Favorite Holiday Traditions

Dad dressing up as Santa for the kids

Baking cookies
Christmas music at night
Elf on the Shelf
Cousin’s Christmas Tea Party
Candlelight and twinkle lights non-stop through the month of December
Cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning
Christmas Movie Marathon Night
Watching Its a Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve Day while wrapping gifts from Santa
Girls Christmas dinner
Celebrating Winter Solstice
Spending a quiet Christmas evening at a nice hotel with Frank on the 23rd for dinner and our own gift exchange away from the chaos of the season
Going to a family movie on Christmas afternoon
Spending four days straight with Uncle Dave…..hanging out at my parents house like we would if we were all out of town

Winter Solstice-December 21

How we celebrated the longest night of the year....
1. We lit a candle to burn all night
2. We read A Winter Solstice Tale by the fireplace
3. We filled the bird feeders
4. We strung popcorn and hung them outside on a pine tree
5. We went for a moonlit walk and dropped edible surprises for our animal friends

Oops, I did it again

Meet Piper (we call him Furby)! ....a kitten we took in to help a friend until we could find him a good home. He has totally grown on us and is not going anywhere....even The Lady likes the lil' guy, no matter what she says.......

Annual Christmas Tea Party

The traditions that the Fairy Godmothers and I have established for our children appear to be solidifying. Although we are all busy and are usually going a million different directions, we can always count on getting the kids together for the 4th of July fireworks, at least two hockey or football games in our own suite, birthday parties, and our Christmas Tea Party.

Our Tea Parties consist of just a few things......

Tea drinking.....

Cookie nibbling....

Ornament painting......

Gingerbread making....

Santa Claus merrimaking....

Photo Op arm twisting....

See you next year!

Christmas Play List

Little Drummer Boy.....Sister Hazel

Silent Night.....MercyMe

Christmas Canon Rock.....Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Wizards In Winter.....Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Queen of the Winter Night.....Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring.....Trace Bundy

Do They Know It's Christmas.....Band Aid

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.....Jack Johnson

Baby, It's Cold Outside.....Dean Martin

Let It Snow.....Michael Buble

We Three Kings.....Harry Connick, Jr.

Winter Wonderland.....Diana Krall

What Child Is This?.....Sarah McLachlan

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings.....Barenaked Ladies with Sarah McLachlan

Wish Liszt (Toy Shop Madness).....Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Christmas/Sarajevo 12/24......Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Snow Day!

Started the day searching for Max.....who was already dressed and outside....

Followed by waffles, coffee, magazines, and the cooking channel......then the final touches of holiday decorating....

Sledding

Snowboarding

Ramp-building

Holiday Baking

Baking

And Baking....

Kids inside to warm up by the fire with "Melissa's famous hot chocolate" and "right outta the oven" Christmas cookies....

Then back outside for more frigid fun until frost bite set in....

Back in to watch the Discovery Channel which leads to the invention of "Game Card Planes".....we never played with a "full deck" anyway...ha...

The Lady spent her day lounging....

And then a game of chess......Max won.....and I really tried.....

most of the time....

The perfect snow day.....