Explanation

So I was in a rush when I was posting about Christmas and didn't explain the pictures that well...sorry. Christmas is a HUGE deal in our family, for some families it's birthdays or Easter or whatever, for us, it's Christmas. There are so many traditions it's a little ridiculous, but I wouldn't change it for anything. Basically, it goes like this...the tree goes up the day after Thanksgiving. The lights go up outside the house and the inside is fully decorated. Every year my mom says the next year won't be as big, but then every year it looks like the entire living room is taken over with presents. We hang up all the stockings for all the kids (and spouses now) and all the grandkids. I had to show a close up of Charlotte and Channing's stockings because they're just so cute.

On Christmas Eve, we all make cookes and decorate them and each kid picks one out to leave on the plate for Santa with his glass of milk. This year my mom had made reindeer food so Timothy and Tyler sprinkled that out on the lawn. We watch a movie, this year it was the Polar Express and the the kiddos go to bed. Timothy and Tyler had to share a room this year, Timothy was so excited! In the morning we all get up and wake up mom and dad. They have to go downstairs first to check and make sure Santa came, turn on the fire place, and turn on the Christmas music. Then we all run downstairs and watch the kids go crazy checking out their Santa gifts. Santa does not wrap presents in our house and each kid has a spot in the room for their gifts and stockings. We open stockings first and then my dad wears the Santa hat and passes out the gifts one at a time. We take turns opening them, youngest to oldest. We always eat orange rolls for breakfast and when we were younger, Brittany and I would always go up and try on our new clothes and have a "fashion show".

It is such a meaningful day for all of us. Check out Heather's blog for a video of the morning. Kevin had set up his camera and taped the entire morning and has it on there in fast forward speed and it's hilarious to watch the mound of presents get smaller and smaller. I just love the family traditions and how we all just do them without complaining or even thinking because it's what we've done as long as I can remember and it's just not Christmas without these crazy little traditions!

We did have a great Christmas this year, the best part for me was all the snow on the ground! I missed the white Christmas last year because we spent last year at Brandon's parents' house and I remember the last year that my brother was home for Christmas before he got married it snowed on Christmas Eve and we were all excited and then when we woke up in the morning all the snow was gone. We almost always had a white Christmas growing up in Michigan and it was just so picture perfect.

In other news...life in Texas is ok so far. We are all unpacked and getting settled. We found a church that we like and Brandon is enjoying his job now that he has a computer and can actually get some work done! My mom left last Thursday and I came home and booked tickets for the kids and I to go back up there and visit next month. Then my mom and sister are coming down late February to visit us here. I love having visitors - hint hint! We decided that I have to go back to work in March so I'm trying to enjoy these last couple of months home with my kids. We also decided to go ahead and try to potty train Timothy while I'm home with him. Today went pretty well for the first day, we only went through four pairs of underwear so not too bad I guess!

Here are some more pictures from the last month, I'll post about Charlotte's fun fifth month later...not my favorite month so far, but I still love her!