BrownE Chat: Decorating

Matt's keeping Cisco company....

Just because Matt and I are now married and living in our own home, doesn’t mean we don’t get to partake in the annual decorating traditions held at my mom’s house. This past weekend, we made our way up to Bel Air to help decorate the Christmas Tree with my parents. Decorating the tree is always fun with my family. Typically, my dad puts lights on the tree, and then mom and I decorate while Grandma helps put on hooks, etc. As per usual, this year was no different from any other. Dad spent Saturday proudly wrapping 700, yes he insisted that there were actually 700, lights on the tree, and then Sunday, mom and I put on the decorations. To top it off, even Grandma helped string the tinsel. Not exactly sure what Matt did to help partake in the festivities, but if nothing else, he did a great job keeping Cisco company….

My family also has some unusual Christmas traditions. As my Grandma is “right off the boat” (literally) from England, we also make sure to continue the British Christmas traditions that she loves. When I was a kid, each year we would head to Grandma’s apartment for a traditional Christmas Dinner and gift exchange. Now that I’m an adult, and Grandma lives with my parents, we modified the traditions a little. Sunday night, dad fixed us the traditional British Christmas dinner…this included roast beef, brussel sprouts, potatoes and Yorkshire Pudding…he forgot the corn. After dinner, we headed downstairs to Grandmas table for Christmas pudding, desserts, singing and gifts from “the Christmas elf.”

Although it seems silly to continue to do some of these traditions (like get gifts from the elf), it really is the family time around the holidays that make it so special. I am so lucky to have such an amazing family!