12 Days of Christmas 2014 (Part 6): Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Traditions

My in-laws have so many wonderful Christmas traditions. (Gift #869) Christmas Eve begins with the elaborate Christmas program at the grandparents' church where they do seven shows for over 35,000 people.  The church has Christmas photo props, so we have begun taking funny family photos there. (See top left pic below.)

Grandma always buys a large Christmas puzzle that the boys enjoy putting together.  She often frames the completed puzzles.

We eat a nice from scratch meal followed by reading the Christmas story.  Then we open envelopes with slips of paper that we read aloud.  They all read as follows: "In honor of Jesus, a gift has been made to [charity most dear to each family member's heart] on behalf of [family member's name]."  (Gift #870)  Then we each get a present which we know will contain matching PJ's for every family member of all ages.  We all change into our new PJs and take family pictures.

Christmas Eve PJ's (less Kreg, Maddie, and Sophie who were with Madelyn's family)

Once everyone arrives Christmas morning, we do stockings and gifts.

I usually wait to open my gifts until all the kids have finished since I don't want to miss any of their fantastic expressions.

While the boys have multiple Words With Friends games going on between each other and their parents every single day of the year remotely via their iDevices, they pull out the traditional Scrabble game on Christmas Day to continue the tradition that began with my husband's paternal grandparents so many decades ago.

Grandma always makes from scratch cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning which are a long standing family favorite.  (Gift #871)  Another tradition is to make each family member the cake and dinner of his/her choice on his/her birthday week. Once a grandchild chose cinnamon roll cake which was a towering masterpiece of stacked cinnamon rolls using her award winning recipe. 

 

Since my husband is never there on his birthday, she let him choose two desserts this year.  He chose lemon chiffon pie and red velvet cake.  She found a recipe for red velvet cake that called for 19 hours of prep time.  It included three large layers of red velvet cake and two large layers of cheesecake all wrapped in white chocolate frosting.  She added poinsettia fondant touches on the top and bottom.  It was magnificent and enormous and took "labor of love" to a whole new level (5 levels for each layer of cake!). (Gift #872)

Getting to meet the newest family member, 7-month old Sophie Grace was a highlight of the trip! She is so beautiful and sweet.  They were blessed with a relatively easy-going baby with the prettiest big blue eyes I've ever seen. (Gift #873)