Pat's Traditiions

Pat loves that we read the Christmas story before opening gifts. To keep our hearts in the right attitude of receiving. He would also hate if we didn't read it together any more. Going to midnight mass and opening gifts afterwards is his favorite memory of growing up, being a night person he loved it. I don't even remember talking to one another about how when we would open gifts, when we got married, this is how it all started. The Christmas before we were engaged we spent the morning at my sister's house and I gave him his gifts. Then we went to his parents house and didn't open gifts until really late in the day. Pat didn't even have my gifts wrapped yet. I thought that really sucked it seemed like waiting till Christmas was almost over to open gifts, not that Christmas is about opening gifts, but.... and we had to open gifts with a knife to not ruin the paper so it could be re-used. Come on. My Dad was Scottish and not that tight wadded. The next Christmas I think they celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve. But I was at work. I know Pat and I exchanged gifts in the morning. I remember being at my in-laws house on Christmas for brunch or something , but then my sister picked me up to go to her house, and I was starving, because there wasn't any food to eat for hours and I was pregnant and too scared to ask for anything to eat. Pat must have had to go to work and met me at my sister's. Joey's first Christmas, they (in-laws) celebrated Christmas Eve during the day again, only I was at work. We had our own Christmas together in the morning and were at his parents house for dinner. At some point Christmas came traditions with our families became what they are now. My sister and I alternating Christmas brunch. and alternated between Pat's parents, brother's and our house for to exchange gifts and dinner. Christmas Eve we clean and cook for the next day then usually attend church, sometimes it's just been me and the kids. A quick light dinner, and reading Twas the Night Before Christmas.