We are so blessed to have both my family and my husbands family in the area.  It makes schedules tricky sometimes, but thankfully they both work together and aren’t easily offended when we spend one holiday with one family and then rotate for the next!

We alternate Christmas and Thanksgiving each year and it has worked out great.  When Brian and I first got married we would split the day, but it was too crazy and hectic and I felt like so much of the day was on the road even though our families aren’t that far apart.  Once we had kids, this was no longer an option.

It was too much to expect from them… it was overwhelming and crazy and they definitely didn’t get naps except for about 30 minutes in the car which wasn’t nearly enough and just made the afternoons miserable for all!

So… this year we celebrated Christmas with my immediate family on December 23rd, the 24th with Brian’s family and the 25th with my Grandparents and extended family on my Mom’s side. Then on the 1st we will celebrate with my Dad’s side of the family!  It’s a crazy week, but so much fun!

One of the best things we’ve done each year is our recovery day!  Brian is usually off work the week after Christmas because there aren’t too many people who want trees taken down during their holiday vacations, much less have the money after having their holiday festivities!

We all sleep in (at least hope the kids do) and spend the day in PJs and have a lazy day.  Sometimes I start to clean up some of the Christmas gifts and put some things away and we enjoy the things we have been blessed with.

Last year this kids were given a gingerbread house, so we spend a few hours putting it together and decorating it. The kids are allowed to put together their gifts and play with them.  I also take it easy on dinner and we usually have plenty of holiday leftovers that we enjoy as a hodge podge dinner.

This year we tried to do the same!  The day after Christmas I had an appointment at the NOVA Birth Center… yes I’m pregnant again!  We found out I’m 10+ weeks and the due date is July 29th 2013!  We got to see the little one and hear the heartbeat!  It was a great Christmas present!  On the way home Brian treated us to Chick-fil-A and then we came home for naps.  It wasn’t super relaxing, so we just did more of the same on the 27th!

Brian worked on his truck, I organized and cleaned up some of the gifts, we had leftovers for lunch and the kids enjoyed playing with their new toys.  It was cold and windy and overcast, so it was a perfect day to stay indoors, relax, enjoy the Christmas tree lights and have a few candles lit!  It was a great recovery day!

It’s always such a fun day to spend together as a family remembering the fun celebrations and enjoying what was given to us!  It’s also a way to reboot from the crazy last few days and start getting back to normal life around home.

What do you do to re-coop from the holidays?  Or maybe your’s isn’t quite so crazy!