Christmas at our house!

I have received many emails this year, asking about our Christmas traditions and what we do as a large family to keep Christmas stress free. Instead of answering each email, I decided to post what we do on our family blog.

As of last weekend, I had everything bought and wrapped. Like everything in my life, I have to have structure and routine. I tend to be a little obsessive/compulsive about certain aspects in my life.....ok, maybe all of it but only because with a large family I can't just wing it!

Years ago when we were first married, we didn't have much of anything. Times were tight and we bought what we could without going into debt. After Scott graduated, he got a great job and life was good. It was hard for me at the holidays because I would see things that I knew one of the children would love and so I would buy it for them. It started to get out of control. They didn't need all the things we bought for them, in fact they weren't even asking for that much stuff.

We decided to really evaluate the way we were doing things and in the process, came up with some new traditions that have stuck with us for years.

On Christmas Eve, our children get new p.j.'s. We also give each one of them an ornament. I put a lot of thought into each one that I buy. It represents that individual in a unique way. On Christmas day, they each receive 3 gifts (just as the wise men brought baby Jesus 3 gifts). It's the same every year. They receive a book, a toy and a board game.

Now before you think, "Ok that's super boring!", let me just say how nice it is not to have 10 children with the "gimmies"!!!! Our children know that there is no reason to tell me what they want for Christmas because Christmas is about giving and we give from the heart. Therefore, Scott and I really think about each child and choose gifts appropriate for that child. They know that I put a lot of thought into their gift and it wasn't just picked at random. It may not be what they would have asked for but they usually love it just the same.

Our thought is this: When they leave home to start their own families, they will have 36+ special ornaments (Nana gives them one each year as well) to hang on their tree, they will have a great book collection to share with their children and even plenty of games to keep busy when they are too poor to do anything else! I still have games that I played as a child and our kids love to play them now as well. They get a kick out of my ornaments from my childhood and our huge library started with the books I brought with me when we got married.

We decided we didn't want to give gifts that would be forgotten a month later. The types of gifts we give will hopefully follow them when they start families of their own.

Now about Santa. He's a great guy but come on, I think he gets a little too much credit for amazing gifts. At our house, Santa fills their stockings with fruit, nuts and traditional Christmas candy! That's it!

As far as our children giving gifts to each other? We set aside a night that they can make coupons or write a note of appreciation for each other and they slip those in each other's stockings.

Well, there you have it. That's the basics. We have so many other traditions like: making/ decorating and delivering a gingerbread house to a different family every year, making approx. 500 cookies to decorate and take to neighbors, etc., homemade chex mix, zoo lights, etc. that we are thankful we have the time to spend together instead of worrying about shopping!