Christmas Eve

This year, Christmas Eve was so much fun!  There is no better way to celebrate the holidays than with close family.  This year Jenna suggested that since it was their year to spend Christmas Eve with us that it would be fun to let all the kids play games.  Aunt Jenna did awesome picking out some fun games that the kids all loved.

 

 

The first game that they played was the candy cane game.  Jen talked to them about the candy cane and the symbolism it is for Christmas.  After that Eric and Jenna hid over a 100 candy canes in Grandma JoAnn's house.  McKenna was the winner with nearly finding more than half of the candy canes hidden.  Then they played the Oreo - minute to win it game.  Grandma JoAnn won this game with Dillon following behind for second place.

After the Oreo game, the kids went upstairs and played the candy bar.  The kids thought this was fun because they walked away with several of their favorite candy bars. After that, McKenna and Ally teamed up against Trey and Maddie in the decorate Olaf contest.  What McKenna and Trey had to had to do was take a roll of toilet paper and completely wrap up Ally and Maddie and place a nose and eyes on their own snowman to walk away winners.  As you can see, they both started off really good and then Maddie all of a sudden ripped of her wrappings and was done.  It was so fun the kids, they loved it.

After the fun and games, we let the kids open their presents to each other.  Everyone loved what they got and enjoyed playing with them and hanging out.  McKenna scored a new pair of diamond stud earrings, Trey got twenty bucks and a bucket of candy, Allyson got a La La Loopsy doll with a Frozen puzzle, and Lottie got a baby Koala bear (that she calls her tootie baby).  Our kids were all excited to give Tripp and Krew a farm set and tractors, that they seemed to fight over, and Maddie was pretty excited for her Frozen picture.  

 

After the present opening was through, everyone was glad to hang out and rest before the rest of the party started.  The little girls decorated sugar cookies for Santa while everyone enjoyed hanging out.  After a while, we got ready and went to our house for dinner.  JoAnn prepared a ton a yummy food for all to feast on, she had her tradional seafood chowder, breadsticks, Swedish meatballs, and yogurt crusted chicken.  Not to mention all the appetizers and goodies that she had made.  It was so fun to have Kim and Darlene, Lyman and Marci, Kallie, Ryker, Rylan, and Kaylor, Tyler, Brooke, Belle, Chap, Bryler, plus the entire Taylor crew.  We ate and ate and then were able to enjoy one another's company.  My kids are so lucky to have such great, close cousins.

 

 

After dinner, we headed back up to Rod and JoAnn's to open more presents.  The kids were spoiled once again.  It was fun watching them open their presents one by one so we could see what each of them got.  All the kids walked away with some pretty fun stuff. 

 

 

 

When we left Grandma and Grandpa's house, the kids were pretty excited about getting home and getting to sleep so Santa could come. (Not very often to hear that my kids are excited to go to bed!)  As a family tradition, we ready the story of Jesus's birth from the scriptures and talked with the kids about the true meaning of Christmas.  We then spent a few minutes and got the plate of goodies ready for Santa and his reindeer.  

 

Then of course, we had to tell Hiccup good-bye til next year.



 

 

Finally, about midnight, they were all ready to go to bed.  We did a little rearranging to Ally's bedroom to make it so they could all sleep  in her room together.  This makes it easier when is time to wake up that we are all right there together. 

 



There was only a few minutes of giggles and excitement before all four were sound asleep.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good-night!