Neither Kevin nor I was allowed to open anything until everyone was up…. In the middle of the night (4am or so) I would wake up and walk down the long hallway to peek at all the presents under the tree. Somehow, knowing they were there let me sleep a little better for the next few hours …

As he got older, Kevin would make breakfast for the rest of us. I don’t know if it was something to do while he was the only one up or what …

So, once the 4 of us were all up and ready, we’d start with stockings.

Every year, we have to decide what order to open gifts in. Sometimes oldest to youngest, sometimes alphabetical, sometimes counter-clockwise, etc. But it was pretty much a strict rule in our house that we all opened gifts one at a time. Partly to slow down the process so we enjoyed Christmas morning longer, and partly so everyone could see what other people got.

And always at least once, one of us would pick up a gift and my mom would say, “Hmm… I don’t remember what is in that.”

After opening all our stocking gifts (my parents wrap them), we’d have kind of a breakfast break. Either the oranges from our stockings, or pastries, or something little. We never really had a big meal for Christmas.

After a little break, we dug into all the other gifts under the tree. .. still one by one. We’d each have a box near us to neatly pile the gifts as we open them (better to haul the loot). … And we tend to just throw all the wrapping paper into a big pile in the middle of the room.

Depending on what time we woke up, we sometimes don’t get done with the Christmas morning gift-opening until almost noon.

But even after everything is opened and we start playing … there’s one last Christmas morning tradition. …. we give Shredder catnip.

People who still have kittens (Kaitlin) don’t properly understand what catnip does. Shredder is old and lazy and set in her ways. But on Christmas morning, when she gets catnip, she starts freaking out… diving into the pile of wrapping paper trash, running around like a maniac. It’s pretty much the funniest thing ever.

And such a meaningful part of Christmas day.

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Usually we spend the day just hanging out. Watching Christmas movies, wrapping gifts, maybe some more baking…. No food or party traditions. Our church didn’t really have a Christmas Eve service…. so we just spent all day hanging out.

Then, at night we all come together to start the festivities.

My dad would always read the Christmas story out of the Bible. From Matthew, I think. And even though we all knew the story, and heard it all the time, re-reading it was a nice way to just slow down before the big day.

Then time for the presents!

My mom had a Christmas Eve tradition of opening a couple special gifts on Christmas Eve.

There was always gifts under the tree labeled ‘Christmas Eve’ …. one in a clothing-type box and one smaller.

One of our gifts was always pajamas. Which is kind of funny, cause my dad apparently doesn’t wear pajamas. And none of the girly PJs that my mom got me ever fit right (I think my legs are too long) … and my dad seemed to have a hard time remembering what size my mom wears, so hers only fit part of the time. And Kevin was too cool for the whole thing.

But we do it every year. And I have had SO many new PJs over the years. I don’t know if I ever bought any for myself.

Our other Christmas Eve gift was always an ornament. Always a special ornament that reflects something we’ve done over the last year. I can’t think of any examples right now. I have a Christmas Carol ornaments, ASU, Phoenix Suns, and other ornaments. Kevin has a computer ornament and some others that I forget.

And then, once the gifts are opened – mom and dad made us go to bed.
At, like 8pm.
When we were in high school.

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Although, please notice – many (kids) Christmas movies operate on the basic assumption that Santa Claus is real.

After watching all these movies, I kinda wish he was.

• Elf – Possibly my favorite Christmas movie. I’ve watched it so many times. I’ve cried at the end so many times. I’ve quoted it so many times. If you haven’t seen this – you must.
• Fred Claus – Sweet, heartwarming Vince Vaughn movie. It’s nice to see him in a kid-type movie. I’d watch it again.
• Love Actually – Mostly good. It’s a collection of several (6 or 7?) different stories/relationships. Most of them a good, loving, sweet, inspiring, etc. At least one of the stories is just sad and weird. Which is not very Christmasy. But you should watch it just for the cast.
• Muppet Christmas Carol - Awesome. Michael Caine as Scrooge. Gonzo as Charles Dickens (the narrator). Definitely a holiday must.
• A Muppet Family Christmas – Another one of my favorites. From the late 80s, a muppet TV Special. ALL the Muppets go and visit Fozzie’s mom for the holidays … and the Sesame Street gang and the Fraggles show up. I could watch this over and over. In fact, this year I watched it twice.
• Scrooged – Just OK. If you’re going to watch a take on A Christmas Carol there are better options. But Bill Murray is good in this.
• The Santa Clause – I remember really liking this movie as a kid. Totally follows the formula (grumpy man isn’t very Christmasy, then meets Santa, then believes and changes his life).
• A Very Merry Muppet Christmas – So, we (I) have 5 Jim Henson/Muppet Christmas movies. 5. And there’s even a couple more we don’t have. This was a TV special a few years ago. Basically It’s A Wonderful Life as retold by the Muppets. Cute. Not great. But good and worth watching if you love the Muppets.
• White Christmas – I LOVE this movie. Love it. When I was growing up, I would borrow the VHS from Ted and Kristi and watch it over and over. I don’t know why I don’t own the DVD yet. And I finally got Andrew to watch it with me this year. He agreed that it’s good, but then went on to break my heart by pointing out that it’s not really Christmasy. Jerk.

Plus It’s a Wonderful Life which we haven’t gotten a chance to watch yet … and we’re hoping to get a couple more tomorrow (from Netflix).

There needs to be a couple more days in December so I can watch all the Christmas movies I want to.

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I listened to several CDs on my drive over to Phoenix and back this past weekend. I listen to Christmas music when I’m home and in my car …

Some staples of my holiday collection …

• Frank Sinatra - somehow I have 3 (three!) Frank Sinatra Christmas CDs
• That is not even counting my favorite – The Rat Pack Christmas. Dean+Sammy+Frank. So fun. So old-fashioned and great.
• Harry Connick, Jr. – my FAVORITE
• When My Heart Finds Christmas – his first. So good.
• Harry for the Holidays – from a couple years ago. So good.
• What a Night! – this year. So good.
• Please don’t ask me to pick a favorite. I can’t. I love them all.
• Barenaked Ladies
• the album is called Barenaked for the Holidays. Awesome renditions of Christmas songs, a couple Hanukkah songs, even Happy Birthday, Jesus. Love it.
• Beach Boys
• Yes, they have a Christmas album. As they well should. With songs about how to say Merry Christmas in Hawaiian.
• Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers
• This is a record I grew up with. As a cassette tape. And I still love it. There’s only 10 or so songs on it, but …. there’s something about singing along with Dolly Parton that just puts you in a good mood.

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Christmas is the best excuse for family photos. And everyone should have family photos.

I love that the Thompson’s do this every year – set up a tripod and just take a few photos….

We did this Sunday night – I set up the tripod, put it on a timer, and we just had fun with it….

… makes me so happy just to look at these.

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One guess who made this one …

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Haven’t baked in a long time, but this year Julie and I made it happen.

First though, is Andrew’s Amish friendship bread.

We got friendship bread from Maggie, and Andrew did all the hard work…

It turned out SO well. …

Then, last Saturday Julie and I spent a good part of the day baking cookies.

We made … a million batches of sugar cookies. Seriously. 400 billion cookies in the house …

Cookies from bought dough made into a cookie mold.
Cookies from bought dough cut into slices and baked.
Cookies from homemade shortening-based dough.
Cookies from homemade butter-based dough.

Plus a couple double batches in there …

Good grief.

Then, after being on my feet for a few hours, fighting with the sugar cookies (at least 1/2 of them broke), I gave myself a break and made my FAVORITE kind of cookies.

And the easiest …

Chocolate Oatmeal Refrigerator Cookies…

I had all these plans to make other stuff too. We were going to make fudge, and maybe polka-dot bars, and chocolate chip cookies maybe ..

Didn’t happen.

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Every year.

It was always a rental car (my dad worked for Budget Rent-a-Car) so Kevin and I never knew if we would have to sleep leaning against a car door, or curled up as small as possible on a bench seat.

I remember on the drives (to or from AZ), trying to look UP out the window to see all the stars visible when we were in the desert.

I remember driving across the desert, falling asleep to the voice of Garrison Keillor. Still love him, by the way.

My dad stretched the rule about when Christmas season is a bit to include the week up until New Year’s. Basically so we could listen to Christmas music on the 6 hour car ride to Phoenix.

We’d get there and spend a couple days w/ one of my aunts, a couple days with another, a couple days with a family friend. Driving all over town. Meeting all sorts of people, even if it was just for a couple hours.

While we did have plans with family/friends, we had a lot of down time too. When I was growing up, I remember thinking there was nothing to do in Phoenix besides watch movies and go to the movie theatre. I think I saw Titanic 2x during our week in Phoenix the year it came out (remember Lisa?).

We were generally in Phoenix for the whole week between Christmas and New Years – and crammed 4 more Christmas celebrations in those 6 or 7 days.

1. Mom’s family
2. Dad’s mom and family
3. Dad’s dad and family
4. Family friends

Keep in mind, that’s a minimum.

These get-togethers ALWAYS involved food. Lots of food. Usually involved gift-giving.

I won’t go into all the family traits and characteristics … suffice to say every year was basically the same. Just older. Less hair. More weight.

The most fun was always our family friends get-together (sorry cousins who read this) … My parents have best friends that they have known for years and years and years. Basically 4 families (including us) who get together every year. It’s so awesome. Definitely one of my favorite things about my parents.

It was with these friends one year that I first tasted coffee and liked it. Weird, I know, but still a memorable milestone.

Anyway – one of my favorite parts about the holidays.

I think I’m going to miss it this year, since Andrew and I are only going to be in Phoenix for 24 hours or so. … sad. Mom, if you’re reading this, I would like to see the Haugens, Thrushes and Thompsons on 12/27…

In spite of all this, the older I got, the more I wanted to be home for New Year’s Eve. In high school every year I SO wished I was home so I could go to a party with my friends.

Finally in my senior year, I talked my parents into driving back to CA on 12/31. I got to go to a party one of my friends hosted at his house. SO much fun. Improv games and laughing and all sorts of fun.

It was only a year or 2 after that that I realized how little I actually care about New Year’s Eve.

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First through Coffee Kiosk, and then with Julie to get the Christmas tree (!!)…. Daniel and Jenae came along too – but we brought Hazel and she wasn’t allowed in, so D&J took her for a walk.

I wanted this tree, but Andrew said no …

The tree lot was actually a little sad … Julie said it’s usually mostly high-school boys working there (carrying your tree for you, etc) … but this time there was a lot of … men. 30-40 year old men.

Vulturing.

We got asked 3 or 4 times if we needed help. Even after we had chosen and were waiting to pay for a tree…

My guess is because of the recession. And all these guys used to work in construction … and no one is building homes any more so the best work they can get is a Christmas tree lot .. .

… just a guess, though.

We actually ended up being helped by a nice (16 or 17 year old) boy …

If we were sending a Christmas card, I’d use this picture …

(not this one)

Got the tree home, Andre strung it with lights, and I made a paper chain before lunch….

(Katie and Joe came up from Orange County to spend the day w/ us too).

(Part 2 tomorrow)

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