Posts: 5,880
4/7/09 9:53 A

We'll have family on both sides here this weekend. My bil and sil have been coming up pretty regularly the last few years. Think she misses coloring eggs with kids now that hers are grown. lol

I buy dd a new dress each year, and we do baskets. One year they got math wrap-ups in there with the candy ;) . Usually they get some fun spring items like a kite, those foam planes, chalk or bubbles.

current weight: 192.0

194 185.5 177 168.5

160

SparkPoints: (108,034)
Fitness Minutes: (35,939)
Posts: 8,250
3/27/09 2:27 P

I'm going to bump this thread up and ask what everyone plans to do for Easter? What kind of traditions have you established for your family?

When my kids were little, I always made new dresses for myself and my daughters out of matching or coordinating fabric. Then I'd make matching shirts for DH and the boys to coordinate with our dresses. It made for a nice photo before church! LOL

I never did the "Easter bunny" with my kids, but we occasionally visited friends who set up egg hunts for the kids and we've had fun coloring eggs and such. They think they need to have all the candy that the stores bring out with the season, and they get some of it, but we've always celebrated it as Resurrection Sunday, so the focus of the day was spiritual rather than secular.

How do you celebrate?

SparkPoints: (108,034)
Fitness Minutes: (35,939)
Posts: 8,250
12/30/08 2:35 A

Hubby's birthday is Christmas Eve and his family always celebrated it at his paternal grandparents house with all the cousins. First, would be his birthday and he'd open his gifts, and then they'd bring out all the snacks and appetizers and it would then be "Christmas" and all the grandkids would open their gifts from the grandparents. The next day, his maternal grandparents would come over at the crack of dawn and they'd all have Christmas morning at home, then breakfast and later dinner.

My parents were divorced, so it really complicated things to try to spend time with everyone--especially when they all lived in town and we had their only grandchildren! But we'd usually try to make the rounds so that the kids saw all their grands and great-grands, and then we'd settle in at MIL's house for the day...

When we moved away, we travelled "home" for every holiday the first few years, but eventually stayed home for Christmas and dh's birthday. Now our kids are all grown and are having some of those same problems (minus the divorce issue, thank God!). They shuffle around between Thanksgiving and Christmas between us and in-laws, trying to make sure they're ALL here for one or the other.

When all the kids are here with their families and sweethearts (for those who aren't married yet) there are about 30 people.

Posts: 54
12/26/08 5:10 P

Every year is a different juggling act of family. Much of our family lives in the area so we try to get in some time with both my husband's and my family.
This year we celebrated early with my famly, a week before and spent christmas eve with my husbands famly. Then christmas at home.

Posts: 663
12/21/08 5:48 P

My BIL from africa is here this year and that always sort of "Upsets the applecart" so to speak. Usually we open presents here at home when Hubby can stand it no longer and spent Christmas Eve afternoon and evening at MIL's and Christmas day with my mother (and sisters when they can come). My oldest sister now has grandkids of her own and her children are scattered in dif. states, so sometimes we miss each other at Mom's.

I still don't know what day we will have OUR Christmas, because I still don't know when MIL wants us at her house. Oh, Well--sigh.

Edited by: YELSHA2 at: 12/21/2008 (17:49)

current weight: 132.0

157 150.75 144.5 138.25

132

SparkPoints: (13,014)
Fitness Minutes: (14,111)
Posts: 1,118
12/21/08 4:31 P

Well, we have a few new traditions and a few old traditions...

Over the past couple years, all of MIL's grandkids (9 kids aged 4-15) spend the night with her the night before Christmas Eve, but we've always had Christmas Eve breakfast at MIL's. Then Christmas Eve afternoon, we visit Hubby & BIL's former babysitter. And Christmas Eve night we have supper at MIL's with all her siblings and their families (over 30 people).

Christmas morning we stay home and have breakfast together before we head to my Grandmother's house for lunch around 1pm (late enough for us to leisurely open presents at home). Then we stay there through supper and head home not long after supper.

Two days of hectic running, but at least it only takes two days. Everyone we visit for Christmas lives right around here.

Tonight is our church's annual "Dirty Santa Potluck Dinner". It started out as a progressive dinner, but has changed to a potluck since we've gotten so big and since we have a building to meet in. I'm making Chicken & Dressing and Poppy Seed Ham & Cheese Sandwiches to take tonight. That's about it for our family!

Shawna

current weight: 146.6

186 169.5 153 136.5

120

Posts: 5,880
12/21/08 1:18 P

We always go to my parents along with my sisters and their families. We've been taking mil with us, but this year we'll have to go visit her at the nursing home. I'm thinking of packing some special munchies for our visit. May invite an older lady from church to join us on Christmas Eve. The late service is a tradition here. :)

current weight: 192.0

194 185.5 177 168.5

160