I've been missing my parents lately... They always made Christmas so special. This is the second Christmas in a row that I won't see my parents for Christmas. I was with them for Christmas for 24 years, and then all of a sudden I wasn't last year and this. Some of my favorite parts about Christmas with my family is the homemade cooking and baking by my Mom. She always made all kinds of yummy treats, and for the past few years or so, Chicken kiev on Christmas Eve -it's to die for! We had a nice sit-down fancy meal with a nice table cloth, candles, delicious food, and sparkling cidar...
Then after dinner, we all gathered together in the living room for our Annual Seegmiller Family Christmas program. Sometimes we even had a program printed out. Everyone had to participate, either by sharing a talent, singing, playing an instrument, reading a poem or story, or whatever! Inbetween each performance, we'd sing a Christmas song all together. Then, at the end we would read the nativity, (When we were younger, we would act it out) and then Dad would always read "The Night Before Christmas" from a book that was old and falling apart. But we had to read it from that book because it was tradition, and because the Santa on the front cover had a fuzzy red coat that we had to touch and feel every time. Then we would feast again on all the treats my mom made. Our favorites were, fudge and homemade Reese's peanut butter bars. But there was also toffee, cheese ball and crackers, shortbread cookies, sometimes peanut brittle... It just depended on how much time Mom had and how up to it she felt. But fudge and peanut butter bars were a must! Then I would usually be the one to leave cookies and milk for Santa, and also leave a letter for Santa. When I got older, and didn't write a letter to Santa, my Mom told me I had to write one, it was tradition, and she would miss it. So I think I've written one every year. I sent one last year that made my Mom cry, and I just e-mailed this years Santa letter. But after I left the cookies and letter, we'd go to bed with excitement in the air. When we were younger, I could hardly sleep!
Then the next morning, usually at 6:00am, (but later as we got older...) we'd go down to see what Santa brought us, and of course had to make sure our parents were up to see our reactions. We'd admire our one gift from Santa and inspect our stockings, then we had to wait... Wait until Mom made breakfast, usually something special, or maybe not so special, but it was always special to sit down all together for breakfast on Christmas morning. Then after breakfast, usually it was 9 or 10 we'd start opening presents! We had a designated "Santa" to pass out the gifts one at a time. Then we would open them one at a time, and have a grand ol' time until there were no more gifts under the tree. Usually that was about 12-1 o'clock. Then we'd have a big pile of wrapping paper etc, that we'd sometimes jump into, and then clean up. Then we'd take our pile of new gifts into our rooms and play around with them, and try on our new clothes, and Dad would usually put on one of his new CD's and blare it across the whole house. We just hung out the rest of the day and play games or whatever. Then we'd have another nice meal... I know... my Mom's amazing, isn't she? Then usually we'd watch one of our new movies that we got that night.
So that has been my Christmas... and I absolutely love it! I want to carry on pretty much all of these traditions in our own family. This year will be a little different because we are having Christmas Eve dinner with our good friends, the Garcias. Which I said we had to have a little program over there where we at least act out the nativity, which will be fun because we'll have a few kids to act out the parts. This year we are starting the tradition of getting new pajamas on Christmas Eve. Christmas morning will be fun, especially since Elora is grasping the concept of Santa Claus... And if you ask her what Santa Claus is bringing her, she says an "Orange, fast car." Have no idea where she came up with that, but hey, if that's what she wants, I'm sure Santa can handle that. Then after we have our special breakfast all together, and open our gifts. We're going to my brother's house to hang out and have Christmas dinner. He just got a Wii for his birthday, so this should be fun.
Our Christmas will be good and fun, especially being together with family. Because I think that's the point and the fun of it all, is enjoying time together as a family, and remembering our blessings and the birth of our Savior our brother. We are all a part of His family, and I'm so thankful for that. I miss my parents, but I know that I am blessed to be part of Heavenly Father's family. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas as well!
(Emma enjoying her snack),
What a fun Thanksgiving!
