grandparents but since they have both passed we now do it at my house. Being at my Grandma Bonnies for Christmas is some of the fondest memories I have. We would arrive at Grandmas early and start getting ready for the celebration later that night. We would make cookies and practice for our "Annual Christmas Concert." I am not exaggerating to say that I was 19 years old when this tradition stopped. At that time a few of the younger cousins had taken over most of it but us 4 older ones still played a part. Christmas morning we would open presents with Mom and then head to our other Grandparents house and wait for the madness to begin. It was a whole different story at this grandparents. We didnt put on a concert or bake cookies but still have great memories of all of my cousins and I playing with our toys and when the weather was right sledding. We had a gift exchange each year and we are such a big family it really was madness when we all started opening gifts. Now so many traditions have ceased or changed in some ways but the feeling I get at Christmas remains the same. It makes me feel more thankful for all my blessings, and there is nothing better than remembering back to past Christmas's when I was a child.

Christmas List

I got this from Steph at Watching Airplanes. If you wanna play, copy and paste these questions into your own blog post.

1. Have you started your Christmas shopping?
Yes. I will be finishing up tomorrow or that is the plan.

2. Tell me about one of your special traditions.
We have so many family traditions and I am constantly trying to start new ones. One of my favorite ones that no longer exists is spending all day Christmas Eve at Grandma Bonnies getting ready for our festivities that night. Me and my 4 cousins would always put on a little Christmas concert for our family. A newer tradition would be making candy with my Mom and Sister.

3. When do you put up your Tree?

Usually the day after Thanksgiving.

4. Are you a Black Friday shopper?
Eric and I went to Midnight Madness in Tuscola this year and we won't be doing that again.

5. Do you travel at Christmas or stay home?
We have places to go but they are all within 20 miles or so.

6. What is your funniest Christmas memory?
One of my funniest Christmas memories would be my sister on a scavenger hunt to find one of her gifts. We hate surprises so it was torture.

7. What is your favorite Christmas Movie of All time?
Home alone or Christmas Vacation.

8. Do you do your own Christmas Baking, what’s your favorite treat?
Yes, with my Momma and Sister. My favorite is Ritz crackers with peanut butter in the middle dipped in chocolate.

9. Fake or Real Tree?
2 Fake trees.

10. What day does the actual panic set in to get it all done?
I dont usually panic about it.

11. Are you still wrapping presents on Christmas Eve?
Not usually.

12. What is your favorite family fun time at Christmas?
Playing the dirty Santa gift game at Grandmas.

13. What Christmas craft do you like the best?
Just Christmas Candy

14. Christmas music? Yes or No, and if yes What is your favorite song?
Yes, and I dont know what my favorite would be.

15. When do you plan to finish all your shopping?
Tomorrow!!!


Now it's your turn to copy and paste these questions into your own blog post.
Merry Christmas!!!