Skip to main content

Oh it's Christmas!

This was my first Christmas Morning! My family always celebrated Christmas Eve because of our German heritage, and Grandma Shirley never wanting to get up early. Austin and his family had so much fun sharing all of their traditions with me! On Christmas Eve we ate the traditional scones they make from scratch. Susan even grinds the wheat flour! Then we went Christmas light viewing all around Casper, Wyoming. I was surprised how many people participate. They even have a contest for several light awards! All of the Carmen siblings were telling me about the super music house, and that all the others were weak sauce in comparison. I was waiting, waiting, waiting, and then the house didn't do it that year! Hillary said, "well maybe the moved..." and Susan said, "They probably died!" We all thought we'd take the "moved out" option :) We then came home and read the bible Christmas story, and then the Book of Mormon's version in the Americas. We also got to talk to Jeff and Marie who were celebrating with family in Tahiti!

Christmas Morning we woke up at 6:30 AM. I know, I know, Brennyn does not do that. I was all puffy-eyed and crazy looking, but man that was fun. We all opened our stockings one by one, and the above picture is my sock monkey stocking and the slippers that Santa (Austin) got me! We also got things like peanuts, fruit, some gift cards, candy, and slippers!
All of us siblings got slippers!

We had to go to church for Sacrament due to it being on a Sunday, but this made Christmas more special as sometimes I think we forget who's birthday it is! It makes me more grateful. I know Austin felt the same! We came back from Christmas Sacrament, then ate the traditional Breakfast Casserole! Way good! We sat down for the rambunctiousness of a Carmen Christmas! We all had so much fun seeing one another open our gifts and giving to one another. Austin got me a juicer, with the "Big Book of Juice" and I got him his favorite book, slippers, and a nice cutting board.

The rest of the day we spent playing games and enjoying one another's company. Surprisingly, it was very different from having our usual Christmas Eve! Austin and I still have funny spats over which Christmas we will do. Obviously we want to incorporate both but opening presents.... hmm which day? We won't worry 'till we get there but I say when Austin gets woken up at 3am he'll see why Christmas Eve is fun too! I can see Christmas Morning, too though, because it is kinda fun to see Santa come with everything. Keep updated to hear the conclusion when we have kids one day haha!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Call Me a SAHM in Training

Stay at Home Mom (SAHM)  Besides a medical leave and two maternity leaves, I’ve always been a full-time plus on call nurse mom. I am now almost two months into being a SAHM and I would have to still say I’m training! A lot of you have told me routine is so important, and I’ve been trying my darndest to do that. We do library time or errands in the morning, naptime and quiet time after lunch, and art and outdoor/indoor active  play until dad comes home! Some days it blows up in my face, much like what we’d call a s-tshow at work, haha! Except these are my monkeys and my circus! But mostly because I am learning and loving it, too. I struggle with anxiety and depression. Ever since I was little. My post-partum depression with R was so difficult. I am so lucky to have an incredible husband and health team that honestly kept me alive during that time. Luckily, I was treated prior to giving birth to A too because a) it was known I get PPD and b) it’s better and easier to tr...
1 comment
Read more

Holiday Hullabaloo

It is full blown Christmas at the Carmens! The boys have been busy with holiday crafts, decorating and drawing. Because the colder weather draws us indoors and off our scooters and bikes (though we still go on walks these days in the bike trailer all bundled up)  Our house these days looks more like this: We’ve had so much fun doing all the typical holiday crafts and baking with the boys! We went to Queensgate Gardens where they got to meet Santa and make their own ornament. We also made a Costco ginger bread house (you guys this thing is $9 and prebuilt!), snow globes, sugar cookies, decorated foam gingerbread men... the holidays are the best to fill your time up with kid activities.                                                Finally, and for the first time ever I have a dedicated crafting space. We are still in our apartment saving and waiting for the perfec...
Post a Comment
Read more

Second Time Around

We got a White Christmas!  It continued to snow and the boys had enough to play in after these photos were taken. They were able to build a snow man with Austin, too! Austin was able to take a full week and a half off, so our holiday time was amazing.  ^This last photo was actually Christmas Eve as my side of the family celebrates the traditional German way. Austin and I have managed to compromise so that Christmas Eve is a big celebration, nativity-reading, music listening-- and we open non-Santa gifts. Now, in the morning, Santa comes with stockings and their gift. Stockings were pretty amazing when I was a kid! It was a big deal too! Austin's family had very specific things in their stockings that were traditional with Santa like a huge orange, apple, a bag of nuts, etc. that we keep alive, too.  We successfully mixed our holiday foods as well. The Carmen family does scones, breakfast casserole, and other fun holiday dishes, and my family did a soup every Christmas Eve...
Post a Comment
Read more