What do you do?

One of my groups has had a line of questioning about "What do you do for Christmas?" So many people have unique traditions, some have Santa, some do not. Some spend the time only emphasizing Christ, some do not. As all things, we try to find moderation in our Christmas. SO when people ask me "What do you do?"...here is is:

I think we do a big Christmas, well , perhaps I should say Big on traditions. We begin the month with the "days of Christmas".. .we have 21 children and begin early with each child (youngest to oldest) opening a gift...that ending on the 23rd. They are most usually themed gifts...one year everyone received music Cd's, musical gifts one year(singing reindeer and such...perhaps the funniest year), personal "a year in the life of ____ (child)" photo albums, shoes, tea pots one year for my girls(we have/had lots of tea parties), luggage one year.....so on and on....I sometimes thinks they are my children's favorite gifts...everyone watches just that child, everyone is happy for just that child and that day is made special. We started years ago when we did not have as many children.... now it is much like an advent calender:)

We buy one gift for each child and they do get a stocking (filled with silly candy kinds of things we rarely buy), my bigger (driving)children usually get a Sonic gift card or something similar. We spend the 24th together as a family and open our gifts (big people....aka. . .. teenagers)and my little ones do wait for Santa:)

We exchange gifts (draw names at Thanksgiving) with my extended family, but with my husbands family we do not. We spend Christmas Day until New Years with Scott's family. We all pitch in with groceries and such (instead of buying gifts).. The gift of our time together is perhaps the most incredible presents we all give one another..... a HUGE tradition and very special to us.

We do not spend Christmas over emphasizing ONE day for Christ. I sincerely hope my children see Christ in EVERY single day we live!! God IS the center of our lives and with that I never want my children to believe one day of praise is enough!! As always we love that Christ is shared so much at Christmas time and of course take great advantage of the opportunities we have to share Him with others!!!

And as I typed this I realized I have a very short time to grab up our "days of Christmas" gifts. I am not sure why I always manage to get my older children's gifts first? I currently have all 9 of my oldest children's gift all boxed and ready...and those who go first? YIKES!! Not ready. I wondered about flipping the opening order? Oldest to youngest? But as traditions go...that might end in total rebellion:) So I need to get busy!!