My Christmas in Photos

I should be unpacking my stuff and tidying my apartment, but instead I'll blog about my Christmas highlights.

I got a new camera, so clearly the first thing I went to do was take pictures of the cat. Everyone loves Thunder Kitty and me photos!

This is our Christmas tree on Christmas Eve after a busy day at the store and the Christmas Eve service. We always open a present each (pajamas) as a family and sit around the tree.


I took a close-up of one of the ornaments I got at 10,000 Villages for my sisters and myself last Christmas. At 10,000 Villages everything is fair trade, it's a pretty cool store.

At Grandma and Grandpa Button's house (Mom's parents), I got to be Santa. The tradition of having one of the grandchildren play Santa started when we were little. We made it all the way through all of the cousins, and the youngest, Maddy, had to do it many many years. When she finally decided that she was sick of it, 3 years ago, Grandma did a random draw to decide who would be Santa, and Jenn (2nd oldest grandchild and 1st oldest unmarried grandchild) got stuck with the job. The next year, Mel, the next oldest, did it, and so this year it was my turn. Grandma asked if I wanted to wear the hat and I replied with something along the lines of heck yes.


On Boxing Day morning, we have lunch at Aunt Christine's and Uncle Richard's. Our oldest cousin and her hubby always come to this part, so now we do our cousin picture there instead of on Christmas Day. Besides the hubby, we only have 1 guy cousin, who I always try to make do things that nobody wants to do using the fact that he is a boy as the reason. This photo was totally my idea.

And finally, on Boxing Day, we go to Aunt Jane and Uncle Mark's house (on my Dad's side). This year, we had a kids' table again for the first time in years - note: kids =14-25. Apparently my sisters and I wear the dark clothes, and Justin is the classy cousin with his mouth full of food.

So, after over a month of waiting, and after selling diamonds at Mom and Dad's store for nearly 2 weeks, I had my traditional family Christmas. It was nice. Not very relaxing, as per usual, but nice all the same. There's always comfort in tradition, I think. No matter how many other things change, some things always stay the same.