Pages

Hilights of Christmas Eve

Friday, December 26, 2008
I hope you all had a GREAT Christmas.  Will claimed that this was his "best Christmas EVER!"
I take so many photos (surprsied?) and we have so many little family traditions around Christmas. I want to preserve each and every one.  Sometimes, I look at a photo and even though it is not a good one~I love it because it reminds me of the memory.  So, instead of posting every little picture that I desire here.  I am going to make my family a little Christmas video on I-movie.  I might post it so that it is here for our family. Here is just a little (ha ha) of our Christmas Eve....


DSC_0034
I always insist on taking posed photos in front of the tree before Christmas Eve Mass. My whole family moans and groans but it is important to me.
DSC_0042
Harry took this one with my camera~ pretty good Har!

DSC_0027
After Mass, we always have pizza.  We do this because we go to Mass in the late afternoon and we cook two breakfast casseroles for Christmas morning and a big Christmas dinner.  Anyway, we love this tradition but this year we decided to make our own gluten free pizzas.  It was a lot of fun but I am not sure we'll do it again. Ironically, the gluten free crust irritated all of our stomachs.


DSC_0025

My creation

DSC_0042
The n*aked Chef~Katie Ru!  There was no way I was letting her cook in her silk dress!
DSC_0054

DSC_0049

Waiting for her pizza to cook.....Kate decided to sneak into the pantry and find a snack!

DSC_0058
And she was caught climbing on a still unpacked moving box (I think my bread machine is in there).  This is a BAD habit of Kate's ...she is a BIG snacker and not a meal eater.  Dave is helping me "wean" her off all the snacking this week.  
It isn't pretty.

After our delicious pizzas, we hopped in the car to drive around and look at Christmas lights....



DSC_0064
I do not own a tripod and I do not know how to shoot in the dark...but I wanted to show y'all how they decorate down here.  These are HUGE live oak trees completely wrapped in lights and the the lights hang down from the branches.


DSC_0073

DSC_0074

This one neighborhood is incredible! It is a sea of lights.


DSC_0080
After the lights...we go home and hang stockings, each child opens a gift and we read Christmas stories.  

Every year, I buy the boys a nut cracker that reflects their interests of that year.  As much as I am not a fan of Star Wars, they LOVE it!  So, this year, I broke down and ordered Star Wars nutcrackers from E-bay.  I am sure their future wives will love them as much as I do:0)



DSC_0099
As you can see...they were so happy. And that is what matters!

DSC_0119

DSC_0106
Kate gets an ornament each year.  This year I bought her a cupcake because she loves cupcakes! I also get her a little bracelet.

DSC_0117

Finally, we read the story of Jesus' birth and Twas the night before Christmas but I'll save those photos for our family movie.

More of Christmas to come......

30 comments:

  1. BEAUTIFUL pictures..
    Sounds like you had a WONDERFUL Christmas Eve..
    Hugs girly..

    ReplyDelete
  2. What adorable pictures and I love all your traditions!! You have a gorgeous family!

    ps I love the pic of Kate sneaking a snack! Too funny!

    ReplyDelete
  3. How smart to make your own! And how ironic about the crust!

    Loving Kate's cute apron and the looking into the oven pictures.

    Your pizza tradition became ours this year... only we had it for Christmas Day supper. After the giant mid-day "breakfast" we have, it was perfect for late night.

    Happy Vacation Week!

    ReplyDelete
  4. What wonderful photos - everyone looks so happy! Glad that the traditions continue! Have a blessed New Year!

    Ashley

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love the family traditions!!! What gorgeous pictures :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love traditions too! So cute! How funny-I didn't even know they made Star Wars nutcrackers. There are several houses around town that have life size nutcrackers on each side of there front doors. They are beautiful! Have you seen them? I think you would like them.

    Merry Christmas!

    ReplyDelete
  7. These are wonderful pictures and memories. I also buy the boys a nutcracker every year, but they get these before Christmas. We also do an ornament a year from Hallmark. I am not a huge fan of Hallmark ornaments, but I love that each one has the date on the bottom. It looks like you guys had a fabulous Christmas!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. sounds like it was just perfect. That pic Harry took is amazing, Everyone was looking and smiling so perfect. Tell him I am super impressed!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi!
    Your family photos turned out great!!! Can you send Harry here to take one of us? I LOVE Kate's dress, and of course her precious nightie!!! And, who doesn't want to be naked when they are making pizza!!! Unfortunately, I would not look that cute! Adorable!
    I am so glad you had a great Christmas!!!

    Happy New Year Friend!!!!

    Love,
    Diana

    ReplyDelete
  10. Beautiful pictures : ) the kids look adorable as always. My boys are grown and still like Star Wars...I'm not a fan either. : )

    ReplyDelete
  11. I am so glad you had such a wonderful Christmas Eve!! The pictures are just beautiful Kim!!

    Happy Holidays!!

    Lisa

    ReplyDelete
  12. Happy Holidays! I, too, love all the traditions of Christmas. Thanks for sharing some of yours. Wishing all the peanuts a wonderful New Year!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Great Christmas pix! PS try Kinnikinnick pizza shells. GFCFSF & delicious! :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh, Kim,
    The pictures, your family, the traditions.... just too sweet for words.
    And the lights! Nothing short of SPECTACULAR!!!! How I would love for my Jewels to see lights like that.... ok, I would love to see them too.... heheee
    So glad it was an extra special Christmas in your new home.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I am glad that someone's family is feeling photogenic! As always your pictures are beautiful. Sounds like your first Christmas back in Houston was wonderful. I love the pictures of the lights on the trees. I remember you and I seeing some of them being strung when I visited...I would have loved to see them lit at night!

    Can't wait to see Christmas day pics~

    ReplyDelete
  16. I love your pictures. The boys and Kate are just precious! Thanks for sharing.

    Merry Christmas~

    Dawn

    ReplyDelete
  17. Looks like you had a grand time. All the pictures are wonderful and I can't wait to see the movie. Love the pics of your "naked" contessa.

    ReplyDelete
  18. love those traditions! i buy our son an ornament each year, label it with his name and date and hopefully when he was a home of his own, i will pass on all those ornaments to him. our tree will look awfully bare when that happens :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Just lovely Kim....I remember some of these traditions from last year....the pizza, the Christmas jammies, Mass and so on.

    Looking forward to more pictures...
    Hugs,
    Steffie

    ReplyDelete
  20. Your traditions are such fun...we always have a kettle of oyster stew that never seems to go away. :-) Terri

    ReplyDelete
  21. Sounds like a perfect Christmas Eve in your new home with your precious family!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I love your Christmas traditions. The pizza idea is great~ I love pizza! Kate's cupcake ornament is so cute. Have you heard the news... Hou is getting a Sprinkles cupcake shop in April in Highland Village. I bet Kate will be excited. :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. those were great! I love family traditions

    ReplyDelete
  24. What great pictures and wonderful traditions!!!

    I am glad you had a great Christmas, we did too!!

    Debbie

    ReplyDelete
  25. Beautiful pictures! Really sweet traditions... the kids look SO happy.

    We are trying to wean Em of her snack habit too... It also is not pretty here... Every five minutes it is "Can I have a snack?" HAHA!! Good luck! I know we need it!

    Glad you had a lovely Christmas.

    ReplyDelete
  26. You won't believe this but when we are in OKC our Christmas Eve tradition is Family church followed by PIZZA from a local pizzza place (the Hide Away). We also have 2 breakfast casseroles and one sweet bread for Christmas morning.
    I love the idea of the nutcrackers for the boys, I do ornaments for each of our children.
    The lights look beautiful. I can only imagine how lovely the Oak Trees were.
    And Kate's gress is just darling. I can't wait to see more!
    Hugs,
    Chesnye

    ReplyDelete
  27. What awesome Christmas traditions!! Too much fun!! And love the pictures of the lights! That is so different and neat!

    Please have a wonderful, safe, and Happy New Year!!

    ReplyDelete
  28. I loved seeing your pictures of Christmas Eve and reading about all of your traditions. The expressions on the boys' faces as they cradle their Star Wars nutcrackers are priceless! I'm impressed that you were able to find such a thing!

    I look forward to seeing your pictures of Christmas Day too.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Thank you for sharing about your Christmas traditions. The photo's are so nice of your dear family.
    May God bless your family in 2009!

    Cindy
    LID 4/20/06

    ReplyDelete
  30. I think your 3 peanuts one day will joy ful go back and be so happy to read ald see what you did as a family!
    Growing up I wished we would have had something like this!
    Traditions are so nice to be remembered!
    Have a Blessed rest of the new year! 2009 is almost gone!
    you still have a wonderfful family though! 2010 will be just as precious!

    Cindy P. 9-28-09

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your kindness.