Blue Jeans and Cotton Tees

I have a unique family. A large, loving, fun, creative and very unique family.

A few years my mom realized that with the size of the family and the distance we have to travel, having Christmas in the winter was no longer feasible. We just didn’t fit in the house and often the weather kept some of us from attending.

So my parents decreed that we would have Christmas when everyone could travel and when it was warm enough so that we could spill out into the yard in tents.

So we now have Christmas over Labor Day weekend.

People look at you oddly when you tell them. But one gets used to odd looks when you’re a member of my family. We enjoy each other and like to keep our livers healthy by laughing.

Every year we act out the Christmas story on the lawn complete with animal costumes and a camp fire where the shepherds can hang out.

We exchange Christmas presents in the shade of the oak trees while swatting mosquitoes and nursing sunburns we acquired while tubing down the West Fork River with the kiddos.

And we eat! Everyone brings a meal and desserts to make it easy to feed this multitude. We have lots of chocolate and lots of fresh salsa! (Interesting combination?! Hey, I said we were unique!)

And the laughter! Meal times stretch out as we sit around swapping stories and sharing laughter.

(Did I tell you we eat in the garage? My parents set up a buffet line out of planks and saw horses to serve from and picnic tables to eat on. We are in the shade and away from the bugs!)

As you can tell, I can’t wait for our Christmas in September celebration to get started! I’ve learned long ago, it’s the people you want to share it with that makes Christmas, not the time of year.

Merry Christmas, everybody!