Our Christmas Eve Celebration!
We had our traditional Seafood Feast! So yummy!
My little Kate loves to help in the kitchen. She LOVES to help g-ma cut vegetables, especially for Sunday dinners. One of Kate's favorite shows is Pioneer Woman on the cooking channel.
G-ma has a huge collection of nutcrackers. Emma, Kate and I used them to decorate for our Christmas Eve dinner. Kate got right in there help'in to set the table. She's a mini Emma. I say if Emma ain't careful Kate's gonna take over her job. Ha!
Loved the twins outfits. One in SILENT NIGHT? the other YEAH RIGHT! {so so true!}
Grandmas 7-11 dice gift game spoils us. We walk away with movie tix, gift cards to favorite restaurants, i-tunes cards, food, cash, Disney pins, books, Lego's, bath n body soaps.... it's crazy fun!
Uncle Ryan flew in from Japan with his girlfriend.
They brought us fun gifts! We were just as enamored by the Japanese newspaper. So cool!
After our time with Jaren's family we have our own little celebration.
We opened up pj's and our book.
These two things were some of my favorite Christmas finds this year. Those are 12 Days of Christmas candy bars. So stink'in cute!
Kate locked herself in our bedroom crying cuz she didn't want to wear her pj's? Say what? What 4 year old doesn't want to wear an ELSA Frozen dress? {Apparently ours doesn't}
Brie, Kate and I made Santa's out of Nutter Butter Cookies.
Emma and Hannah made the girls reindeer food out of oatmeal and glitter!
Wish'in and hope'in for SNOW!
{As you can see Kate snapped out of what ever mood she was in and joined the fun ;}
We read the Night Before Christmas, watched Home Alone, and then the girls decided to sleep together in ONE room. Kate serenaded everyone with two of her preschool songs. {They thought it would never end.}
Somehow Hannah got stuck between the blow up mattress and her dresser. Hysterical laughter on her part.
This pretty much sums up their night. Emma said she had a horrible sleep. Dreamt of murder even. The next morning she asked, "Aren't you supposed to dream about fairies and sugar plums on Christmas Eve?
While the kids tried to sleep..Magic was happening in the family room!
Good memories with the hubs! {one being him trying his darndest to wrap a gift...not one of his strengths, but so cute to watch!}
Mrs. Claus is fanatic about laying things out just so..with everyone having the same amount of gifts to open. etc. Lots of thought and effort goes into Christmas around here. It's a true labor of love. Mrs. Claus keeps her trusty little notebook and writes down practically everything, items bought, money spent etc. Tries to make it as even and fair as possible. {With 5 girlies you kinda have to!} Frankly, when it's all said and done, like at 1:00 in the morning, Mrs. Claus is surprised she can think straight... it's quite the production, but for Christmas, it's totally worth it. Her mantra this year was 6 gifts on Christmas morning...maybe with a few slight exceptions...3 wants {one of those being a "gift of love"-something thoughtful and unexpected that fits just them & their personality}
1 gift of need
1 gift to wear
1 gift to read.
It worked very, very well and Mrs. Clause will probably stick to this for every Christmas from here on out. We do not exchange between siblings. Although this year, because Kyleigh has her own money from working, she wanted to give gifts, so she did. B also bought mom and dad and grandparent gifts from the secret Santa shop at school with her own money.
Christmas Morn!!!
Our rule is no getting up earlier than 7:30 on Christmas morn. Cute little Kate crawled in bed with me in the 5 o'clock hour and asked "Is Christmas over after we open the presents?" Awe! {hurt my heart a little..cuz who wants all this wonderfulness to end?} Daddy had to wake the kids after 8. They were still sleeping! I'm telling you we are not morning people, even on Christmas.
hands down my favorite gift I received that day....from the hubs..
{I love cards!}
We realized cute B got lots of 'B' things...books, boots, bedspread, blanket, bows...kinda funny :)
One of my favorite things about the day...the biggest snowfall of the season..RIGHT ON CHRISTMAS DAY. It can't get better than that. What a blessed sight!
Daddy always takes our picture in front of the tree before we head to grandma and grandpa's.
With the cousins!
Christmas Break is going way too fast...
A few things we've been up to.
Brie, Kate and Emma have enjoyed doing Lego's.
We have had loads of fun playing these two games.
Putting this puzzle together! Emma hid one of the puzzle pieces, she felt she should have the honor of putting the last piece in since she's the one that worked the most on it. ;)
We are modge podging it together and hanging it in the playroom.
Kyleigh got to go shooting with Daddy and Uncle.
The whole fam went and saw this. Very well done, but not quite what we thought it was going to be. A little long and odd. Kids didn't like the way it ended. The scene with the two princes singing Agony was our favorite.
Speaking of movies, one of my favorite memories from this past month is watching the old classic Christmas movies. { Beyond our standard Christmas must sees like Elf, Christmas with the Kranks, and Home Alone.} We have become quite the Bing Crosby fans of late. Can you believe I had never seen White Christmas, nor Holiday Inn? My hubs and some of my girls had. Have to say SO un-American on my part. Especially for the movie fanatic that I am. Along with those two we watched Christmas in Connecticut, and Bishops Wife. {shout out to Cary Grant on that one.} They are all good, but I tend to favor Holiday Inn the most. Fred Astaire's dancing combined with Bing's voice. Can't be beat.
Other Christmas Break memories...
B lost a tooth on Christmas Day
Emma curling Kyleigh and Kate's hair
Our Pizza Picnic on the family room floor
Sleepout in family room with cousin Daniel
Texas Roadhouse with friends
Emma reading 4 books.. so far
Kyleigh and friends doing the 12 Days of Christmas for a family
Watching movies...
While You Were Sleeping {one of my all-time fav's},
Philomenia {very very good},
and High Society {It's a new fav! 1950's classic musical with Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra! and Grace Kelly...ooohh it's a good one. So much so I had to buy it to add to my collection.}
Picking out paint for Hannah and Brie's room
Flooding in the kitchen
Comcast cable TV issues up the whazoo...
Looking Forward to New Year's EVE......
No comments:
Post a Comment