Christmas Eve & Christmas Morning

One of our family traditions is for Wes's parents to come over on Christmas Eve Day and stay the night.  This started a long time ago when we lived far apart and Wes's parents would travel to visit us over the holidays.  Now that they live so close, they don't have to spend the night to visit us the next day.  But after 13 years of being here on Christmas Eve, we just didn't think it would be right to change the tradition--they are part of it.  Besides, if they weren't sleeping on the couches, who would protect Santa and the stockings from sabotage by crazy teens and their schemes?!

 

 

This is what it is all about . . . snuggles!

Leah has to stock up on her snuggle while she can!

What we love about Christmas Eve and Christmas Day--
LOTS OF SNUGGLES!

I don't have a picture of this part--but it is also our tradition to read Luke 2 and talk about the
True meaning of Christmas on Christmas Eve.  When the children were little,
we used to act it our for Gramma and Grampa, even dressing up
and using "Arnold" our big stuffed horse as a donkey for Mary.
 We don't act it out anymore, the kids don't want to.
 But we enjoy an evening considering our blessings and gifts
that come from the birth, life, and Atonement of
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Another family tradition: WES (not Melissa)
males homemade cinnamon rolls on Christmas Eve. 
And they are sooo good!

After eating one with a tall glass of milk, the kids leave a
 plate for Santa and his reindeer.

 

The shot of the tree Christmas morning.
 

She's trying to guess what is in her package.

 

Elias in his favorite chair looking at a Star Wars sticker and story book Santa brought him. 
He was all about Star Wars this year. 

Leah loved the easel that her Grampa built for her. 
She loves art, writing, creating, you name it!

When these got unwrapped, they were opened with
exclamations of  "what in the world are these for?"
Not even Mckay could figure out what they were for.
And then they opened the air soft guns!

Elias opening more Star Wars with Mckay eying them and thinking,
 "Oh yeah, I'll help him play with these!"

Gramma opening the gift Elias got her.

More things to keep us connected as teams while we
 play capture the flag air-soft and other games.

Wes bought me this rug in Nauvoo, Ill. on our trip a few years ago.
  I wanted to hang it but never got around to it.  So he made, by hand,
a pole for me to hang it on and then hung it for me.  It was a great present. 

This present sat in the other room.  He didn't even notice it all morning.
 I bet he kept wondering why he didn't have much under the tree.
 But once everyone was done unwrapping, we directed he attention  . . .

. . . .to the large sheet in the opposite room.
  I'm sure he knew immediately what it was. 

But he was still excited!

Oh yes!

A traditional scene: all of us gathered around Gramma
as she looks at her yearly photo album made by Melissa.

Next, we gather around Grampa to look at his yearly picture calendar.