What a wonderful, magical and memorable Christmas we had!! I am so grateful for our traditions, our family, our ability to celebrate with so many people. I love that we spread out the celebrations which allows us to spend quality time with each family and also protect relaxing time for our own small family of 6. What a great Christmas it was!
We got to go to Cleveland the weekend before Christmas and celebrate with the March clan! We feel so lucky that when we come in town the locals pack up their stuff and spend the night at Joe's parents' house. It allows all of us adults extra time to hangout after kids are in bed - what a treat! The kids also love sleepovers with their cousins! We went out Friday night to celebrate Genio's 40th, visited a nativity walk display Saturday, had Christmas together as a family Saturday night and had a relaxing low-key day at Grandma and Grandpa's Sunday!
We then celebrated with my family on Christmas Eve. It was very very cold this year, but the Wetterau clan still bundled up Christmas Eve morning for a walk-through Eden Park and a walk through the live nativity. We then went to mass in the afternoon and ended the day at Lisa and Greg's for the annual Ricke Christmas Eve Bash! It is always so great to visit with the cousins in town and catchup with Aunts and Uncles. This was the first year that Oma and Opa didn't make it due to feeling under the weather and they were for sure missed!!
Christmas morning and Christmas Day we spent at home! It has become our new favorite way to celebrate Christmas. We woke up to 3 giggling children at 3:45 AM that had snuck downstairs and were looking in their stockings. We got them back to bed and then Elisabeth and I woke up around 5:30 for the day. We had tea and coffee and worked on a puzzle with quiet Christmas music playing while the rest of the house slept until around 7. We then opened presents, made brunch, built a fire, enjoyed more coffee and proceeded to lay around, relax, play, puzzle, and sit by the fire the rest of the day - perfection!!
Monday the 26th we spent celebrating Christmas with the Wetterau clan. My mom had us all over in the morning for breakfast and we stayed until bedtime! We opened gifts, ate yummy food, chatted by the fire, danced, read books, puzzled, and played in the snow. Another really relaxing perfect Christmas celebration!
I feel so grateful for how we do Christmas. It's thoughtful and relaxing and spread out and full of great memories! We see those close to us and enjoy quiet time with our kids at home. I also feel really grateful that all those in our lives keep the gift giving on the reasonable side! It allows us to enjoy a couple really thoughtful gifts without having that overwhelming feeling of clutter and too many new things. The families know my kids well and truly gift such thoughtful, personalized gifts for each one!
Merry Christmas! Love, The March Family
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