Christmas - all the Rest!

We've cruised on through the boys, and so now it's time for the rest of the folks. Christmas Eve is special because for as long as I can remember, my Grandpa (my Mom's dad) who I call Papa, has been ELATED on this night. He just glows. Tradition reigns on this holiday. We read the Christmas story, we pray together as a family, there's always at least one devotional... It is a great time to just remember why we are celebrating. I can remember being asked as a kid, "What is Christmas?" and shouting back, "It's Jesus birthday!" Crazy to think that Wayne, my son, can now answer that question! Wow.
Oh, and I did sooo love seeing McKenzie. She just graduated from some hotshot college back east (Cornell?) with some type of dairy degree. She's quite the smart gal! She got hired on by a California farm to work in milk futures. Crazy, my cousin is THAT smart! She is also a DELIGHT to be around to boot. And I believe she's single!
Not this girl though, she's taken. Kelsey was helping out with the kiddo's, and as the saying goes, "It's not Christmas until someone's crying!" Christmas had now begun. Oh, and her boyfriend, Aaron? Also a delight. I really, really like that boy. Okay, he's probably technically a man, but he's younger than me and therefore a boy. And he's not married. Yet. Oops, did I put that on the blog???? I've been cooped up in the house with the boys too long, give me my fun!
And here's the "tootest" (aka cutest) girl around (on this side of the family.) Madelyn!

And you thought I was going to say mom!!! :-)

Nana and Treven. He's a good boy. He wasn't screaming like mine were at this exact second. I chose to take a cute picture rather than deal with the screaming. Then it escalated and I had no choice but to haul Weston out. At least I got the cute picture!
We gave our grandparents a digital scrapbook of the cousin photoshoot I did of the kids back in October...
After doing gifts, we all sat down for a quick round of "The Newlyweds." Because Tyler had taken Weston and Wyatt home, I proposed to Brenna. We did not do so well together, and I asked Ryan if we could enter counseling! (ha-ha. If you didn't know, my brother-in-law is a pastor.) Anyhoo... It was definitely a game full of laughs!


Let's fast forward to Christmas morning. Everything we needed for a successful morning was ready.

Coffee. Check.

Screw drivers. Check.

Wire cutter. Check.

Let the fun begin!
One of Tyler's gifts was a state road map for outdoorsmen. Or something like that.
You know me, I have to document the moment! Here's the havoc wreaked during gift opening... Goods on the table....
Garbage on the floor!
And later.... Uncle Jason and Aunt Tanya with the babies.
Grandma joined us, and I honestly hope she thinks nothing less of us after spending the afternoon with our kids. I hope.
Paiger's has been feeling a little under the weather, but she was happy as can be.
Brenna... I think she's still on a "Wii" high from earlier that morning!~
Trisha went over the top with her decor and hostessing. Here were the place settings.

And apparently you can't have Christmas without a drink bar... Coffee, punch and hot cocoa!
Too much food for one table, so we spilled over to another.... Oh yeah, and those are Tanya's homemade rolls on the right!
This was on the kids' table. The sign was all too appropriate!

Let's eat! Caeser salad, corn, brussel sprouts, vegetable casserole, and ham and rolls.
Trisha's tree. (Todd gets no credit here! :-) Get a load of those snowflakes!



And the cutest one of the bunch (excuse the bias!)