this is how we do it.

True or False: I have never experienced a conventional "Christmas Morning"?

Answer: True.

this is a traditional german christmas pyramid. i love them :)

Shocking, I know. But this is not because my parents are mean (quite the opposite, really). It is not because mormons do not celebrate christmas (because we totally do like no one's business). It IS because my mama grew up in Milwaukee, WI in a very traditional german family. So we have followed suite my whole life (what you didn't know that my ancestors were german? just look at me!) What does this mean for the holiday season?

* St. Nick's Day is celebrated on Dec. 6th and you ALWAYS receive a stocking or shoe full of goodies (yep, I am 25 years old and still get one).

* There is a lot of beer (for those that are not LDS) and a sausage of some sort.

* You have your big dinner and open presents on Christmas Eve.

they don't fit under the tree anymore. and that wasn't even all of em. pathetic/exciting.

Christmas Day is spent performing service for the less fortunate, having those without families over for dinner and playing with your toys that you received the night before (and you always start Christmas morning out by gorging yourself on Christmas Eve dinner leftovers for breakfast).

So mixed in with the cultural traditions, my family has added their own.  Some being:

lovely veggie trees and cheese wreaths. mmmm.



*The Feast. Everyone makes whatever they want for the dinner and as much as his or her heart desires. And I mean, anything. No one needs to feel guilty about the calories (like I always say, no calorie left behind), no one worries about their culinary skills, it is just a free for all in the kitchen and for your tummy.

my little, but growing family...waiting on food to cook so we can eat!

* The Nativity. When my sisters and I were younger, we would perform this. Now that we are adding generations, the grandparents and babies do this. Thank goodness we have a barn.

joseph and mary with baby jesus in the manger.



Nastia, hill, mama, joseph (josh), pie, baby jesus (aves), mary (em), shepard (bubs), me, papa.

* Giving my parents a "service project" for Christmas. Instead of presents, we spend the year working on a project, it is then presented to them in a letter/scrapbook page.

*Awful movies. Jingle All the Way, A Christmas Story, The Christmas Shoes, anything else cheesy and ridiculous.

I loved all my presents and had such a fun time giving everyone theirs this year. I had a lot of luck this christmas shopping and finding exactly what I wanted to give. But most importantly of course, I am here with my family, remembering the birth of my Savior and feeling more grateful and happy than ever.

and finally meeting and being with miss avery baby bumpkins was one of the best christmas presents ever.