Christmas Eve Take 3

Yes, we had one, well 2 more places to hit up if you count the Christmas Eve Candlelight service at church. It was AWESOME...the title was "All is Well". We took Olivia into the service with us, she did great and got to sing along to 'Oh Come All Ye Faithful' that she knew from school. She also got to hold a candle at the end!

Then we all went to my Dad's parent's house. This year was a first. We had EVERYONE there. It was my grand parents, their 3 kids and 3 spouses, 11 grandchildren, 6 spouses/fiances grandchildren, and 6 great-grand children!!! That's 31 people produced from 2 people who fell in love and followed Jesus!

We ate and talked and at the end we always light a candle and sing 'Silent Night'!

This year, since the great grand kids are getting a little older, on of my uncles decided to have a little fun with them and Santa!

Before we got there, he hid a walkie talkie above the fireplace. Then after everyone was there, he went back to the bathroom and started talking on it as if he were Santa!!


Olivia kept telling him, "If you just push a little, you can get down!!" He asked them what they wanted for Christmas and played around a little with them! He also told them to keep their rooms clean. And you better bet, as SOON as we got home, she started cleaning up her room!!!

She was so excited!

Fun with our 3rd cousins - though it feels more like 1st cousins!

We were exhausted by the time we got home...we crashed the next day. But it's all been worth it! Robert was a trooper and stayed up late to put things together! He let me get to bed! Apparently he was up late because one of Santa's toys was pretty complicated!

:-)

Christmas Eve Take 2

Back to Christmas Eve. After lunch we went to my parent's house for our Christmas. We put the kids down for a nap and got to have some "adult time". We had a little sharing time like we do every year. Dad told a great story about how God is always in control, even when things seem like they couldn't get any worse!

Then to PRESENTS!!


I got this awesome portable mini photo printer! So now I'll actually get some pictures off my computer! My brother gave me the softest robe EVER - I have it on in the pic! :-)


Robert got some tools....


And a pink bow.....no wait....that's Olivia's!! Oh yeah, onto the kiddos!!

So we knew Landon was getting some train stuff for Christmas, so we thought a train table would be awesome for him! My grandfather BUILT one for him. It is absolutely beautiful!

He also made 2 drawers that are on wheels that go underneath to hold everything! WOW, Poppop you are truly amazing! We've cleared out a spot in his room for it! He loves it!

Olivia got a Radio Flyer scooter - which I don't have a picture of - but she's been enjoying riding it around outside. It's great because it has training wheels on it and she can really ride it and not fall over! And of course, so can Landon!

They also got some books and Olivia got a cute suitcase - perfect to take when spending the night out!! :-)


Thanks Mom and Dad!! We love you!!

Notice the CUTE outfits, thanks to my mother-in-law, who is AWESOME at picking out cute kids clothes! And she know I love to match them - Olivia and Lillian's match!! :-) She really has a knack for kids clothes!! Thanks Mimi and Poppy!

On a Side Note......

Lillian slept ALL NIGHT in Olivia's room!! Hopefully this is a gradual transition to the sisters sharing a room. Next year, we'd like to have twin beds in there for them!!

I remember sharing a room with Lacey and it was pretty fun!

YAY Lillian!! She's getting so big!

1 Little, 2 Little, 3 Little Indians!

Every year my mom likes to get some RANDOM cheapo toy that will entertain the "boys" (i.e. grown men) for a while on Christmas Eve/Day. Last year it was these jelly flyers. They had a ton of fun making up games with them. One of them was to see if they could throw them across the house to each other and catch them in their mouths!!! This is an action shot of Robert catching it in his mouth!


This year, it was these cool, homemade foam bow and arrows!! They played "cowboys and indians" with them.



Notice the feather in Robert's hair!!!

What will we ever do with these boys!!!

About those plasma cars....

This may not be funny to ANYONE out there but I have to post it. The kids got those plasma cars for Christmas. They're just funky riding toys for outside! Well, we sent them outside to play with their new toys and found this instead!



The poor kids couldn't even enjoy them - the grown men got a hold of them! Believe me, Robert had the other on in no time. This is my crazy brother-in-law Mac!

It gets better. He had the brilliant idea to take it to the giant hill on the ROAD!!

Now let me set this up. Mac didn't think TWICE about the fact that no one was stopping traffic, or if the plasma car was even capable of such speeds! We started DYING laughing (that's why we can hardly talk). When he crosses the 4 way intersection (with no cars coming thank GOD) he lets out a "WOOHOO!" Then, he's still going SO FAST he turns around in the circle and comes halfway back up the hill!!




It wasn't long after that that we see Robert and Mac (coat tails flying) were racing down the hill together! ON THE CHILDREN'S TOYS!! We know what to get them next year!