Christmas Traditions

We stayed home for Christmas this year.  Alan and I are so tired and worn out from everything that happened in the fall that we both mutually decided to stay home.  His family did come to our house to celebrate.  This is the first Christmas without Grandmother Sue and Grandmama.  I sensed from Pam (my mother-in-law) that she wanted a change in the way they have celebrated Christmas. She came to the right place.

When we celebrated with Alan's family, Menaw and Grandmother Sue ruled everything.  We had Christmas Stew on Christmas Eve and went straight to opening presents and that was it.  Christmas lunch was Turkey, dressing, vegetables, bread, etc.  It was like that every year.

I grew up where things changed from year to year which makes it easy for me to remember which Christmas is which.  However, even though things changed from year to year, my parents had certain traditions we did not leave out, and if they tried, I told them we HAD to do it.

When the four of us celebrate Christmas as a family, I bring traditions from both sides.  I had fun planning out the activities for the two days and the food.

  One of the first things we do, is Andrew and Anna make and decorate Christmas cookies.  This year Nana Pam joined us on this fun activity.  Before that I made some rocky road candy that my mom use to make each Christmas for Dad.  It brought back memories for me.

After that, Alan read our last Advent lesson and we lit the final Advent Candle.  Andrew and Anna went ahead and put baby Jesus in the manger and put the shepherds in the stable with Mary and Joseph.  This is something Alan and I have added in the last few years that is new to our family.

We then had Christmas Soup (formerly known as stew but changed for health reasons with some of the family members) and cornbread.  This is a 100 year old tradition that Pam's Great Grandmother started and Menaw continued.  Pam tried to encourage me to change it, but I told her that was one tradition that I have kept in our family and want to continue to do so.

Once everything was eaten and everything put away and cleaned, we did a right left game.  Each person has a small gift and you pass it right or left every time you hear the words right/left.  This is something that my Grandparents Johnson like to do every Christmas we got together.  I read the story of the WRIGHT family. 

Once that is over, we gather around and Alan usually  reads the Christmas Story from Luke.  This year Alan asked his Dad to read it.  This is something my Mom and Dad made sure happened every year  before we opened presents.

Then of course we had to take pictures of our cute kids!

Once the presents are opened, and paper and boxes are put in the trash, the kids get their pajamas on, I pop popcorn and make hot chocolate and we all watch the Polar express.  Another new tradition I added Christmas 2007. 

One more tradition that I wasn't going to do, but woke up to on Christmas eve morning is greeting each family member the words "Christmas Eve gift" before they say it to you.  This is another one of Pam's Great Grandmother's traditions that has to date back over a 100 years ago.  Then on Christmas day, you say "Christmas Gift" to each family member before they say it to you.  Pam said it was something they have always done and it became a contest among family members.  The first year I spent Christmas with Alan's family 14 years ago and witnessed this, I thought these people had lost their minds.  Everyone was so busy trying to say it before anyone else did, they forgot to tell me what was going on.

CHRISTMAS DAY!

Growing up in our house, the stockings were the most fun!  I could not wait for the stockings, in fact I never could sleep, because I could not imagine what cool stuff my Mom was going put in my stocking.  Each year was better than before.  I of course, still love stockings and attempt to do the same thing for Alan, Andrew and Anna.

Christmas Dinner:  We had Ham with a homemade sugar honey glaze, mashed potatoes, fresh green beans with crunchy bacon, green salad, fruit salad (using the bowl Grandmama gave me a couple of years ago) and rolls.

The red glasses are the ones that my Grandmother Johnson used for company when she used her white dishes.

Andrew said yesterday, "I wish Gran and Granddad could be here too."  Well in some ways they were here.  They were both here in the traditions just like both Alan's and My Grandmother and Granddad were also here in traditions passed on.  My Mom was here in what she taught me how to do growing up.  My Mom taught me how to do many things like how to cook, sew, dress, clean house, wash clothes, be a hostess etc.  I physically had to do these things growing up and while I may have griped and complained, I am very grateful to her for making me learn those important things.  Another thing that my Mom did, was she modeled how to make Christmas special and meaningful.  The look on Andrew and Anna's face on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Morning is absolutely a tribute to her creativeness that I have always longed to be more like her.  Thanks Mom!

Merry Christmas!
from The Weavers

Anna''s Chapel Program

On Thursday, December 16, Anna was the Angel in her Chapel program.  Her class opened Chapel by leading some songs and Anna said the opening prayer.  She did such a good job and of course I could not help but tear up.

One of her lines to Mary was "You're gonna have a baby!"  She had a few more but that was the one that I remembered.

The face of an Angel!

This is completely off the subject but quite funny.  Yesterday, I was helping Anna get ready for church and she was wearing a pink dress.  I went to her drawer to get her pink tights out and they were gone.  I asked, "Anna, where are your tights? They were in here yesterday."  She says, "Well, I don't know!  They have legs!"  She is way too quick witted like her Dad.

WCS Christmas Lunch

Each year parents are invited to come to the Thanksgiving feast and the Christmas feast.  Here are two pictures of Anna and Andrew at the Christmas feast.  Anna told me her reindeer name is Clarice. 

More Alabster's Song pictures

Here are some pictures I took of Andrew and Anna before everyone arrived.

WCS Christmas Concert

December 6, 2010 was Andrew's and Anna's choir concert.  In fact, this was Anna's first choir concert.  I was so proud.  Andrew's class sang Deck the Halls and O Come all Ye faithful.  Anna's class sang Jingle Bells and John 3:16.

I took this opportunity to take pictures before the concert for our Christmas cards.  I found a good deal online and got free photo Christmas cards.  All I had to pay was the shipping.  I ended up waiting 10 days to get them and they arrived yesterday.  They will go out tomorrow.

Holiday Memorial Program

On December 5, our church's praise team sang at the Holiday Memorial Program in Weatherford.  Our worship leader owns a funeral home in Weatherford and does this program every year to help families cope with the loss of a love one during the Christmas season.  I really did not know what I had committed to.  I have never heard of this but apparently it is very common.  I found it a little hard to sit there after losing Grandmama in September (it had been three months to the day) and also thought of Alan since this is the first Christmas without his Grandmother too.  In the past 13 months we have lost 4 family members, three on Alan's side and one on mine.  It has really been a tough year.

Below is a link to the program.  You can't see me because my back is to the camera and I am behind a curtain.  We sing two songs at the beginning and one song at the end.

http://webcasts.lifetributes.com/180164

Alabaster's Song by Max Lucado

The Candle light service and Christmas play was last Sunday night, December 12, 2010 at our church.  Andrew played the"little boy,"(main part) and Anna was Mary and she had another role as the big sister (yes I know...she isn't really the big sister but for this play she was). 

Andrew gets so nervous and embarrassed when he has to do something like this in front of people.  Thankfully, I minored in drama in college and happened to know some techniques to help those uncomfortable on stage to find the fun in acting.  He did a great job!  He even said to me after the play, "Mom, that was actually fun and I didn't get embarrassed!"  He was proud of himself and knew he had accomplished something.

Anna on the other hand seems to love the stage.  In the past four months I have seen this shy little girl sing a solo in front of her whole school,  say lines for a school chapel program and lead a prayer in chapel as well as sing in her first choir concert.  Including this play, she says it is fun and loves to do it.  I may have a mini-me on my hands.

Candle light processional

Looking at Alabaster Angel on the tree

Alabaster

Alabaster comes to life!

Takes a trip to Bethlehem

Back in bed listening to the singing.

Christmas morning!