Merry Christmas!
It was an early morning at the Anderson household! We were up at 5:30am this morning in hopes that presents and breakfast would be done by 7:30! It was an early start, but worth it so we could all spend Christmas Day with both sides of our expanding families.
Do you like our pajamas? It’s a tradition that my mom gives us a set of pajamas on Christmas eve. This year’s set even included a custom “Anderson Family Christmas” shirt.
She ordered them off of VistaPrint. I thought they were cute. 
We must have all been very good this year, Santa treated us well!
Who’s ready for breakfast?
My sister-in-law made her famous overnight french toast and we fried up left over ham from last night’s dinner.
Delicious.
After breakfast I loaded up the car and headed home to Tampa. Derek had left the night before to spend the night at his parents’ house and I met him there (still in pajamas).
I’m pretty sure Christmas Day is the one day we can all get away with spending the whole day in pajamas, right?
We had a few special visitors at the Russell house this year! Some family friends were visiting all the way from Switzerland!
Noemie and Zoe’s mom was Derek’s au pair when he was a little boy. They’re in town (with their parents) for the wedding and decided to come a little early to see Disney World and Universal for the holiday break. The girls only speak french and are so polite and well behaved.
Christmas traditions are very different in Switzerland, the girls were in awe over all the Christmas lights, candy canes, and various Christmas decorations around the house, things they don’t have at home. They were so excited about decorating their first gingerbread house that they didn’t give the roof enough time to settle and it started sliding when they added the candies. They didn’t care one bit, it just gave the house some character. 
Eventually it was time to change into some real clothes and prepare for the Christmas feast.
Appetizers
Dinner
Swiss chocolates for dessert (wow!)
and pecan pie
We had one more round of presents
Derek and I said our good-byes, then headed home to quietly celebrate the last bit of Christmas just the two of us. We kept our gifts small this year and – without planning in – ended up each giving the other their favorite k-cups (great minds think alike!). It was the perfect way to end the long Christmas weekend.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!
What’s your favorite holiday tradition?
{ 29 comments… read them below or add one }
Was it sad not having Derek there on Christmas Eve/Christmas morning?
It was sad, but we had spent Christmas Eve morning together and Christmas Day together. Plus, we get to see each other everyday since we live in the same house. We talked about it and decided one night apart from each other was okay.
I think it’s so fascinating to learn about other people’s traditions and cultures! What a great experience for those little girls!
Natalie @ Free Range Human recently posted..From Our Family To Yours
What a great Christmas! And I love your mom’s t-shirt idea. Now I’m wondering what it would be like to celebrate Christmas in Europe! That must have been a fun experience for those girls to see Christmas in another culture!
Katie @ Peace Love & Oats recently posted..Molly’s Second Christmas
Love that you all have pajamas on almost all day. I love days of lazing around the house.
And that overnight French toast looks fantastic – can we get the recipe?
lisa fine recently posted..loving lately : december
I had several au pairs growing up (we had a huge family so my parents needed a lot of help) from a couple different countries. Still keep in touch with them to this day, even though I’m an adult.
haha I certainly had on my pjs all day – I love that personalized family shirts!
Looks like such a great time, lots of good food!!
TorontoRunner recently posted..HEY, You!!! – yeah, YOU..
Nothing says Christmas like new PJs and family!
Sabrina recently posted..Merry Christmas, from both of us!
It’s interesting seeing others traditions. I was so jealous of my entire husband’s family hanging out on PJs yesterday. We were the only ones that had to travel and were exhausted by the time we got home!
abbi recently posted..2012 in 2012: A Look Back
Wow! What a great day and so many Christmas’s to celebrate! We had to yesterday and tomorrow I’m headed up to TN to have the third with my family and sister.
meghan recently posted..A Busch Gardens Treat!
I know it is probably a touchy subject, but I’d love to hear your perspective on splitting the holidays between families! It is always a tough call on what to do/who not to upset. Do you think you guys will get to a point where you alternate the houses year to year or divide up again for Christmas morning?
And can you imagine once you (and all of your siblings) have kids and there are grandchildren involved!
Love your Christmas day outfit!
joelle (on a pink typewriter) recently posted..Cinnamon Crumble Coffee Cake
Looks like an awesome Christmas. My family also had the pajama tradition and it was pass down though the generations. I’m a bit late, but merry Christmas.
Liz recently posted..FD223 – Christmas Recap … Presents, Food & More Food
Merry Christmas to you! Swiss chocolates are my all time favorite, especially Lindt!
Khushboo recently posted..The most wonderful time of the year
I love your dress!
Renee recently posted..Merry Christmas!
looks like a blast. I can’t believe it’s over!
Sara @ fitcupcaker recently posted..Christmas Wrapup
Awwww, why didn’t you spend the night at Derek’s parents house on Christmas Eve?
Looks like a great time! I literally stayed in PJs all day and it was fantastic
Karen @ Runner Girl Eats recently posted..A Very Merry Pic-mas Recap
I stayed in my PJs all day too! It was awesome.
My mom is Swiss–so we have lovely traditions from there!
Annette @FitnessPerks recently posted..Merry Christmas!
You have such a nice family and seem to all get along so well. Sending belated good holiday wishes!
Looks like you had a really great Christmas! How cool that those girls had the chance to experience Christmas in the U.S. I’ve recently learned a lot about Christmas in other cultures, and though I’d always choose to spend Christmas with my family over any other option, I think it’d be really cool to celebrate Christmas in another country just once to see how other people do it.
Bethany @ Accidental Intentions recently posted..A Christmas Wordless(ish) Wednesday
What a great Christmas! I love the matching pj’s and lots of great food!
Hope @ With A Side Of Hope recently posted..Bobby’s Burger Palace, Twilight, The Guilt Trip & Weekend Recap!…
Between the tree, the colors and the matching pajama bottoms that is an awesome family christmas photo!
My family traditions for Christmas changed this year (first year married) but we ended up having a breakfast on Christmas day that included some of my family, my husband’s family, and my husband’s sister’s husband’s parents – I hope it’s the start of a new tradition
Caitlin @ This Bride’s Joyride recently posted..The Holidays as Mr. & Mrs.
i always wear pajamas all day on christmas! it’s not christmas without it
Julianna @ Julianna Bananna recently posted..Christmas 2012.
Just wondering if Derek is wearing his wedding ring in the one photo?
Yep, he is. He likes wearing it and since I get to wear a pretty ring I don’t see the harm in it.
Love it! We went looking at rings for my fiance and he said he didn’t dare buy yet because he’d want to wear it all the time…
I love your Mom’s t-shirt idea! Holiday season can be tough with families living in different cities but you always seem to make it work.
Meghan @Health Continuum recently posted..Stormy Night and Day
Little kids with foreign accents are so dang cute. Even better when they’re well-behaved.
And your PJ tradition is pretty cool. I like it when families have low-key traditions like that everyone can participate in. My mom gives us ornaments every year, no matter what. It’s the little things you look forward to!
Christine @ BookishlyB recently posted.."Sponsored" Review- The Darlings