Christmas mornings are some of my favorite childhood memories. When we were little Joel and I would be so excited about Chritmas morning, we certianly woke our parents up and crazy hours to open presents and to see if Santa ate the cookies we left him. My parents would join us at the tree as early as we could make them get up, in all reality they would get up fairly early, we were good at pestering. It was usually just the four of us because the rest of our extend family lived provinces away. We would open our stocking and then dad would make eggs benedict, then we could open the rest of our presents. All day we would play and enjoy some family time. The turkey had to cook all day and the smells would waft through the house.
I loved those traditions and in many ways they continue even today. Okay thing are a little different these days. It is now dad who is the first up. In fact, as I slept on the couch last year I was woken up really early as dad made coffee (this year I get the luxury of a bed, being married has it's perks). The four of us have now become 6, which is even better than 4! Dad still makes breakfast, and we still enjoy some morning family time. At the same times things have changed, we are closer to extend family, and now I have added more family to the need to see list.
All this being said I am currently struggling with how Jay and I start and keep our own family traditions. You see I loved those traditions so much that I want them for our children (when we have them, many years from now). Actullaly, I kind of want them for myself even now. This Christmas is seems we are on "go mode". We are already in the city, we came in Sunday night to take our parents (both sets) out to Celebrations. Tomorrow is the Putnam gathering, then on Christmas day we go to Jay's family gathering, and then on Boxing day the Hayward gathering. After that we will head to McGregor and spend some time with the Boaz's before heading back home. I like to see all the family and enjoy some good visits, but will this crazyness make good memories? I want to wake up on Christmas day in our own bed and spend some time together as a family (even if that means just Jay and I).
Maybe this is a common stuggle for the newly married!
4 comments:
"...when we have them, many years from now..." You just had to add that in there, huh;)
Hope you're having a very relaxing and enjoyable time with your family!
Me and Eric also want to have our OWN Christmas traditions. We decided that when we have kids that are old enough to realize what is going on we want to be at in our home on Christmas morning. I want them to leave cookies out, to get presents from Santa and open their stockings at home! But until that day we will probably always go somewhere for that morning. This year is my parents!
We also just decided that we need to have a Christmas breakfast tradition, and we decided it would be the regular bacon, eggs, hashbrowns but we would also have Snowman Pancakes (shaped like a snowman with chocolate chips to decorate! SO GOOD). I can't wait to start making them for my family! Hopefully soon!
This is getting long, but Eric and I usually have our own Christmas with eachother. We open our gifts and do stockings for eachothers. This year it will be Christmas eve morning cause we are busy the rest of them time! I am looking forward to our 1st annual breakfast!
Enjoy your first married Christmas!!
OH! We have to get together sometime when you get home for a games night! Love you!
Yes, traditions are important, but I don't think they happen instantly, I think they evolve from what works and from what each of you bring from your own families. Some of the traditions from my childhood have gone by the wayside simply because they didn't 'merge' easily. (ask me about the tree decorating when we were first married).I can understand you wanting to be at home too. That is how we were often just the four of us.Sometimes there can be a lot of 'pressure' at this time of year.
love ya
~b
Now that our kids are old enough to get excited about Christmas (well, at least Rowan!) I'd love to start some traditions. At this point though, we are still rushing around to everyone else's house for gatherings and have to try and squeeze in a few moments at home! The long distance thing sure doesn't help. We're going to have to find a better way!
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