Christmas Tradition

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are always spent at my grandparents' house. On Christmas Eve we usually go up around 1pm so that we can go to an early church service. Once the Arbuckle, Murdock and Rooney clan all arrive, we are then allowed to eat the wonderful spread made by Nanny which consists of plenty of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and desserts. Once our tummy's are filled we usually play a game of catch up and ask how finals went for everyone, and what we have to look forward to in the new year. Sometimes the grandkids play Disney SceneIt (if I remember to bring it) or watch a movie. Then it's presents time. Everyone use to go to my grandparents on Christmas Day as well so we would just open one present on Christmas Eve and the rest the following day. Now that everyone is older, the Arbuckle's and Murdock's stay at home on Christmas Day so we just open all of the presents when we are all together. Nanny and Poppy always give the same gift to everyone. One year it was puffy vests in our favorite color, then it was sweatshirts with our sorority/fraternity letters or the school of our dreams (for those still in middle and high school). This year it was the year of the umbrella and poncho. Because we usually go to a USC football game around this time of the year and it always seems to rain so now we will be prepared. After Nanny and Poppy's we go to an early service at King's Harbor Church and then come home to watch a holiday movie, curled up on the coach with tea or hot cocoa. This year's movie was Love Actually, my personal favorite.

Christmas morning is spent at our house. We open presents and wait for Nanny and Poppy to come over so we can show them what we got. After my sister, brother and I share all of our goodies, then my mom serves breakfast- bagels with or without lox and Bloody Mary's or plain V8 juice. The rest of the morning and afternoon is filled with more Christmas movies, music, getting ready for dinner, and....laundry? Well that was the case for this Christmas. My friend Eric wasn't able to go home for Christmas so I invited him to ours. He brought with him a couple of loads of laundry to do since at his apartment he has to pay the washer and dryer machine with quarters. Once laundry was folded and put away, we made our way up to Nanny and Poppy's for dinner. The dinner menu consists of pear and gorgonzola salad, prime rib, mashed potatoes with gravy, peas, corn souffle, Yorkshire pudding and for dessert we had trifle. Nanny only makes it twice a year, on Christmas and on February 5th (mine and my dad's birthday, it's our favorite). After dinner we sit by the fire before heading home.