Christmas Eve

Josh and I hosted our family Christmas Eve party at our house. We had lots of tasty food. As you should know by now, I love food. It was dinner time, but we just had lots of appetizer type foods - meatballs, sausage cheese balls, hot ham and cheese poppy seed sandwiches, chips and homemade salsa, cookies, & bacon-wrapped water chestnuts - to name my favorites! We had plenty and it was fun sitting around the table eating and visiting.



When we were all stuffed, the kids put on the nativity. Josh and Mitchel had worked hard to build our "set" and the costumes. Although Josh did this every year growing up, this was the first year we did this with our kids and everyone loved it. Ashley was Mary and Annika was her donkey. Mitchel and Jacob were shepherds. Justin was Joseph and Davis was a perfectly still little lamb. Coleman had been talking all week about being a wiseman, but he just didn't feel up to it. He sat on grandma's lap and didn't move an inch.



We then watched the Nativity put out by the church, but I muted the volume and played a song in its place. You can check it out here.

Then it was time for the annual Christmas jammies from grandma. She always works hard to find matching Christmas pajamas. The task is getting harder as the kids get older, but she always comes through! As soon as the kids caught their bag, they were off to change.



All except Grant that is. He wanted no part in being forced to put on these pajamas or pose for a picture!



We then let the kids run crazy in the basement - we pulled out the gym mats and had all sorts of jumping and flipping going on. It was fun. Even little Coleman tried to get up and jump and somersault.

It was a great evening. Loved having my house full of my family. Just felt good.

When the energy was all spent the Millers left and it was off to bed for all the little Grahams. First checking the internet to see where Santa was and then going to bed dreaming of Christmas morning.