Christmas Eve 2011

If you are bothered by an onslaught of photos, you might want to click away:) This is my family scrapbook and I document tiny details. We have all these silly little traditions that we do around Christmas Eve and day and I document them like crazy.  Having a 9 year age gap between Will and Kate has made me see how fleeting childhood is and it makes me want to hold tightly to each and every moment.

One thing I did not photograph on the 23rd but I want to journal (so that I remember) was our annual "looking at the lights."  Last year, it was not good.  Kids complained and fought.  This year, I had an idea to drive through Chic fil a and get dinner to eat as we drove around looking at the lights.  That was a good idea.  Kids cannot correct one another and argue when they are eating.  Unfortunately, they ate quickly.  There is one neighborhood near us that is like nothing you have ever seen.  The homes are decorated so beautiful and so uniquely.  They are almost all professionally done and it is quite beautiful.  I usually bring my camera but this year I did not and I am so sorry I didn't.  One man had his miniature shetland ponies out on his lawn and Kate and I went up to see them.  Santa was at another home and Harry and Kate were so excited to see him.  They hugged him and told him what they wanted for Christmas.  Kate was so animated and giddy...I sure wish I had a photo:(

This is the house where Santa was...apparently I took a photo last year even though we did not stop there to visit him!

Okay, onto Christmas Eve... we go to the early mass on Christmas Eve each year.  We need to get there an hour early to ensure a seat but my children are so used to it that they are very good about it.  Before we leave, I always insist on a few photos.

{Harry likes to take a photo of us too--he is a budding photographer}

Our after Mass tradition used to be pizza since I cook a big breakfast and dinner on Christmas day and we all LOVE pizza.  But as you know for many years, we were not allowed to eat pizza...so we changed it up and went out for a very formal meal for a few years and one year we made our own gluten free pizzas (although we all got tummy aches).  Well this year, we were given the green light to add pizza back into our diets.  Will was very upset as he prefers the fancy dinners out. But I think the rest of us were glad to return to an old tradition.

After dinner, we changed into our Christmas jammies.  Our mischievous elf (Happy) took down our stockings and put dishcloths up....



so we had to hang our stockings by the chimney with care...







After stockings, each peanut gets a gift to open.

Kate gets an ornament and this year, she got ballet slippers.



After years of looking on-line and in stores for a Judo nutcraker, I finally found this.  Technically, I think it is a Karate one but we are calling it a Judo nutcracker for Harry....



Will likes a TV show (that I do not like) that has to do with hippes...hence his nutcracker this year.



Next up, we read Twas the Night before Christmas and the story of Jesus' birth...



We had some good laughs this year.  The kids got a kick out of the way I pronounced "Twas."





Kate looks really interested, huh?



Dave reading the story of the birth of Jesus.  He is saying "Hark!" here.

Kate loving on Habu...



Then it is off to bed for the kiddos so Santa can work his magic...

Love these XO tags (West Elm--free!)





There was a lot of sliver glitter in the wrapping this year.  I do love glitter:)  Will did NOT like it at all. That's a teenage boy for ya.








  I will post about Christmas Day soon.  Harry wants me to take him shopping---SHOCK!  Santa bought him a nice shirt and Harry decided that he needs some new clothes now.  So we hope to hit a few sales.  He does need clothes.  I am just thrilled he wants to wear something that is not a nylon sports jersey!!!

Hope y'all had a fabulous Christmas!

For those of you who followed Karen and Cami's story...you MUST see this...they are HOME!  Have tissues ready!

Karen and Cami's homecoming on the news