Merry Christmas!

When I was little - five or six - my brother's room was right next to mine, and he had a bunk bed. He always slept in the top bunk, and the lower bunk was usually empty. But on Christmas Eve he would let me into his room, and I would sleep on that bottom bunk. We did this for years, even after he moved downstairs, and the bunk bed was abandoned. Once those days come we would sleep in the living room - on the couch and floor. But, until we got into our mid-teens (his late-teens), we would spend Christmas Eve together.

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My maternal grandmother always, always had her family Christmas party a week or two before Christmas. At first she and my grandpa would have the party in her home - until the family got too big! Now she has her party at various churches and assembly centers, but some things stay exactly as they were.

She still puts on the Nativity with the little kids - everyone dresses up and you've got Mary and Joseph, the shepherds (one year a big group of my cousins were shepherds, and one of my cousins was a sheep - he donned an old sheepskin my grandparents got from Australia years ago, and baaaaah-ed the entire time), the wise men ... and an entire slew of angels. Most years we even had a Baby Jesus! Grandpa will read the nativity story out of the New Testament, and my one cousin, Shanda, will read the part of the angel. She always got the part growing up (I believe she is the oldest grandkid, but I could be wrong), and now that she's an adult with kids of her own - no one else wants it! So every year she dutifully dons a halo and reads: "Glory to God in the highest!"

The other staple of the Steadman Christmas Party is our talent show. Every year at least one person (this last year we saw 3 talents) gets up in front of the family to share their talents with us. From piano playing to singing, from stories to jokes - we have a very talented family.

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Every Christmas my maternal grandmother gives out two things to all the families that make up our family - a calendar, and a Christmas book. Everyone also gets a named-and-dated ornament for their tree (I now have 22 of the things ... ). But the books, I think she starts planning the book a year in advance. Some past books have been: The Legend of the Candy Cane, Because I Love You, and The Tale of the Three Trees. She always, being the dramatic one of the family, reads the story to all of us. It's a nice tradition.

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A tradition that started (for me) after my dad and stepmom married is that of opening a present the night before Christmas. I could, of course, be wrong, and we've always done this, but I don't remember opening presents on Christmas Eve before I was nine or ten. The Christmas Eve present was always the same (although, this year it was changed up a bit) - pajamas. Every year I've been able to expect to have a comfortable pair of pajama bottoms. This year, however, we got slippers. Mine are nice and fuzzy and brown.


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Something fun my mom did for my brother and I up until a year or two ago was hiding our "big" gift. Christmas Eve she and my stepdad would hide the gift somewhere in the house, and my mom would make up a whole list of clues - the first of which was always in our stocking. The treasure hunt that followed was always fun, and sometimes the clues were hard. I think I got stumped at least once a year over something simple - but when the house has 5 or 6 beds in it (or a large number of chairs ... ) - how am I supposed to know which one the clue is talking about?


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Christmas has always been special with my family - in lean times and in more extravagant ones. I've always looked forward to Christmas morning, and the time I get to spend with my family - all of my family. Now I'm married, and things are different. Tene and I did exchange gifts this year - but I didn't even get his started (let alone finished). We had a tree, but it was a tiny, cute thing that I got from American Girl ages ago. He and I don't really have any Christmas traditions yet. I hope, though, as time goes on and we grow together that we'll build some strong traditions - not just for Christmas, but for every moment of our lives together.


Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.