A Minnesota Christmas

Sigh. I can not believe it is January 19th. It feels like Christmas was eons ago, but yet I am bound and determined that I am going to post about Christmas because I don't want it all gone and forgotten and not documented at all!

So here goes...

We headed out to my parents on Christmas eve. We attended a church service at a church in their hometown. It featured a live nativity, and my parents saved the very front row for all of us. The kids did really well, considering the fact that they had ridden in the car for four hours and skipped naps. They especially loved seeing the donkey and goats up in front of the church! Their eyes were huge!

After church we headed to a festive celebration at where else?? Pizza Hut! We had dinner together with my parents and my brother David and his girlfriend Sarah. We then headed to the farm.

There is nothing like pulling up to the home you grew up in, seeing all the lights both inside and outside of the home lit up and ready for your arrival.

My parents had it decorated so beautifully. They had gone to so much work to make it just perfect for all of us there.

On Christmas Day Chris's parents arrived and we started eating appetizers around 1 in the afternoon. Steamed shrimp, cheese and crackers, pickled herring (for Mom!)...yum. We then ate dinner at 5. After dinner everyone helped clean up and then we sang some songs around the piano. After that we read the Christmas story together and opened gifts.

We just enjoyed the evening and didn't rush anything at all. We like to have each person take turns opening gifts so we can all enjoy watching them open, and it also makes the time last a little longer.

The party finally ended at around 10:30 after the tuckered out kiddos were tucked in bed and the adults had a glass of wine.

The following day we had Christmas at my Grandma's house with my Mom's side of the family.

I love it.

The entire house is completely filled with people. People that I love and cherish most in this world. They just make me happy. They make me laugh. My jaws just ache after leaving time spent with them because golly gee they make me feel just so content!

We have started a yearly tradition of doing the white elephant gift exchange with all of them. You can imagine over 30 gifts piled in the middle of the living room floor and all of the stealing and laughter and drama that goes along with the opening! It is a blast.

Along with the gift exchange there is food and food and food. Everyone brings stuff from their homes and we have quite an assortment of everything you can imagine.

The saddest part of sharing all of that is that there were no pictures taken by moi to showcase it.

And last but not least...our own Christmas here at home...