Christmas With The Utah Merricks

When you live too far away to visit family in another state regularly, you learn to work together to make new family traditions. We would like to share with you traditions that we have carried on throughout the past several years.

Starting the first Monday of December, we go caroling. We make a list of special people who have been especially special to our family during the year to carol to. We also have on our list several people whom we have caroled in the past and who have requested that we come back, which is quite a compliment to us. The past several years we have sung a medley of 23 traditional Christmas carols, called Christmas In About 3 Minutes, and we choose one or two other songs. This year we sang The First Noel / Pachelbel's Canon medley.

December 22 is Angela's birthday. Sometimes we get together on that day, and usually we get together the weekend closest to her birthday. Angela enjoys having her family living locally over for a hot cocoa bar. A hot cocoa bar is hot cocoa and lots of choices for stir-ins, like Orange or Peppermint essential oil, candy canes, caramel ice cream topping, ice cream, whipped topping, marshmallows, etc.

This year, 2015, Rick thought way ahead and, in September, secretly arranged with their kids for a surprise birthday party for Angela at BJ Buckets, which is an adorable ice cream parlor in the center of Logan, where Chanelle was working that night, Saturday the 19th. The Christmas music in the background at BJ Buckets served as white noise, sing-along, and a bit of dancing.

December 24 evening is dedicated to the First Christmas Story, the meaning of Christmas symbols, and the gift of Jesus Christ. This year we discussed what gifts the Spirit, Jesus Christ, and Heavenly Father has each given to us. We watch Joy to the World, then we open one present, then got to sleep.

December 25 starts with opening Santa Stockings. We each eat breakfast when we are ready, which often includes some sort of overnight breakfast casserole, orange juice, and egg nog. Then we open presents. One person opens one present, then they find a gift under the tree to give to another family member to open. It doesn't have to be from them, but often it is. We all ooh and aah and sometimes play with it, then we move on to the next gift.

Christmas with the married kids is December 31. We come together for games, singing, presents, and a mad hatter's tea party. We spend the night all together and hang out the next day. Last year my friend moved out of her cabin-sytle house and put it up for sale. It was available, so she said we could have our New Year's Eve Christmas there. This year Christopher's mission president and his wife offered their Bear Lake cabin, and they said we could use it ever year. Yay!

The idea is that all the families can come to Grandma and Grandpa's house for dancing, a tea party, and gifts. Then the parents can leave for their local New Year's Eve celebration, while Grandma and Grandpa spend time with the grandkids. The parents can stay with us, go to dinner and come home early, have a late nght with free babysitting, or stay overnight somewhere. They can stay overnight with us or leave their kids with us overnight or take their kids home ovenight. No matter what they choose, everyone is invited the next morning for breakfast at Grnadma and Grandpa's house. That's our plan ... for the future.