A Hallmark Christmas - Final Chapter

Christmas was everything I hoped it would be. There was always Christmas music playing when we were eating or just hanging out. The house was beautifully decorated with their family history as well as some that went back to when Stacie was little. It was fun looking at many of the ornaments that used to hang on our trees. 

It was also special sharing in traditions from their family like the Advent book reading nightly and the kids opening their LEGO advent nightly as well. Stacie started the book advent reading several years ago and they started the LEGO calendars last year I think. On Christmas Eve they continued the tradition that Jackie started many years ago of giving ornaments. And we continued the tradition of pajamas on Christmas Eve. 

Another tradition special to me because I started it many years ago was having green chili stew. Stacie has continued that and added her family’s part with snowman pancakes for the kids. And of course the reading of the Night Before Christmas. 

Christmas morning was done with more traditional food, cinnamon rolls and breakfast burritos that Jackie made. It was the first year the kids did the burritos too and they loved them. After Chase made sure there weren’t vegetables in then. 😄

Before and after breakfast was spent opening gifts with a lot of talking and laughing. The funniest thing I think was noticing that after Haley opened all her gifts from Santa she seemed a little disappointed and we thought that maybe it was because she didn’t get a cat. It turns out that Parmesan cheese was on her list and when she saw it at the bottom of her stocking her reaction was priceless. 

It was a fun morning and then we had what is our traditional dinner of brisket, macaroni and cheese and sides with dessert provided by Haley.