Today, all I have is Christmas on the brain!
Christmas Widdison style is so absolutely insane, and I love it. It is definitely unique, and maybe stressful for first time observers and participators, but it's tradition.
Even now that we are older we still wake up pretty early to look at what Santa brought us in our stockings.
Christmas Widdison style is so absolutely insane, and I love it. It is definitely unique, and maybe stressful for first time observers and participators, but it's tradition.
Even now that we are older we still wake up pretty early to look at what Santa brought us in our stockings.
Yes.
Santa still comes comes to all of us and fills our stockings with goodies! I love how full the mantel is with all of the stocking hangers and stockings.
When we were little we would play with our toys from Santa while mom and dad went back to bed. But this year we almost immediately started with the presents. My dad gets fairly excited about presents (sound like someone you know?), and jumped right in for a gift for my momma.
It was good we got started though, because there were so. many. presents. I have seen a lot of presents under the tree in my lifetime, never as many as this year. Could have something to do with the fact that there are 11, yes ELEVEN people at my parents' house. I think we broke the present record this year.
I don't mean to brag, but I had a feeling about what was coming. Inside the box was 11 nicely wrapped gifts with names like "Rambo," "007," "killshot," "girl on fire," "bullseye." I of course, grabbed my name when I heard it, "Star Lord." We hurried and opened the gifts to find that they were nerf guns.
GAME TIME.
All of a sudden the tiny house was in a frenzy. People were loading up the guns and diving behind couches, behind doorways, and finding refuge in the hallway.
It was pretty fun. Lucky for us all Ryan and Jen actually got some extra nerf bullets for a present so there was enough ammo to go around. The hard part was scrambling to find them in the wrapping paper/ present mess in the front room.
Some people hid in the hall, while others built a wall of gift bags and boxes, and others preferred to go solo.
The best part was when mom and dad teamed up and dad covered mom.
The war was brilliant, and I am just really hoping this is a new tradition with bigger artillery next year. I'm talking semi-automatic. But those little nerf guns shot really well. They kinda hurt when they got your skin.
We made off with a pretty good loot this year!
By this point I don't think it was past about 10 or 11 am. We had fun hanging out and checking out all the gifts that were given and received.
Dad made breakfast and we just loafed around, some of us going back to bed while some of us got ready for the day.
Ross and I served some cheese slices, crackers, and summer sausage. Kind of a nod to his family's tradition of the Christmas Eve Picnic. Then we played the game Qwirkle.
More loafing around, and maybe some lunch in there somewhere. Grandma and Grandpa dropped by to say hello. I have such fun memories of then visiting Christmas Day when we were little. We would run up to them and show them all our Christmas gifts and how they worked. More or less the same now.
In the evening we had a delicious Christmas feast.
Christmas is always the longest day and the shortest day all at the same time.
I remember when I was little sometimes I would cry a little or pout when I had to go to bed on Christmas because it made me so sad that the day was over. Turns out, I pretty much feel the exact same way even 15 years later!
Santa still comes comes to all of us and fills our stockings with goodies! I love how full the mantel is with all of the stocking hangers and stockings.
When we were little we would play with our toys from Santa while mom and dad went back to bed. But this year we almost immediately started with the presents. My dad gets fairly excited about presents (sound like someone you know?), and jumped right in for a gift for my momma.
It was good we got started though, because there were so. many. presents. I have seen a lot of presents under the tree in my lifetime, never as many as this year. Could have something to do with the fact that there are 11, yes ELEVEN people at my parents' house. I think we broke the present record this year.
We even had to clear a path so Santa could get to the stockings.
Opening presents on Christmas morning is the most beautiful chaos I have ever experienced. oohhhs, and ahhhhs!! jumps for joy, laughter, and all manner of happy and grateful expressions. This year we started slow, everyone getting one present, going in age order. That was about as calm and orderly it was and then we just needed to get going and pass out those presents.
Opening presents on Christmas morning is the most beautiful chaos I have ever experienced. oohhhs, and ahhhhs!! jumps for joy, laughter, and all manner of happy and grateful expressions. This year we started slow, everyone getting one present, going in age order. That was about as calm and orderly it was and then we just needed to get going and pass out those presents.
My family is perhaps a little unique in that we don't draw names. We get a present for pretty much every member of the family. But it is special because we have always put the emphasis on love. It doesn't matter if you homemake a gift, or spend $30. You can combine and go in on a gift with another sibling, or combine gifts, it's all about the love and thought that goes into the gifts.
It is so much fun to give gifts. To see the happiness and joy on someone's face when they unwrap the gift that you put a lot a thought into.
As per tradition, mom and dad's gifts to us are usually saved til last. My mom confessed that she just couldn't stop buying gifts for us. Her and dad love thinking us the perfect things for us kids. This year the girls got matching Mexcian embroidered blouses straight from Olvera Street! My mom is magic because she got all the right sizes.
Sorry Cass, this picture was taken after you already left.
One of the funnest surprises came at the very end. Ryan pulled out a box from: Santa to: The Gang. With classic Ryan quizzical look, he handed the mystery gift to me to read the note.
It is so much fun to give gifts. To see the happiness and joy on someone's face when they unwrap the gift that you put a lot a thought into.
As per tradition, mom and dad's gifts to us are usually saved til last. My mom confessed that she just couldn't stop buying gifts for us. Her and dad love thinking us the perfect things for us kids. This year the girls got matching Mexcian embroidered blouses straight from Olvera Street! My mom is magic because she got all the right sizes.
Sorry Cass, this picture was taken after you already left.
One of the funnest surprises came at the very end. Ryan pulled out a box from: Santa to: The Gang. With classic Ryan quizzical look, he handed the mystery gift to me to read the note.
I don't mean to brag, but I had a feeling about what was coming. Inside the box was 11 nicely wrapped gifts with names like "Rambo," "007," "killshot," "girl on fire," "bullseye." I of course, grabbed my name when I heard it, "Star Lord." We hurried and opened the gifts to find that they were nerf guns.
GAME TIME.
All of a sudden the tiny house was in a frenzy. People were loading up the guns and diving behind couches, behind doorways, and finding refuge in the hallway.
It was pretty fun. Lucky for us all Ryan and Jen actually got some extra nerf bullets for a present so there was enough ammo to go around. The hard part was scrambling to find them in the wrapping paper/ present mess in the front room.
Some people hid in the hall, while others built a wall of gift bags and boxes, and others preferred to go solo.
Yes, all the pictures are blurry because I was either running or laugh so hard I couldn't keep still.
The best part was when mom and dad teamed up and dad covered mom.
The war was brilliant, and I am just really hoping this is a new tradition with bigger artillery next year. I'm talking semi-automatic. But those little nerf guns shot really well. They kinda hurt when they got your skin.
Let's see that solo shot again:
We made off with a pretty good loot this year!
So much love!
By this point I don't think it was past about 10 or 11 am. We had fun hanging out and checking out all the gifts that were given and received.
Dad made breakfast and we just loafed around, some of us going back to bed while some of us got ready for the day.
Ross and I served some cheese slices, crackers, and summer sausage. Kind of a nod to his family's tradition of the Christmas Eve Picnic. Then we played the game Qwirkle.
More loafing around, and maybe some lunch in there somewhere. Grandma and Grandpa dropped by to say hello. I have such fun memories of then visiting Christmas Day when we were little. We would run up to them and show them all our Christmas gifts and how they worked. More or less the same now.
In the evening we had a delicious Christmas feast.
Christmas is always the longest day and the shortest day all at the same time.
I remember when I was little sometimes I would cry a little or pout when I had to go to bed on Christmas because it made me so sad that the day was over. Turns out, I pretty much feel the exact same way even 15 years later!
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