Christmas Eve

This year for Christmas Eve, we broke with our usual tradition. We have always gone to Scott's parents for Christmas Eve and then again on Christmas Day. This year Scott's sister Jamie offered up her house for the Christmas Eve festivities (all our children do quite a number on Grandma Jo's house, so Jamie thought she'd give her mom a little break). We drove out to Homedale around 3, and enjoyed a delicious dinner of the traditional crab and shrimp plus some new kid additions (mac and cheese, jello jigglers, french fries, etc.)

I brought some of the peanut butter dipped in chocolate treats that I'd made (they were on sucker sticks to look like chocolate suckers), and Mike brought a variety of goodies that he'd made. The kids immediately flocked to the table as soon as we set them out after dinner.



The two year olds (Nate, Megan, and Justin) especially enjoyed the treats, because no adults stopped them from climbing on the table and helping themselves. Two year olds really don't know how to show restraint when there is chocolate in front of them.





We had the kids enact the Nativity story. Nate was a shepherd. Jake was the innkeeper and a shepherd. Emma was an angel and Owen was baby Jesus. (I didn't get pictures of everyone else, but Savannah and Sara were also angels, Josh was Joseph, Aaron was a shepherd, and Annie was Mary).




At the end of the evening, we had all the kids gather in the living room, and we handed out their "Christmas Eve present". Both families have the tradition of opening Christmas jammies on Christmas Eve. The chaos of them all opening their pajamas all at once was quite a sight to behold.






Umm, I think Nate's shirt describes the look on his face perfectly.

We left the Kraupp's house around 8. We came home and took our traditional pictures in front of the tree.









Then we set out treats for Santa, laid out our stockings, and the kids tried really hard to fall asleep (some of them found that harder than others). The kids wanted to have a sleepover, so they all crammed into the girls' room. They were all asleep around 11. I went up to check on them at 2, and found Savannah awake. She said she'd awaken at 1:30 and couldn't go back to sleep. I told her I was up with Owen, and that Santa hadn't come yet, so she'd better go to sleep so he could. I think she fell asleep shortly after that. Scott and I, however, didn't get the luxury of going to bed till 3:30!