Christmas Under the Tree - 2013

Brandon's parents created a family tradition called "Christmas Under the Tree" when he was a little boy.  They wanted a way to help the kids understand the importance of Jesus and what Christmas is really all about.  So they always set aside the Friday before Christmas as a night to focus on Jesus and spend time as a family.  

The tradition has continued over the years.  Up until a few years ago we would all gather at Brandon's parent's house for the evening and then sleep over.  Every since we had the twins it's kind of turned into an individual family thing.  But we've talked about doing it as an extended family again sometime.  

We are celebrating Christmas early this year so we can do it in our own home before we travel to Salt Lake.  So that meant we needed to do Christmas Under the Tree this weekend.  We were babysitting the neighbor kids on Friday so we decided to do Christmas Under the Tree on Saturday.  

The night started out with the traditional "children crying and freaking out and making mom and dad consider cancelling the whole thing" routine.  Fortunately that ended when we sat down by the tree and had an opening prayer.  

Then Brandon read the Christmas Story from the Bible while I put the manger scene people out.  

 This was Veronica's first Christmas Under the Tree and she seemed to really like being apart of it.

 Usually we eat all the treats that neighbors and friends have brought to our house for the holidays.  But we haven't received any yet.  So we just had some cookies we made ourselves and some candy.  

We were able to tune into a broadcast of one of my brother Billy's concerts.  It played in the back ground while we read the "The Night Before Christmas" and "When Jesus was Born in Bethlehem."

Brandon and I started having a discussion about what the word "espoused" means. The kids wandered off and started playing in another room.  Brandon and I continued our discussion and it lead to talking about Jesus's royal lineage which prompted me to remember something I read in the book "Jesus the Christ."  So then we got that out and read a few things about how scholars believe that Mary and Joseph were cousins.

I was impressed that I remembered something from that book. I'd tried reading it around the time the twins were born and all I remember is thinking about how tired I was while reading it.  I never finished reading the book, but now maybe I'll try again.    

The kids were still playing nicely together so I got out another book about Jesus called "Two From Galilee."  It's a fictional love story about Joseph and Mary.  My dad read it to me and my sisters when I was about 13.  I borrowed it from my parents before we moved, but I haven't had a chance to re-read it.

I started reading part of it out loud to Brandon.  We read all about when Mary went into labor and how Joseph had to find somewhere for her to have the baby.  In this story, a midwife didn't arrive in time to help Mary deliver her baby.  Joseph helped deliver Jesus instead.  Brandon and I really related to that version of Jesus' birth.  I remembered that when I was about to deliver Veronica, the thought flashed through my mind that I was experiencing something similar to the "Two from Galilee" story.

The kids started fighting over something, and Billy's concert was over so we turned on a Christmas CD we'd made several years ago.  We call it Uncommon Christmas songs and it has a bunch of songs that we love, but never seem to hear enough.  The kids had fun dancing around to "The Christmas CanCan" by Straight No Chaser, and "Rocking around the Christmas Tree" by Beetmas.   Lydia started crawling around with her head rubbing on the floor.  It was really funny.  

 The CD moved onto calmer songs like, "Breath of Heaven" by Amy Grant ad  "Gifts" by Cherie Call.  Brandon uploaded a Christmas picture into the puzzle game on his computer and the kids played with that.

 Then we put the kids into pajamas and started making beds by the Christmas Tree.  We all laid under the tree and told each other that we were each other's favorite Christmas presents.

 The girls were excited to sleep by the tree.  Derrick didn't know what to do.  He'd come lay by me and then wander off.  He seemed to get comfortable on the couch, but soon he was up wandering around again.  He ended up laying on every pillow in the room in an attempt to get comfortable.  Then he got up and wandered into the kitchen.  At that point I decided he needed to sleep in his crib.  He didn't complain.

 Lydia made sure her pink baby was snuggled up with her under the tree.

 Charlotte shared her blue baby with Veronica. (Who also ended up in her crib.)

 Charlotte made it very clear that she wanted to "snuggle with my daddy."  So Brandon shared the cushion with her.

 Lydia stayed up looking at "The Night Before Christmas" book until she fell asleep on the floor.

I stayed up and enjoyed the quiet while drinking hot chocolate and reading some things on the WhatCulture! website (Beware, that thing is addicting.)  Then I fell asleep on the couch.

I love all the little traditions that we do around Christmas time.  And Christmas Under the Tree is one of my favorites.  I thought about how it was kind of a sacrifice to set aside a whole evening to spend together.  There is Christmas shopping that needs to be done and presents that need to be made.  We could have used that evening to do those things.    But spending time together as a family is much more important than any superficial gifts we could give.