Christmas Fun and Traditions

This year was our first Christmas in our new home and keeping our same traditions going, as well as making some new ones, seemed especially important this season. That fondness for familiar things takes on new significance when everything is new and different. It all started back in November when we got out the decorations and set up the tree and continued through December as we baked cookies and went caroling. Deciding where we would put the tree in this house, figuring out (after some blown fuses) exactly how many strands of lights each outdoor plug could handle, and for the first time ever having a mantle where we could hang our stockings were all part of the fun this year.  

There are a few traditions we carry on from year to year. On Christmas Eve we have our big Christmas dinner, the girls put on a Nativity play, and they open their gifts from their secret Santa and pajamas from mom and dad. 


Now that we're back in the States, we were lucky enough to have some extended family celebrating with us this year. That meant the girls had more of an audience for their play than just Jared and I. Jared was our narrator reading from Luke 2, I provided the piano accompaniment, and, for the first time I can remember, there was no arguing over roles in the play.


Christmas pajamas for everyone! The girls even received matching slippers with their PJ's. I was with Jared when he bought mine and told him which ones I liked, but he surprised me by getting a second pair as well and wrapping them up with one inside the other. It was such a great gift for his pajama loving wife!

Of course we set out cookies (oreo's are Santa's favorite) and milk before the girls head to bed for the evening. The had a big sister sleepover in Natalie and Samantha's room and it seemed as if they would never fall asleep. Being in there all together is a lot of fun and something I remember doing with my own siblings when I was young. Natalie is certain that she saw Santa Claus and even heard some jingle bells during the night! Eventually though, we all drifted off to dreamland and woke up to full stocking and treasures under the tree.

On Christmas Day we always empty our stockings together before heading in to see the Christmas tree. After we've opened presents we have Christmas morning brunch and then spend the rest of the day relaxing, watching any new movies we've been given and playing new games. This year Jared had to go to work in the afternoon so unfortunately he missed out on the relaxing portion of the day.


I'm still debating with myself about the tree location. Maybe it will be somewhere else next year, who knows?
The fun can't start until mom and dad are comfortable!
Another thing we do each year is hide a pickle ornament on the tree. The child who finds it has the privilege of opening the first present. It's kind of a mad dash to the tree as they try to figure out where the pickle could be hiding.


We're pretty sure Abigail did a little reconnaissance before the rest of us woke up and looked in our stockings because she wouldn't stop searching in one particular area for the pickle ornament. She didn't know that Jared had moved it one last time before the girls came upstairs to start their search!


Looking,


Still looking...


and finally we have a victor! It took forever for someone to find it - we probably set a new Moran family record.
Books, gift cards to buy more books, and Doctor Who - the recipe for the perfect Christmas.
Umm, not sure how we ended up with only ONE picture of Emily on Christmas morning. At least it's a good one!
This girl though, there were plenty of pictures of her to choose from. Clothes, books, puzzles, and mustache accessories all made Abby smile on Christmas.
Samantha had a mostly Lego Christmas with a few other things mixed in. I think she spent most of that day and the next assembling Lego sets!
So much contagious excitement and joy from this girlie.  Legos! An Elsa dress!! A pumpkin pie ornament!!!
Jared's mom was with us on Christmas morning and we hope she wasn't too bored with all the kids opening presents. At least there were a few gifts mixed in for her here and there!
We started a new tradition this year! Our house is a split foyer, which means that the front doors open onto the landing of our stairs. There is an iron railing instead of a wall separating the living room from the stair well. Usually we'll have a trash bag or a big box ready for all the wrapping paper to go into as we open presents. This year we just balled up the paper and threw it over the railing and down to the landing.  No ugly trash bags/boxes/piles of paper in our pictures and we get to play a little basketball.  It's the perfect Christmas morning solution!

The aftermath is not quite as neat, but it's definitely fun!
Another Christmas tradition, Jared falling asleep after all the presents have been opened
We had such a Merry Christmas filled with some of our favorite old traditions - and a few new ones as well!

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