Tradition # 4,5,6,7, and 8

Obviously, the bulk of our family's traditions fall between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Starting with Christmas Eve...
Before bed the kids get to open up one present. Mmmm??? What could be inside? Yes, you're right...pajamas. They get excited even though they know what they're getting and I have fun seeing them in their cute new jammies. Even little Kiana got in on the unwrapping...
Check out the new pj's!!!


The cookies for Santa....we had great intentions of making cute little gingerbread boys, but for some ODD reason the dough was weird and we couldn't. So, poor Santa had to have some strange cookies this year. I'm SURE he enjoyed them, though. Right, Santa? Sorry, they were too ugly to photograph!!

Right before bed we say our prayers and read The Night Before Christmas in front of the Christmas tree. This story is one that Tiare made in 2nd grade and I make her read it every year to the other kids. Although we have the actual book, I prefer to read her rendition...I love it because it reminds me of her! She, obviously, did not want to be photographed for this one.

This is what Kiana was doing during the story...isn't that cute???

Finally....Christmas Day!!!
The wait...we tend to torture the children in the morning. Before they come downstairs they have to brush their teeth, wait until everyone is ready and pose for pictures, pictures, pictures...they get REALLY annoyed waiting. This year, I thought Malia was going to have a heart attack if she had to wait one minute more!!


Christmas...here we come!!!

For breakfast we have some sort of sweet roll, hashbrown casserole and a fruit salad of pomegranates, kiwis and clementines that Santa puts in our stockings...

And there you have it...our simple traditions that we look forward to each year. Merry Christmas to all...notice how we're still in our pajamas all day long (a tradition I'm not so proud to post pictures of)....