This year our extended family met together at Uncle Vern’s house in Wilsonville! Last year we had to cancel our Christmas Eve celebration because of the two feet of snow we had on the ground. In fact, that was the first Christmas Eve that had ever been canceled! Anyway, this year we didn’t have the snow and ice to contend with and we were thrilled to be together again. However, this year we have started a new tradition within our family. From this year on, our extended family will be meeting on the Sunday afternoon before Christmas…instead of Christmas Eve. Our immediate families will begin their own traditions on Christmas Eve. A definite sign that our families are growing and that the torch has been passed to the next generation of grandparents to continue the Christmas Eve tradition!
Uncle Vern went all out and we had a fabulous spread of food to eat! Turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberries, vegetables and tons of appetizers. Desserts were brought by everyone and so there was plenty to go around!
Midway through the evening we stopped and this year I read the Christmas story out of the “The Jesus Storybook Bible.” All the kids were anxious to get to the presents their parents brought for them, but were very respectful and listened very well to the most important story of all time! I even got a little choked up as I finished the story… ”But this child was a new kind of king. Though he was Prince of Heaven, he had become poor. Though he was the Mighty God, he had become a helpless baby. this King hadn’t come to be the boss. He had come to be a servant.” The true meaning of Christmas!
After the Christmas story, the kids were able to open their gifts. Tonight, we let Annie open her new “Snow White” movie and Nathan received a Clone Wars Book. The adults exchanged Christmas ornaments and there was a little fun thrown in by allowing people to “steal” each other’s ornaments. The hot ornament this year was the Oregon Ducks Rose Bowl ornament that Ammon and I brought! The Washington relatives weren’t quite as excited about it as the Oregon relatives though!
The evening went by quickly and the kids enjoyed playing together again!
The adults loved catching up and visiting with each other.
The entire evening wrapped up to be another very special gift for all of us…time with each other! I love our family, our traditions, the comfortable place that we fall into when we see each other! We are truly blessed to be part of a family that loves each other, has a rich spiritual legacy that has been passed down to us and simply a family that enjoys getting together and makes this celebration each year a priority!
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