Christmas Challenge

Sparky at My Thoughts Exactly honored me with the Christmas Spirit Award. I am supposed to list 5 things I love about Christmas.

This award should actually go to my mother. She loves Christmas and many of our family traditions feature events that she hosts. So I think my five things will really be things that happen at mother's home.

1. Every year since my oldest son...her oldest grandson was 3, my mother and daddy have taken any grandchild (who is potty trained) to the Nutcracker ballet. They have had as many as 10 grandchildren with them some years. My mother always holds the youngest on her lap and whispers the story to them....my daddy always sleeps through it. Now mother takes the greatgrands....4 of them live close enough to participate.

2. After the ballet the grands spend the night at mother's house. She has dolls and trains that she gets out each Christmas especially for them to play with. Santa leaves a little surprise for them under the tree.

3. On Christmas eve the whole family gathers at my parents home for supper and fun. The children play in the basement, the adults wander from room to room catching up with each other. My oldest and his family comes in from out of town, my nephew comes up from Florida, teenagers bring their girlfriends....We all check out mother's newest decorations. This year she put a full size white tree in her all white guest bedroom. Carolers line the steps to the living room, Nutcrackers fill the table by the front door, Hallmark wind up toys line the buffet in the kitchen and giant red ornaments hang from the chandelier in the dining room. She has a pink feather tree in her bedroom, a tree in the kitchen and her big tree in the living room. (I haven't even scratched the surface of decorations here)

4. As the evening winds down mother passes out gifts and the grands...now the greatgrands play the elves helpers. Everyone goes home with sacks of presents to be opened Christmas morning.

5. At the end of the evening my Daddy breaks open the sparkling grape juice and everyone has a glass. On Christmas day my parents like to make their rounds to everyone's home...to see what Santa brought and to take family pictures.

The recipient of the Christmas Spirit award is supposed to pass it along to 5 other people. I would love to know what Betsy of My Five Men loves about Christmas as well as Lori of My Blessed Life, Denise from Look Beyond the Pickett Fence, Trish from Nana's Living the Dream, and Nihal of CrossRoads.

Ladies the Christmas ornament is in your court. Go for it!