Christmas morning has always been particularly special, but for as long as I can remember I have looked forward to Christmas Eve. It is the one night that cannot be replicated because of the meal being served, the people involved and the sheer magic of the evening.
Looking back at old photos made me realize just how special of a night it really is and how much it means to me. I am so thrilled now that I am a mom that we get to add to our family traditions and create new traditions for Little Dude to cherish.
Follow me down memory lane and I’ll tell you all about our family’s Christmas Eve…
We have done the same thing every Christmas Eve for as long as I can remember and even before I can remember. And, as the oldest grandchild, both Little Dude and I get to share the being the inspiration for traditions that would shape our family for years and years and years to come.
Being the oldest grandchild for me has always been special. I have a special connection with my grandparents that I can’t really explain and although it might sound self-centred I love looking back at these early photos when I was the only little one there.
Traditions are something we know, something that’s in us and for me on Christmas Eve its all about going to Grammy & Papa’s house and enjoying my family.
Welcoming my little brother was so fun (or so I’m told). After-all being the only kid at the party gets old after a few years.
But the tradition of going to Grammy & Papa’s house has always stayed the same no matter if there was a change in the menu, a new addition to the family.
We do pretty much the same things every year.
We arrive at Grammy & Papa’s house just before dinner to the sweet aroma of seafood casserole. It is very Atlantic Canadian of us, but it is a special meal that we all enjoy only once a year. It is so delicious my mouth is watering just telling you about it.
We have WAY too many desserts. And the funny thing about it is that every year the big debate is “what will we have for dessert” and through a series of indecisive compulsive worrying that there won’t be enough, everyone brings something that makes it that there is an over abundance of desserts every single time. The Doucet’s all have a sweet tooth though so really, there can’t ever be too many desserts.
After dinner we open gifts from Grammy & Papa as well as Aunts and Uncles from that side of the family. The gift part is so much fun when there are little kids around… Little Dude is the star of the show now, but a little more than 20 years ago these two little dolls (my sister and cousin who are 6 months apart in age) below were the entertainment!
After the gifts are opened and the wrapping paper is all cleaned up, we take family pictures. Just the boys with Papa, just the girls with Gram, each individual family and so on and so forth.
We always complain about the family pictures (all the kids that is, and Gram, haha) but it’s at times like these that it is so special to look back and have the pictures year after year to see how we’ve grown as a family, as individuals and also to notice all of the additions we’ve welcomed over the years.
In 2015 we welcomed Little Dude into our Christmas Eve traditions and started a small one with him.
Of course we take a family photo…
And, of course he leaves milk and cookies for Santa…
We started taking a picture of our toes with our new jammies that Mrs. Claus delivers to us on Christmas Eve. You see, we alternate where we are for Christmas each year so I wanted something that we could do no matter where we are and that we can collect for out little family of three.
This year, Can’t wait to do all of these very same things!
We are adding a “Christmas Light Tour” drive to out itinerary this year and plan to make it an annual tradition with Little Dude. But, most of all the entire Christmas season is about family (and food!). It’s about the people you are with no matter what day the calendar says it is, the season of giving and love, the celebration of the birth of baby Jesus and being thankful that we have each other to celebrate with each and every year.
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| Christmas Eve 2015 |
My Shoes for That: Toronto Maple Leaf Slippers
If you know me, you know I must love my Papa an awful lot to promote Toronto Maple Leafs gear! But as you can see in the picture above, he always has on his latest Toronto Maple Leaf slippers for the Christmas Eve celebrations.
I wish you all the Merriest Christmas filled with love, laughter, thankfulness, reflection and grace.
xo Jenna
1 Comment
Valley Family Fun
December 14, 2017 at 11:42 amLove all the old photos. Love family traditions and being together!