Merry Christmas (part 1)

For some reason this year I was thinking a lot about traditions: Christmas traditions I thought we would have had (but we don't), Christmas traditions I never thought I would love (but I do), and Christmas traditions I have always treasured.

I don't know why I always assumed that Christmas Eve would include a church service for me once I was "a grown-up," since I certainly wasn't raised in the most religious household. I do know that stockings on Christmas Eve and presents on Christmas morning was something I was raised with as the "right" way to handle Christmas presents.  But now that I'm in my mid (late?) 30's, have been married for over a decade, and we have an awesome kid of our own, I suppose what we've been doing the last several years is now the "Burcusa family traditions" that Rose will grow up to treasure, expect and savor as she herself grows up.

So our beloved family traditions now include Christmas Eve with Mike's dad and step-mom, Jack and Marsha!

Mike always spends a few hours re-doing the annual 1000-piece Christmas puzzle that Jack previously completed: he won't eat dinner until it's done!

Jack puts on old-fashioned Christmas movies, like Rudolph. These classics hold a special place in Mike's heart, and now Rose's as well.

Usually Jack ends up napping during the movie. :)

Rose is also getting the puzzle bug from her daddy! She did this one about 20 times, both before and after nap. It won't be long before she'll be able to help with the official Christmas puzzle that Mike completes.

In addition to classic Christmas movies, we also usually zone out to some "bad tv," like this Alaska show that was surprisingly interesting.

Marsha is usually pet-sitting a dog or two. Rose varies in whether she loves the dog in question, or whether she resents it taking some of the attention from her grandparents.

Yummy snacks throughout the afternoon are also clearly part of our holiday traditions with Grammy and Grandpa.

The neighbors (Bob and Ellen, Karen and Allen) come over in the late afternoon / early evening to partake in the delicious snacks and the even more scrumptious dinner: prime rib, scalloped corn, twice-baked potatoes, bread and salad, followed by Sebastian Joe's ice cream. So good!!!

After dinner the neighbors leave and it's time for presents! ("Tired eyes" also made an appearance this year.)

Trula loves Christmas too! Grammy always gets the job of distributing the gifts, and the presents always get opened one at a time, in order from youngest to oldest. Rose did a GREAT job being patient waiting for her turn this year!

Every year I say to Mike, "Your dad and Marsha are SO generous!"

This year we started a new tradition with Mike actually taking my photo instead of me being the sole photographer! :)

Some of these traditions are different from what I imagined for myself as "a grown-up," but I've come to love them all so much. Sometimes the specific elements get tweaked a bit (like the year we tried chicken cordon bleu for dinner), but we always come back to the core elements: family togetherness, generosity, the comfort of beloved traditions, and bellies filled with scrumptious food. That's the Christmas Eve I've come to love, even if there isn't a church service involved!