We started off Christmas Eve by baking a turkey, gravy, stuffing, homemade mac n'cheese and a banana cake. We planned games, wrapped gifts and headed out to Dustin's parents where we were meeting with the Braithwaites to sing Christmas carols.
Ella did her own makeup and was all ready to go.
Over the past 11 years this has become one of my most favorite traditions. I love gathering 50 people in one single room to sing about Christ's birth. The Spirit testifies to me every time about the love of our Savior and the importance of family. I can tell it does to others too as I look around to find people in tears here and there. It was a Christmas Eve like we've never had as we knew it would be Grandpa David's last.
The little kids dancing to the music.
After carolling we went to Brian and Cindy's for games, yummy food and good company. The boys were gone most of the evening trying to rescue each other up on the hill stuck in the snow all in an original effort to help out a neighbor who got stuck.
Later than night was an experience never to be forgotten and will have it's own post...
Ella was up by 7:30am Christmas morning more than excited to discover Santa hadn't let her down. She sat patiently waiting for us to get ourselves out of bed.
We had taped up newspapers across the wall for them to break through to get to their gifts. It added to the excitement.
They were so happy to see what Santa and mom and dad had brought them.
Dustin was able to go back to sleep until it was time to be at my parents at 12. We decided to stop in at his moms first and then go over to my parents. We did the nativity with the kids
Then mom surprised the adults with matching pajamas. We had a good time posing and laughing about them.
It was a fun but pretty solemn Christmas day for us. More grateful than ever for our Savior Jesus Christ and his life and resurrection.
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