Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve Day was a little hectic.  I will admit.  I hate it when this happens, but I didn't have enough time, with everyone being sick for four days, to get everything done!  I had Kelly making and taking our neighbor gifts, Kelly helping everyone finish their homemade gifts, and Kelly fanning me and popping grapes in my mouth... ha, just kidding about that last one, although she was my little rockstar through the whole week!!  I can't believe she didn't get sick, it's nothing short of a miracle, I don't know what I would have done without her!!  So anyway- we were a little frantic that day.  But we managed to squeeze in a "surprise" visit to Nate's work to talk to Santa.  For the last couple years we've not been sure we were going to go talk to Santa, so we've told the kids we can't.  Then when we decide to do it afterall, we surprise them with it on the way there.  So I think that they were expecting this kind of surprise this year when we told them that the FAA was cracking down on security and not letting kids in this year.  They really had decided not to do it until a few days before Christmas Eve, so we weren't lying.  We weren't sure it was going to fit into our schedule either, so we never did actually confirm it with the kids.  Needless to say, some of them were surprised when we told them where we were going, others were not so :).  It was still fun though.  I enjoy going to Nate's work and seeing the place.  It's fun to know where he's spending all of his time away from me :).  I got to see the cheap decorations his area had put up to make fun of the area across the hall.  Theirs were actually cute though :).  So anyway- the kids had fun talking to Santa.  He praised them and entertained them substantially :).  I loved watching Erika tell him her (very) rehearsed answer, "An American Girl doll and a horse to go with it".   And Noah's cute, "I don't know" when Santa asked him what he would do with a spy camera.  I got to take pictures of them talking to him this year- so that was new... guess I should get those on here.  

After that we hurried home to finish some things, ran to a store.  I grabbed the Semlor I made to surprise Nate, and we headed up to Grandpa's. The Semlor ended up being a little like casting pearls before swine.  Totally unappreciated.  I will have to make it again soon so that Nate can enjoy it without their uncultured comments.

I'm not really sure what happened this year, I thought I'd forgotten the camera, so no pics of the first part of the night.  Then I found my camera out in the car while getting a diaper!  So I brought it in, set it down and didn't even touch it until it was almost time to go... lame.

But it is what it is.  Here are the few pics I took of some of the people that were there :)

It was a little weird this year, to not have Brent and Sarah and their kids there.  Quiet. But I think we took care of the food they would have eaten... it was hard, but we did it.  There were shrimp leftovers though, that was a first :).  Just kidding, Brent :).  

We ate, talked, drove the kids nuts waiting to open presents... and then opened presents :)

Grandpa spoiled everyone pretty good this year!  

Jack got an airplane, truck and firetruck.  Erika got a Princess Anna plush and CDs for the gift Grandpa got all the girls- a karaoke machine! wahoo!  Noah got a snowcone machine with all the fixins.  Luke got the gift he'd been wanting most- a motor scooter!!  Bradley got a Snap Circuits kit.  Kelly got the Karaoke machine and some really pretty earrings.  Charity got an itunes gift card.  I got a new folding table and some really cool folding chairs that I've been wanting and Nate got....drum roll please.... Jazz tickets!!!!  Surprise surprise.  When you find a good gift, keep giving it... my dad's motto.  and he's right- you can't go wrong with Jazz tickets for Nate.

We got Grandpa some nuts this year- I don't think he likes honey roasted peanuts as much as cashews... darn it.

Then crocheted hats for everyone else.  Luckily I'd made one for Ashley because we ended up giving hers to Jauslin, Jauslin's to Steve, and Steve's to Dylan.  Kind of a bummer that I didn't just get the sizes right, but at least it worked out.  I wish Dawn had liked hers better too... oh well.  It's the thought that counts.  

So we overstayed our welcome and then loaded up the car and left.  I think it was only 10:00 when we walked out the door- which is pretty amazing for us.

We came home and threw on our new jammies- I was a slacker and didn't even wrap them this year- Kelly was the only one who expressed a disappointment with that feature.  She also wasn't in love with the long sleeves on hers... so we just cut them right off!  Over all, though, they all seemed pretty content with their new jammies!  That made me happy :)

And it was time to go to sleep so that Santa could come!!