Even though we've been passing around both the stomach flu and the head cold that migrates into the chest, we've been trying to celebrate the coming Christmas with some time-honored L Family traditions. I'd love to hear some of yours.

Gingerbread House Construction Crew

Each year we buy a kit and decorate a big house for the top of our refrigerator. I'd venture to say it's one of my kids' favorite decorating traditions. This year we'll decorate two additional houses with dear friends--one for the boys' bedroom, one for the girls' bedroom. We're so excited!

Gum Drop Tree Addition

This year (with another dear family) we covered cone-shaped styrofoam with gumdrops to create what would become edible gumdrop trees. (I didn't bank on the edible part. Then again, I'm not 5!)

Decorating the Christmas Tree

The kids just love pulling out the ornaments they've chosen each December over the years, and we all love giggling at the ones I created throughout my childhood. This year I'm going to buy each child one of those large popcorn tins to keep their own ornaments in year after year. They love hearing the stories behind them year after year.

We also love decorating outdoors. Check out the huge blow-up nativity. Lol.

Outdoor Live Nativity

Growing up, I loved the service called Christmas in a Barn, and really missed it when the farmer sold his property. Last year I found out that a local Christian camp hosts an outdoor musical nativity celebration--it's really low-key and has a few stalls for the animals. The kids absolutely adore the donkeys and lambs. Then we head up the hill to the gymnasium for homemade cookies and hot cocoa. It's a lovely new tradition.

Reindeer Farm

A local farmer keeps a few reindeer and runs a train through the woods. We missed the evening celebration (stomach flu), but can't wait to go hear all about the reindeer soon!

B&O Railroad Museum

A model trian enthusiast, my husband loves taking the boys to the museum to see the holiday decor in the roundhouse. I think this year we girls will hop along for the ride.

Christmas Baking

Last night we banded together to make a batch of traditional Nestle chocolate chip cookies. Guess what we had for breakfast?!

Christmas Eve

All afternoon (in our pj's) we bake and decorate Jesus' birthday cake. After the 4:00 Christmas Eve service at our church, we head to my aunt's to celebrate with her, my mother, and my sisters. We've been doing it since I was in high school. She's a wonderful hostess and a wonderful cook. We really enjoy this time with my side of the family. (Some time during the days just before or just after Christmas we enjoy an equally delightful time with my husband's side of the family, which has lots of children!)

Christmas Morning

Hands-down, my kids' favorite part of celebrating Christmas. And not for the reasons you might think! They rush downstairs, skipping by all the gifts, to find the slippers Santa has left by the back door--to guide us outside to the "stable" (our playhouse). They rush to find "baby Jesus" (a baby doll), who has been wrapped in "swaddling cloths" (tea towels), and lying in a "manger" (a wooden toybox filled with leftover fall hay). They bring him in, dress him, warm him by the fire (in a rocking chair), and then sing Happy Birthday to him. We enjoy his cake for breakfast.

The next order is to open our stockings from Santa. And then onto the gifts the children bought or made for the rest of the family. Finally, on to Mom and Dad's gifts to the children and one another. We take our time, opening one at a time, watching one anothers' faces for glee! All this lasts from about 8am-12noon. We spend the rest of the day playing with whatever we opened--last year we karaoke'd with Brad's new electric guitar and microphone set!

Merry CHRISTmas to You and Yours!!!