us kids if we wanted to stay in Utah for Christmas or go back to California, but warned us that it would mean significantly fewer presents. Every year we picked California. We much preferred being with family/cousins and enjoying traditions together over lots of presents.

Now I have my own family and parents all live 10 minutes away. Christmas starts at our home with our little family in the morning, then we spend time at each of the grandparents’ houses, then end with dessert at great grandma’s. Yeah it’s kind of a hassle (especially with at least one missionary calling every year it seems), but it wouldn’t really feel like Christmas if we didn’t see them. And it’s what our kids want to do.