Merry Christmas!

'Tis the season and that time of year again - Christmas! Where did the year go? I feel like it was just yesterday when we were battling 100 degree weather in the dead of Summer. Now we're battling 60 degree weather in December. Go ahead, be jealous, I won't gloat.

We put up our tree early this year. Hubby took a few days off around Thanksgiving so he was all gung-ho to start decorating for the holiday. Despite its crookedness, I really like our tree. We have an artificial tree because my dad is a retired firefighter and that's what we've always had. When my sister or I would beg our parents to get a real tree, my dad would lecture us on the dangers of having real trees in the home. Apparently they're high fire risks. It's probably for the best that we have a fake one, though, considering we have two cats and a dog who like to eat foreign objects off of the floor. They also like to chew on things so I wouldn't be surprised if our cats channeled that one cat from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and electrocuted themselves and short circuited the house. They're most definitely cute animals but none of them are going to be inducted into Mensa.

This year Hubby and I will be celebrating with Sister and Brother-In-Law in their new home. My parents will be visiting so it will be a family affair. I've realized that I haven't had a "normal" Christmas in 3 years. By normal I mean waking up Christmas morning at my parents' house and ripping open gifts in our PJ's, followed by a gluttonous Christmas linner (yes, linner) with family and ending the evening by Sister and I making our annual rounds to visit friends. Sadly I haven't been able to institute a new "normal", either, not since Hubby and I have been married. Christmas of 2008 was spent in Vegas with my parents. Neither Hubby nor I wanted to fly because we had done too much traveling for our wedding and honeymoon months before. We spent Christmas vacation 2009 on a cruise to Mexico, again with my family, and last year, Christmas 2010, was spent by ourselves at home. I always said that once we have kids I would like to institute a new tradition by combining a bit of Hubby and my childhood traditions as well as making our own. For instance, I would like to open gifts in the morning, followed by a breakfast of homemade cinnamon buns while watching Christmas themed movies. That's as far as I've gotten with my plan. The rest of the day is up for grabs!

What are your holiday traditions?