54 - Merry Little Christmas

It's Christmastime, and I thought I'd share a little bit of my Christmas to all of you!

We've had this advent calendar ever since I can remember. Some of the pieces have been replaced, though...

This is my favorite Christmas decoration from my childhood. It's a little wind-up music box that has  a moving magnet so the bear looks like he's figure skating. 

Classic Christmas Village... 

Another decoration from my childhood. It's another wind-up one. 

This one and the Santa right above move when they're turned on. Also from my childhood.

My aunt cross-stitched stockings for all of my siblings when I was really little. Cool, right?

Christmas brings back so many fun memories. Our family has a lot of traditions: 

• Pajamas on Christmas Eve (a popular one, I know....)
• All the kids sleep in the same room on Christmas Eve
• Santa leaves the presents unwrapped so Christmas morning is like walking through Toyland
• My mom makes Christmas casserole (basically breakfast casserole -- eggs, sausage, cheese, etc...)
• My dad makes yakisoba 
• My dad always video tapes before we look and never fails to pretend that Santa missed our house that year
• In recent years, we've always watched some sort of Christmas movie before we go to bed on Christmas Eve. It's been Polar Express mostly. 
• There is a huge party on Christmas Eve at my Granny's house, complete with a live Nativity, a pinata, a talent show, the candy bar game, homemade eggnog, and a present exchange with all of my cousins 
• On Christmas morning, we line up youngest to oldest 
• Before our parents woke up, we would play board games to pass the time. As we've gotten older, though, that hasn't really happened because we don't wake up at 5 in the morning anymore haha
• We've recently started the tradition of a family and friend music sing-a-long where the kids perform their piano pieces and in between we sing Christmas carols. I missed that this year because I was at school :(

One of my favorite traditions around Christmastime was the luminaries around our neighborhood. Our old ward puts up white paper bags weighed down with sand and a lit tea candle around every house. It was so pretty. They have cool luminaries at Temple Square this year. 

Rachel and I went to Temple Square, too, but I'm gonna post those pictures later. 

Christmas always brings so much happiness. It reminds you how important family is and how much fun they can be. I'm gonna miss being here. I love it! 

Merry Christmas! I hope it brings you happiness and joy!