A few of the Lange family Christmas traditions

Another Christmas is here and I LOVE Christmas time! We had a great Christmas and we are now sitting inside where it is nice and warm watching a huge snow storm roll in. I thought I would share some of our Christmas traditions, you might think some are crazy but we enjoy them none the less!

#1 Christmas eve dinner at Grandmas

This tradition takes a little explaining...Since Bret and I have never had any famly in the valley we have adopted my babysitters family. We call her grandma Bonnie and we just love their family like our own. Every Chrismas eve we go to her house for a dinner. Her house is small and it is getting more and more crowed with all the growing families. We decided to have the dinner at our house this year and it was so much fun. We had home make chicken noodle soup and taco soup. Grandma Bonnie fried up some scones We are so grateful to have family as great as they are!

#2 Opening our Christmas pajamas

I know this is a tradition for a lot of people and we do it because the kids really want to open something on Christmas eve. This is really the only night they actually wear pajamas. Most of time is whitey tighties or boxers. But the kids like this tradition, so we keep on doing it.

#3 Reading a Christmas Story

Every year we get a new Christmas book and read it on Christmas eve. This year I received a Christmas story at church so we

decided that would be our book. Here is a picture of Bret reading, he usually can't finish the story without crying. He did pretty good this year, his voice only got crackly once.

#4 Driking egg nog from fancy glasses

Once a year we pull out these fancy glasses and drink egg nog, we go around in a circle and toast to something we are thankful for or something we think is great...This is what everyone toasted to this year...

Dad: to Christmas

Mom: to being alive and health

Aaron: to family

Alec: to Christmas

Cade: to angels

Dawson: to pajamas!

#5 Building a fort

When the boys were little we would build them a fort so they would get excited and want to go to bed. As the years have gone

on and the boys have gotten older they have taken to building their own fort. Aaron helped create this "deluxe" fort for the boys and of course, the dog.

#6 Leaving a treat for Santa

The kids like to throw carrots on the roof for the raindeer and leave a treat for sant on a plate by the front door. We usually leave cookies, but dad assured us that santa would really really like a piece of pumkin pie with whip cream on top.

#7 Santa leaves a trail of candy

Every year santa leaves a trail of candy from the door to our presents. We usually have to pick them up quickly or the dog gets an early chocolate breakfast....sounds good to me.

#8 Waiting at the top of the stairs

Every year I take a picture of the kids sitting at the top of the stairs, waiting to run down and see what santa brought. I hope to someday fill the stairs with daugher-in-laws and lots and lots of grandchildren.

#9 The treasure hunt

This is probably one of the kids (and parents) favorite tradition. Each child has their own set of clues that sends them on treasure hunt. Each clue sends them all over the house trying to find the next clue. As they get older the clues get harder and harder. When they get to the end of their treasure hunt they find a bigger gift from mom and dad.

#10 Grandma Roundy's orange rolls

These were a recipe that my mom used to make when we were growing up and so I carried this on to my own family. Here is a

picture of them in the oven and another picture of them half eaten. These are traditionally done in a bundt pan, but when you can't find one and your going on 3 hours of sleep, you use whatever you can find!

#11 Aracely's Tamale's

Ok, so this isn't really our tradition, but we are so glad that it is a tradition with our good friends. We have some very good friends from Guatamala and every year they make a big batch of tamale's. And yes, we get to be the recepients of this tasty treat. This might not look like the best picture, but boy oh boy do we love it when the Carias family rings our doorbell on Christmas eve!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!