Family Christmas

My Dad’s side of the family gets together every year on the weekend before Christmas for an afternoon of visiting and dinner together. I believe this tradition started when I was very small.

My grandparents used to host a dinner on Christmas day. As our family grew in numbers, it became evident that a sit down meal was far too much work for my grandparents. They started having a potluck Family Christmas the weekend before Christmas at each of their kid’s homes. Each of their four kids took turns hosting. My grandparents would spend Christmas with one of their four children.

Now that my cousins have had children, our numbers have grown again. My parent’s generation have switched up the format to allow for our ever increasing family. For years we met in the homes of my parents & aunts & uncles. We now meet at a hotel or in a social room and have a catered meal.

This year was my Aunt Nancy’s turn to host. We had a catered meal in her building social room. It was the perfect setting for a get together. My compliments go to the chef on a lovely meal. Thank you to Aunt Nancy for all of the work she did to make Family Christmas happen.

Because everybody does not live close by, I only see some cousins once a year at our Family Christmas. It is nice to catch up with cousins I have not seen or talked to in a while.

It took a while for the little kids to warm up to one another, but soon they were like old friends. It’s amazing what a few toys and creative imaginations will do for little kids. Our two youngest members seemed to enjoy themselves. I am sure everyone slept well, after all that activity.

Everybody exchanges cards and good wishes for the New Year. When my Grandma moved out of the family home and into a retirement home, my Auntie Barb gathered up Grandma’s recipe box and created a cook book of favourite recipes. Since then, we add to our book of recipes each year and Auntie Barb gives each child & grandchild a booklet of new recipes.

I love traditions. Family Christmas is an ever evolving tradition. I hope that Family Christmas continues for a long, long time. I think it is a testament to the children my grandparents raised, that we have not let other things get in the way of getting together with family. It is also a testament to the people the McIntyre kids married. Events like this don’t just happen. It takes planning and hard work to pull it off.

I never met my Grandpa McIntyre, but from what I hear, he was a great person and the epitome of what you imagine a Grandpa to be. I know he and Grandma would be proud of their family. I am sure that my Grandparents & my Uncle Bruce look in on us from time to time and smile at the family we’ve become. I am so proud of what we have become.

As I write this I am looking at a picture of me, sitting with Grandma at her kitchen table. I am about eight or nine years old. We both have smiles on our faces. Grandma always knew how to make her grandkids smile.