Christmas in Blanding--Family traditions

Shortly after Noelle, Trent, Maxon and Scout arrived at our house, Maxon fell and hit his head against the corner of a table.  You would have thought he would have black eyes and big bruises after this "goose-egg", but it actually went away pretty fast.

The week of Christmas is always filled with parties, food, family etc. We have a lot of family traditions.  I love it!!!!

We had our Lyman/Black party at Kristi's and Jeremy's this year.  As usual there was lots of good food and fun.

Our Christmas Eve party was at our house with the "Halliday gang".  Once again there was a lot of good food, games, singing of Christmas carols and fun.

A family tradition:  Grandpa Halliday tells the Christmas story 

Singing Christmas carols

Our Christmas Day always begins with the family gathering together to listen to Grandpa Jed read the Christmas story from Luke 2 and then we have family prayer.  Then the opening of presents begins.......(this is really the least important part of Christmas but it is fun to see the excitement of the kids)

One of our "family traditions" is that we visit some of our relatives on Christmas day.

Christmas Day was a very big snow day in Blanding.

Grandpa's little red truck is almost buried!

Justin gave Stephanie a miniature horse.  Of course Camryn, Kristi and I had to visit him at "The Field".  He is sooooo cute!!!

One of our "family traditions" is that we have dinner at Grandma Black's house on Christmas night.

This is what it looked like at our house on Dec. 26th.

And after all of the "hustle and bustle" and busyness of the Christmas season, we need to remember the reason we celebrate the Christmas season..........

"If we are to have the very best Christmas ever, we must listen for the sound of sandaled feet.  We must reach out for the Carpenter's hand.  With every step we take in His footsteps, we abandon a doubt and gain a truth."--President Thomas S. Monson