Traditions

So, here I am, blogging at my in-law's house. As most of you probably already know, my family and I travel every Christmas to be with our extended family. It's a tradition that we established years ago, early in our marriage. There are things about our time with our extended family that we've done for several years now, like spending Christmas Eve with my father, step-mother, and my father's side of the family. My father smokes a brisket or makes barbecue. We exchange gifts. And we enjoy each other's company. And then we always spend Christmas Day with my husband's family. My mother-in-law cooks tamales and carne guisada. We all pile into the living room and open our gifts together. It's fun. It's tradition.

This year, my family started a new tradition. My brother and sister-in-law opened up their home the day after Christmas, and we were able to spend time with my mother and step-father during this holiday... something we have not done in many, many years. They cooked a traditional Christmas dinner, and we all sat around and laughed and laughed and laughed. We ate ourselves silly! The kids played so hard upstairs that we thought the chandelier was going to fall from the ceiling. And we already started planning for next year. It was a wonderful time, and I am extremely grateful to my brother and sister-in-law for starting this new tradition.

So what traditions have you done for years now with your family? Did you start any new traditions this year? I'd love to read your comments!