And the winner is.....

Sorry this is a little late guys. I've been bouting an awful case of walking pneumonia that is trying desperately to turn into full blown regular pneumonia. Add 2 sick kids to my mix and obviously my internet free time has been seriously depleted. But alas I want to be sure that one of you has a very merry "Mother Load" style Christmas so without further ado...

The winner of a fabulous Outback Steakhouse gift card is....

*drum roll*

Sherri H. from Tennessee! Who wrote in with her fabulous holiday tradition of wrapping the door and having the children tear through it on Christmas morning. How very "game day"! I love this idea and am now wishing I had a little doorway to our family room to do it to. I don't think this would bode well on the stairs.... hmmmm....

Well Sherri, congratulations. All you have to do now is email me your address so I can mail you your yummy gift card.

In the event that Sherri from Tennessee does not respond we will have a runner-up for the gift card. And that person is....

Michelle F. who wrote in about her family tradition of exchanging ornaments. (I need your address as well if I don't hear from Sherri).

Congratulations you guys!

And have a VERY MERRY JUICY STEAK FILLED CHRISTMAS!!!!

(Winners were chosen by random drawing)

Christmas Contest Entry #16

We always have our traditional tree with a hodge-podge of ornaments that we use for Santa.

But we also have a special tree that we do our family presents under.

The tree itself (evergreen) represents that he lives, forever, and with his birth and crucifixion we could not live forever with him.

It is decorated in small candles (battery powered) to remind us that Jesus is the light of the world, and also to remind us that it was the only lighting in the humble stable where this king was born.

Little wooden angels to represent the angel that came and spoke to the shepherds and told them to "Fear not for Christ is born" and the many angels who sang his praises in the skies that holy night.

Small wrapped boxes to signify that His life is a gift to us, and everyday we serve Him and live His commandments is our gift to Him.

Holly which symbolizes his whole life - white flowers for His purity and lack of sin, red berries for the blood He shed, prickly leaves for His crown of thorns, and the bitter bark for His suffering on the cross.

And finally a star on top to remind us of the star that led everyone to him that night, and to remind us to live by his will so we can always find our way to him as well.

We do family gifts under this tree to remind us that through him our family will be strong and happy and live together forever in Heaven with him.

Emily K.

Christmas Contest Entry #15

On Christmas Day my sisters and I always snuggle up and sing along to "The Sound of Music".

Jennifer B.

Christmas Contest Entry #14

We are a military family, so we take our 4-year-old, Frankie, shopping for gifts for a kid who doesn't have so many toys; he wraps them and then we bring them to the Marines' toy drive.

Lara T. WA

Christmas Contest Entry #13

We take wrapping paper and wrap up the doorway into our living room. On Christmas, the kids line up and on the count of three, run through the paper.

Sherri H. TN

Christmas Contest Entry #12

My mom used to leave a small wrapped present next to our beds. We loved waking up and believing that Santa had snuck into our rooms. Now my two little boys seem to love it too.

Jennifer M.

Christmas Contest Entry #11

The highlight of our Christmas Eve is an elaborate treasure hunt, ending when the kids discover a chest full of candies, cookies, stickers, and a present for each of them.

We do the same for New Years except the chest is full of glittering hats and noise makers. Then we count down to a sparkling cider New Years toast - at 8 pm

Erin B. NC

Christmas Contest Entry #10

On Christmas Eve our whole extended family gets together and we have the children dress up and recreate the nativity scene as Grandpa reads the story of the birth of Christ from Luke in the Bible. I love it because not only do the children get to play a role in this wonderful history, but they also get to learn and see first hand what happened that sacred night.

After this we always have cookies and hot chocolate and sing carols.

Ellen R.

Christmas Contest Entry #9

Each Christmas Eve our family remembers our loved ones who have passed away. Their pictures are placed on the mantel, surrounded by evergreen, the symbol of eternal life. Then we all sit and reminisce together, sharing laughter and tears. Someone always share's a letter they've written to the person now in heaven.

I know some people think this is a morbid tradition, but it isn't really. It helps us to feel that the people we miss are still a part of our family celebration. Otherwise we'd be pretending we didn't long for them to be with us, when we really do. This way our sorrow is acknowledged- and it becomes a part of our joy.

When you think about it, what better time than Christmas to affirm our belief that death is not the end? After all, the birth of Christ is what brought us eternal life.

Donna M.

Christmas Contest Entry #8

We started something probably 10 years ago in my extended family that we exchange names and get them something that is expecially meaningful to them. We call it Gift from the Heart. Sometimes it's funny or sentimental, either way it's nice to know that someone was thinking especially of you and got you something that they thought would be special.

I have three sisters and the week leading up to Christmas we get together to make Christmas cookies. My mom makes the dough, the kids roll and use cookie cutters to cut them out and put them on the cookie sheet. By this time things start getting silly. Yes now even as adults we start to get silly. We start to cut out the funniest things possible whether they are abnormally large cookies, dough that broke post cutting our that still makes it to the over, some additions to the cut outs, or a lump last piece of dough turned cookie. My mom makes drip frosting to decorate them with. Over the years we have made things such as: an angel with a rack, tiny Tim, Michael Jackson, Kwanzaa cookie, Trogdor, a stiletto Santa boot, and many many more. No matter how tasteful our intentions are the cookies always end up ugly. By the end the black is smeared across many, a layer an inch deep coats a few, and the last few are just dipped in frosting. We have tons of fun giggling over our creations and our and aunts, uncles, and grandparents humor us by still eating the hideous ones.

Brooke A.

Christmas Contest Entry #7

We write letters to Jesus or family menbers and stick them in the tree

Tiffany L.

Christmas Contest Entry #6

Every year since I was little my family has exchanged handmade ornaments to each other instead of gifts. Now that all of us are married with children, my parents make an ornament for each person in each family (adults and kids), and the rest of us make one ornament per family. I love it because every year I get 5 new ornaments for my tree. We usually get the date on there somehow so we can always remember what year we got which. This is our first Christmas with our new baby girl, and we will be teaching her this tradition as well. This year my husband is working on making little wooden angels for everyone and I am hand painting each one.

Stacey S.

Christmas Contest Entry #5

In my efforts to teach my children about the true meaning of Christmas, and put Christ as the focus in our home, we make him part of our family. We hang a stocking for the Christ Child too, along with all of our stockings. And throughout the days and weeks preceeding Christmas, we give gifts to the Christ child. Gifts of ourself. We write a letter to him of what we can do to serve our neighbors, teach his gospel, live his example. We write prayers of improving our testimony, our parenting, our relationships with our loved ones and with him. And it helps strengthen the spirit in our home to remember what the season is about: His gift for us, of himself. And in return, our gift of ourselves to others. When the season is over, we put the letters in a special box that looks like a present box, but inside is a picture of Jesus Christ, because that is the true gift of this season. And the next year as we begin putting up decorations, we have a special family devotional where we read the letters from the previous year to see how we did throughout the year. One of my favorite Christmas songs is "Little Drummer Boy" where he gives a gift of himself to the christ child, and we begin with this song every year as we put up our decorations and enjoy the blessings we have in our family.

April M.

Christmas Contest Entry #4

My husband and I exchange an ornament every year. Usually something with an inside joke of a meaning or something that reminds us of each other. And since we've had our son, we include him in the tradition as well. My husband and I ecxchange on Christmas Eve and this year we gave our son his when we decorated. That way we add all kinds of neat ornaments every year.

Michelle F.

Christmas Contest Entry #3

Christmas Eve before everyone goes to bed we leave the cookies and milk out for Santa and place the baby Jesus in the manger. We always did this in my family - waited to put Jesus in the manger until Christmas Eve - and I think it really helps us bring the focus back to why we celebrate Christmas. After kids are in bed we turn on Christmas music, get out the hot coco, eggnog, sparkling something and set up the Christmas surprises. Santa always brings each child something big that is not wrapped and most of the wrapped gifts are from mom and dad. It's so much fun hanging out with the adults and getting things all set up. This year we will be putting together a big boy bed and a rocking car for the kids. We have many pictures of the guys trying to put together toys late into the night!
Christmas morning we wait until everyone is up and then we all climb into mom and dad's bed and open stockings. After stockings are done dad has to go downstairs to get some coffee... he LOUDLY oos and ahhs over the goodies Santa brought. The kids have to stay at the top of the stairs until dad is ready with the video camera and of course his coffee. Then everyone else gets to come downstairs and of course get that picture on the stairs before they run down to see what Santa brought.
After the Santa gifts we go around one at a time picking a present and opening it. We open all the gifts this way, ones from relatives, mom and dad, anyone spending Christmas with us.
We have blueberry french toast every year for breakfast and then the rest of the morning is spent relaxing (and playing with toys). We have a big dinner with turkey and all the fixings and then we do a birthday cake (for baby Jesus of course).

Melissa P.

Christmas Contest Entry #2

Well the girls and I created some new holiday traditions! Every year, usually the day after Thanksgiving, but this year it was a little later, we decorate our tree. We have a small tree but a lot of ornaments, so we hang up what we can on the little 4 ft tree and the rest we hang up all over the house! On curtain rods, on the mantle, even put some hanging from the table the tree is on. It's fun to figure out where to put them! We sing Christmas carols, then after we're done, we watch a movie. Usually "Miracle on 34th street", the old black and white.

Another tradition we have is Christmas card night. I print out labels, buy stamps, then we sign cards and write notes to soldiers, missionaries, and relatives far away. It's fun because we talk and laugh and it makes the job not so overwhelming for me. It's my favorite Christmas chore now!

Michelle S.

Christmas Contest Entry #1

Christmas Eve:
First we start off with a light dinner, and then we all help out making the dessert. This dessert comes from generations past (Chocolate Roll). While that is in the oven cooking we sit around the tree sing christmas songs, read the story of Luke, and enjoy each others company. Once the roll is finished we eat and open a present. The present is the special part of the evening. We are given each a gift from my in-laws, this gift represents something you have done well or accomplished in the past year. Ex.: One year my husband stuck to school even though it was really frustrating and difficult. He was given lots of things sticky (gum, post it notes, glue etc.) These gifts sometimes are really nice and sometimes are given with a little bit of humor. The letter that is written with each of these is also very sentimental in that it expresses their love and support for you and what you have done. Once everyone has gone around to open their gift we clean up, and have family prayer. My mom started something one year and oh how I love the gift of giving. If we know of a needy family at church, work, in our community etc. We find out sizes and wants and we buy them gifts. Late Christmas Eve night we do the drop, ring, and run method. I have always wanted to be a fly on the wall when they open the gifts just to see the smiles. But the thrill and love of sneaky gift giving is great!! Then we get some sleep!!


Christmas morning:
Once everyone wakes up we go in search of our stockings. They are hidden by Mom and Dad and then once found we gather to open our gifts. This is really nice to allow parents time to sleep in a little or get breakfast ready. We open up the gifts, enjoy some breakfast and open presents from Santa. After a nice lunch we open mom and dad gifts and play to our hearts content. We end with others gifts, some dinner and a restful nights sleep.

Thanks for letting us share!!

Kim R.

Tis The Season

It's that time of year!

I have had 3 people in the last week ask me about our Christmas traditions. Some are our own, some my parents did with us growing up, some are fabulous ideas I learned from other people.

It got me thinking though, how fun would it be to find out about everyone's holiday customs.

Whether you have no kids, little kids, older kids, empty nesters or live alone...

share them with us.

Email me your wonderful traditions and I will choose (at random) one lucky writer to win a fabulous gift card to...

**drum roll**

Not this one...

That's right, THIS ONE!! (YUMM!!)

Salivating yet??

Ok, email me those traditions

itsthemotherload@gmail.com

I'll post them here then announce the winner on Dec 24th!

And a Happy Christmas it WILL be!!

Deadline for entries is Dec 23rd.

One entry per email address please.

Now, for my family's Christmas traditions.

First, decorating the tree is a family event. We turn on Christmas music and we hand out the decorations, one at a time, to the kids and let them hang them where they wish (parents filling in spaces as needed). Each year a we rotate between which child gets to hang the star on the tree when the decorating is complete, they love that.

For Christmas Eve, we have a yummy dinner of appetizer type food... crackers, meats, cheeses, dips, fruits, veggie platters, sweet and sour meatballs, yummy *virgin champagne, not to mention tons of homemade cookies, divinity, fudge...etc.

After the grazing is done, we let the kids open one present (their holiday pajamas), which they put on right away. Then we read "The Littlest Angel" by Charles Tazwell, then the birth of Christ from the book of Luke in the Bible, then kneel down in a circle and say family prayer together. After that we read/recite/yell (hence why we do it after we've said family prayer) all together

" 'Twas The Night Before Christmas" by Clement Clark Moore

Then we all pile in the car and drive around the neighborhood looking at all the fancy shmancy decorations and lights on the houses, while blasting Christmas music.

In the morning, after everyone is finally awake (mostly by insistence instead of by their own will) we all gather in Mom and Dad's bedroom. We say family prayer together, then run down stairs (daddy of course got up before everyone and turned on the lights and mommy put the **monkey bread on timer the night before to be done exactly 1 hour later).

We then all get our stockings and empty them, seeing what goodies Santa left for us. Then when that's over, Daddy hands out, one at a time, the presents from Santa under the tree. This part I really like. My Dad did it with us growing up. Not only do you get the excitement of your own presents, but you get the excitement of seeing what your brothers and sisters and parents got, and the looks on their faces. Instead of everyone tearing into them and not being able to see anything under the flurry of wrapping paper, tape and curly ribbon.

After Santa presents, we do gifts from Mom and Dad (their one BIG present for that year...like I'm going to let Santa get credit for Guitar Hero)!

Then we eat breakfast together, play all day mostly in our pj's, have a yummy fancy dinner that night, then open gifts from extended family, then dessert, then pass out in bed.

That's our fabulous family tradition. What's yours?

*Virgin Champagne

1 part white grape juice

1 part apple juice

1 part Ginger Ale

= Yumm!

** -My recipe is a little different from this one. Ok...VERY different, but you get the idea. If you would like my scrumptious

make-the-night-before-then-next-time-you-see-it-EAT monkey bread,

or caramel pecan rolls as I call them, then just ask, I'm happy to share. So easy, and so yummy!