I told you earlier this month that we’ve intentionally chosen to keep Christmas simple. I thought I’d share a little peek into our Christmas celebration the past few days to give you an idea of how that has looked for us…
We did our family Christmas gift exchange before we left for Kansas. We gave the kids a few gifts each this year — 1-2 physical gifts + a subscription. We do it a little differently every year, but it’s usually no more than a few gifts that are things our kids really, really want. This is what works for our family and what our kids prefer.
We also did our annual Dollar Store Stocking Adventure. This is one of our family’s favorite traditions! We all go to the Dollar Store right before Christmas and everyone gets $6 to spend to buy one item per person (+ tax) for their stocking. We have so much fun trying to split up, hide our purchases, find something creative that no one else would come up with, and pick gifts that people would really love. Plus, the kids get to pick one gift for themselves, too!
I wish I would have taken pictures of our family Christmas evening, but we were having so much fun together that I completely forgot to ever bring out my camera! I was determined to not forget to take pictures the rest of Christmas!
We drove to Kansas and stayed in an Extended Stay America because they had asked our family to do a review (look for a blog post on January 9 with my complete in-depth review!). We were overall very impressed with the price (just $65 to $75 per night per room) and that included a room with a full kitchen + a grab and go breakfast.
We loved having a full kitchen as we brought most of our food for the meals we wouldn’t be eating with family and it was so nice to be able to cook hot meals on the stove and have a full-sized refrigerator to store everything in.
We spent Friday afternoon and evening with my family. We got to help decorate their tree and play some really fun games. If you missed all the pictures from that day, be sure to check out my post here.
We slept in on Saturday and then spent the morning wrapping presents and buying a few more items we still needed to get for our extended family gift exchanges. Then, we went with Jesse’s family to their church for the Christmas Eve Service and back to their house for dinner afterward.
We went to Jesse’s family’s house for Christmas Day. And the day began, as it usually does, with photos in front of the Christmas tree. Our kids asked if they could wear their new matching footie PJs jammies all day and we said, “Of course!”
And then it was time for cousin pictures in their PJs. 🙂 How cute are they???
And then it was time for the annual Sibling Photo. Not all the siblings could make it this year, but there was clearly still plenty of PERSONALITY going on here. 😉 {Jesse’s siblings have some of the biggest and most diverse personalities — and we love ’em to pieces!!}
We finally got a photo where almost everyone was smiling and no one was goofing off. 🙂
We drew names for all the siblings and cousins this year and had a blast seeing what everyone had picked out for their person. There were a few gag gifts given which meant that there was lots of laughter and teasing, too — which is pretty much *always* what happens when we are with this bunch!
The little cousins pulled out a game of chess and played together — which was so fun to watch!
We also had some rousing rounds of the Pie Face Game. (I didn’t get any pictures but I got some video proof here!) (By the way, the Pie Face Game is pretty expensive. I found a much cheaper knock-off version on Amazon here.)
We ended the night with stockings and watching the Chiefs beat the Broncos (oh yeah!)
We spent all day Monday with my family for Christmas. We also drew names — this time with all of the family members. We used DrawNames.com which makes it so nice because everyone can share a wishlist.
Silas was SO excited with his gifts!!
My brother, Zachary, picked Jesse’s name and got him such good gifts — including this genuine leather skull cap for him to wear underneath his motorcycle helmet. Zachary always seems to find his person unique and expensive gifts that he gets at a great deal in some sweet sale he discovers online or on eBay. 🙂
After the gift exchange, my dad had put together a treasure hunt for all the cousins. They had so much fun finding each clue — and of course they were written in rhymes because that’s how my dad rolls!
When we were little kids, he almost always made us go on treasure hunts on Christmas morning for us to find our gifts! It’s such a fun memory — and I loved watching the kids get to experience the same joy this Christmas.
(By the way, if you don’t have a lot of money for gifts but you want to make things fun and memorable, you could consider creating a treasure hunt to find the gift(s) — because it always make it seem a lot more special and thoughtful, even if it’s a really small and simple gift at the end of the treasure hunt!)
The highlight of Christmas for me was meeting my little sister’s long-awaited baby boy — Atlas Flint! I could have held him all day. And the kids are utterly smitten with him (as evidenced by Silas’ face!)
All in all, it was a great Christmas. Simple, laid back, and full a memory-making with our family.
And now we’re in the car headed back to Tennessee all rested, refreshed, and hearts full.
How was YOUR Christmas? I’d love to hear in the comments!
Nancy says
We have been sick at our house too?But we made it through the holidays! Loved the pictures of Jesse’s family especially since Birgit is my cousin and they are all my second cousins! Saying there was a lot of personality there made me laugh! There is so much personality. One funnier than the next. Thanks for sharing!!!
Crystal Paine says
So sorry you’ve been sick!! So fun to get a comment from you here! And yes, there IS a lot of personality, isn’t there??!
Theresa L says
I love that drawnames.com idea! I must remember that for our own family grab bag next Christmas.
My Christmas was somewhat subdued. It was the first Christmas without my father and without my husband’s stepfather. It was nice though. The kids had fun and I got to see a lot of extended family I don’t see often. That’s always nice. I’m just thankful that God is always with me to uphold and sustain me.
Next Christmas will be better.
Crystal Paine says
I hope that next Christmas is better for you, too!
Pat says
LOve your Christmas Quick question what do you mean by subscription? Like to a magazine?
Crystal Paine says
We got them subscriptions to monthly subscriptions — two of the kids got a subscription to the Odyssey Adventure Club and one got a subscription to a small monthly gift box.
Sharon Sandahl says
My daughter, youngest son, and I headed out to see family on Christmas eve, only a 3 hr drive. I am blessed having them still at home. My husband died 10 yrs ago, it would be lonely at home otherwise. Our trip was almost over, and we hit ice and totaled the car. We are praising the Lord, no one was hurt more than a few muscles. God will provide the need for a vehicle.
We had a wonderful time with my second son, and his wife and two boys. I called him as soon as possible after the accident, and he drove the 45 mn to get us and all our things from the car. He also brought us home Sun evening. We were all thankful not to be driving home, as the trip home was worse than the trip there had been.
We had a wonderful time with family, and are enjoying a quiet week with my daughter off work (she is a teacher). Catching up on some sleep and rest after the problems caused by the accident.
Crystal Paine says
Oh yikes!! I’m so grateful that you were all okay!
Karen Mcintire says
I had to work Christmas day 7am to 7pm, so hub went by himself to see his family, on Christmas Eve we gathered for brunch with my siblings, neices, nephews and mother. We lost dad,over a year ago, and the. memories Dad. created are a significant part of Christmas. I wore Dad’s Christmas sweatshirt (that he wore every year for 20+ years) and we passed around the night before Christmas and read it aloud, very touching and sentimental
Crystal Paine says
I love that you wore your dad’s sweatshirt. Such a beautiful sentiment!
Jen says
We did it more simplistic this year as well. We bought our nieces and nephews books and experiences (movie and lunch out) instead of stuff this year.
We asked the same for our kids – they did get “stuff” but not as much. We did the something you want, something you need, something fun and something to read with our two kids. Their stockings were a little insane, but most of the items I had purchased on clearance last Christmas and had forgotten about. It was nice not to have to stress so much about buying, boxing and wrapping tons of presents this year.
On Christmas morning my husband woke up with a touch of the stomach flu our son had the previous week so he stayed home with the kitties while I took our kids to be with his family.
We’ve had bronchitis (daughter who is STILL coughing after two months) and stomach flu this month. Blah!
Crystal Paine says
I’m so sorry that you’ve had sickness at your house! 🙁
Beth says
What a lovely holiday! Your family gatherings and sibling antics remind me so much of my family and my husband’s family. Growing up with many sibs was fun, but being an adult with a bunch of sibs is pretty great too. Oh, and I would have never guessed that Jesse was a motorcyclist–that was a fun detail too. Thanks for the glimpse into your holiday!
Crystal Paine says
Lots of siblings definitely means that family get-togethers are never dull! 😉
lisa says
We also keep it fairly simple and try to teach our kids the true meaning of christmas and not just more ‘stuff’ They get the ‘something you want, something you need, something to wear (pj’s) and something to read’ 2 of the gifts being from ‘santa’. I make a ham dinner which i love because I have leftover ham for a week! No visitors this year as we are also feeling sick! Awful it seems to be affecting almost everyone this season! Happy New Year!
Crystal Paine says
I’m so sorry you were sick this year for Christmas. 🙁
Leanne says
the highlight of my Christmas was going to downtown Indianapolis last night with my wonderful husband and 3 boys… We went to the Indiana Historial Museum; learned a little more about our great state; took in an amazing display of Christmas trees…and then took a CARRIAGE ride in the cold, looking at all the beautiful Christmas lights, holding our hot cocoa in our hands… it was like a dream come true… I felt like a princess with her 4 princes… that memory will stay with me for a LONG time, I hope!! I attached a picture in the website portion, in case you want a peek 🙂
Crystal Paine says
So, so fun!!!! Thank you for sharing!!!
Jessica says
We’ve been sick! In mid-November, my 6 year old son got an ear infection. Then my (now 4) year old daughter got pneumonia. Then I got diagnosed with pneumonia over Thanksgiving. Mine got worse and in mid-December I was diagnosed with bronchitis on top of it, along with an asthma flare-up. All the meds threw off my blood sugar and thyroid disorder. Then my son got sick again. He got X-rayed for possible pneumonia but it is thankfully not that- exacerbation of his asthma, reactive airway disease plus the respiratory virus he was diagnosed with by the pediatrician on Christmas Eve. He’s on prednisone, albuterol, Qvar, monteleukast, Zyrtec, taking Advil… 🙁 Christmas Eve is my youngest child’s birthday and my in-laws came to visit on Christmas day, so we’ve been busy in addition to being sick. Our doctors have banned us from traveling because of the steroids making us more susceptible to even more illnesses 🙁 so we are doing arts and crafts, movies, games and puzzles at home. I’ve only gone out to the doctor’s office (way too many times!), pharmacy (also way too many time!) and grocery store.
Crystal Paine says
Ugh! I’m SO sorry you’ve been sick! Jesse was really, really sick earlier this month (the sickest he’s been since we got married — his fever kept spiking to 104!) and Kathrynne and Kaitlynn both had pneumonia in the past month. Kaitlynn had to miss almost a week of school. 🙁 Kathrynne’s showed up right after school break started so she was so bummed because she didn’t get to enjoy much of her break at all because she was sick.
The doctor gave us permission to travel so long as she took it easy and we were so grateful that she was almost 100% by Christmas Eve.
It feels like most of December has been spent in and out of the doctor’s office, so I so get what you are saying! I felt like I had a newborn again many nights because I was up so much of the night with sick people. Which is also why I haven’t blogged at all as much here as I wanted to the past month! I’m hoping maybe we’ve gotten all the sickness out of our system for awhile!!