Ziegler Family Faves

J & B as Cowboys, Mom with big 80's hair.

Some traditions are just worth talking about. Christmas traditions are always fun to talk about because each family's are uniquely their own. We Zieglers have worked hard to keep some specific traditions alive year after year. Here's a brief rundown of what we do, what we refuse to do and what we hope to do in the future:
1. We cut down a real live tree, usually a member of the fir family. We use either a hack saw or a chain saw if we want to cause a scene-- (some tree farms refuse to let you cut down their trees, but Daddy-O is very persuasive).
2. Before we pick the tree we walk around the entire tree farm and invariably come back to the first trees we looked at. Some years we "mark" our territory by draping a scarf over the tree branches lest we forget where we started our trail. Bread crumbs would also work in the woods as they did for Hansel & Gretel.
3. Dad is in charge of putting the lights on the tree, but Mom must also look over his shoulder to make sure he hasn't missed any branches. And then Mom criticizes Dad's handiwork one time too many...
4. Jordan, Bethany & Denine decorate the tree because Dad's work is done once the lights are on the tree.
5. We watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation while decorating the tree. Our favorite lines from this movie are, "Say the blessing," and "Clark, he's got a little leg hound in him so it's best to just let Snots finish once he gets started." One of Dad's personal favorites is, "The shitter was full."
6. We attend Christmas Eve service together and come home to dine on a buffet of appetizers. Friends are usually invited over for games and we let Jordan & Bethany open one stocking stuffer present just before bed.
7. We typically buy Christmas pajamas for the entire family to wear Christmas morning. We stay in our pj's for most of the day.
8. Again, referring to food we fix a sausage, egg, and cheese casserole for breakfast called JB's Victorian Delight. Some years Jordan begs for homemade sticky buns.
9. We take turns playing Santa every year. Santa is in charge of passing out all the presents. Santa must also wear the required Steeler's Santa hat.
10. We travel to either Pittsburgh, Virginia or Indiana nearly every year. This may be the first year we will be home for X-mas and New Year's.
11. Mama Z. cries every Christmas morning. Sometimes this is a direct response to receiving bling bling. Other times I'm just so happy that we're all together for the holidays.
12. Daddy uses the best adjectives of all when opening his presents. Adjectives such as: excellent, amazing, phenomenal and OUTSTANDING!
Well, I've talked alot about what we do or have done. I suppose I will conclude by saying that we've decided to visit our kids when they are away from home with children of their own, our grandbabies that is. We'll traveling the highways and byways to see our chillins. We will resist the temptation to play Scrooge and cry Ba humbug.