holiday traditions!

Instead of the world ends

we were blessed with a beautiful rainbow that seemed stretched from one side of OH to the other!

Family traditions
growing up one of my favorite Christmas time traditions was the baking and taking of homemade goodies to friends
and now I enjoy every year baking for my friends
some years we have a cookie party but this year we choose to deliver goodies!

A few of my kids volunteered to help

I think they only helped so they could lick the bowl...

 a pause for painting!

Then 4 days and 300+ cookies later (Alex counted)
yummy cookies everywhere!!

Fancy wrappings 

load the family and off to deliver and enjoy the beautiful Christmas lights!

Christmas Eve came with a surprise DAD didn't have to work!
so last minute shopping (which I said I wouldn't do), games

yummy Christmas BBQ complete with Ribs, potato salad, soda and chips!

I set up the camera on the kitchen stool made the boys turn the couch around and raced the timer for a great Christmas picture!
we had like 10 attempts!

time for more traditions
Hanging stockings

 reading the Christmas story

the candy line

This is a Vincent tradition that my family has done for at least 35 years.
We would do this at my Grandfather's home and there would be anywhere fro 20-50 people 
so it was a little different with 6 of us (one of which doesn't eat chocolate)
but it was requested by one of my children
Last year we were at my parents home fro Christmas and gathered with my aunts, uncles, cousins etc..... and had the candy line
Alex wanted to know why we didn't do this at our own home and I told him he was right
we need to
so we did!

 I kindof liked being second first!

 The gifts are ready!

decoration are hung

tree is sparkling!

We are ready!