Old Traditions, New Traditions, and Just Plain Silliness

We arrived in Charlotte a few days before Christmas to enjoy spending some time with family before the big day.  It was great to have a few days to just relax and have fun!

There were several traditions in the Davis family that we just couldn't live without this holiday season.  The first is baking and cooking.  We definitely ate well before, during, and after Christmas.  The big project that was taken on before Christmas, however, was a Yule Log.  Both Ian and Jennifer thought of this baking project independently and were giddy with excitement.  They looked up recipes on the internet, pondered marzipan mushrooms and other permutations, and then, prepared to cook.  Evan, John, and I went on a Christmas Eve trip to Target and came home to a beautiful cake, and the happy chefs decorating it for a photograph.  It looked beautiful and tasted fantastic, so it was definitely a holiday baking success.

(A beautiful yule log complete with real holly berries and sugared cranberries for garnish)

The next Davis family tradition that we had to revive was the holiday game playing.  This is actually a tradition any time the Davis family gets together.  I had just received a new game for Christmas from my Grandma Dot, so we immediately pulled it out when we got down here.  It's called Carcassonne and it's the perfect game for the Davis family with lots of world conquering and strategy.  So far, we have played it three times and Jennifer is clearly in the lead with two wins.  Hopefully we'll be able to play one more time before we head home (and even the score a little bit).

(It's all smiles before the competition begins.)

(Intense game playing concentration)

Another holiday tradition which I'll admit I find a bit strange is the hiding and finding of the Christmas pickle on the Christmas tree. So, on Christmas Eve Evan did his Davis family duty and searched out the Christmas pickle for the first time.  He found it, and is ready for the search next year.

(Evan locates the Davis family pickle!)

I had a bring a few Bitler family traditions with me to this Davis family gathering.  So, no Christmas Eve would be complete without the reading of "The Night Before Christmas" to Evan.  He has been reading it every day about 20 times leading up to the big day, but we had to read it one more time when Christmas Eve arrived.  So, Gram and Gramps prepared Evan by showing him our stockings and chimney and Christmas tree.  Then, they headed up stairs and actually read the whole story in unison.  I was very impressed.  I completed the family tradition by heading downstairs after Evan was asleep and proceeding to read "The Dog's Night Before Christmas" to our three canine family members that were sleeping around the living room.

(Okay, okay, so it's not the actual reading of the night before Christmas, but it's a reading of another pretty important Christmas story.)

The days before Christmas brought much family togetherness and fun, and produced quite a bit of just plain silliness.  Here are a few pictures of some of the random fun that happened before the big day.  We were just so glad to spend the good times with family, and we enjoyed every minute!

(Indiana Evan)

(I was a little rusty, but I had fun playing.)

(Evan and Ian put their heads together to assemble one of the toys he opened a little early.)

(Mmmmm....yule log)

(Everyone shows off their fancy Christmas dog collars that Jennifer made, yes, even Evan.)

(A little friendly competition...we both thought we had the bigger belly.  I totally think I won, what do you think?)