Christmas Eve with My Side

One of my absolute favorite things about Christmas is our Christmas Eve service at our hometown church.  With all the chaos and fun that happens around Christmastime, it is so refreshing to slow down for 45 minutes and enjoy the sounds of Christmas, the story of Jesus's birth, singing carols and hymns, and observing the Lord's supper as a family under the dim sanctuary lights.  Lighting candles with our hometown church family and their families while singing "Silent Night" at the end is such a moving time as we think about that silent night...that holy night.  THIS is why we celebrate!  And it is so nice to stop tearing into gifts and frantically wrapping presents...and just remember His gift.

After the Christmas Eve Candlelight service, my family meets back at my parents' house for a delicious Christmas Eve supper prepared by my mother.  I can't remember everything she fixed, but we had a standing rib roast, crock pot mac and cheese, a yummy salad that I don't know the name of, green bean bundles, rolls, cream corn, and yummy desserts.  I'm sure I left something important out!  It's been over a week, and I already forgot!  This is why I blog!

Sheila and Dustin

We were so glad Sheila joined us this year!  We pretty much just consider her a member of this crazy clan.  Kristin and Lee enjoy dinner with Lee's dad's family, so we missed them during supper.  Millie Janalee got some one-on-one Uncie Bucket and She She time though.

Millie Janalee and Uncie Bucket playing Stare Out

The Christmas Cook!

The traditional table setting

Maw Maw made these napkin rings.  All the grandchildren have a set!  LOVE!

Mama's centerpiece

After a yummy dinner, lively conversation, and lots of laughter...some of us got comfortable for, what we know to be, a late night of opening gifts.  Passing out the gifts used to be the youngest children's job.  Now that we've all grown up, it's everyone's job!  Ha!  Going up and down the steps from the Christmas tree to the lower living room counted as my exercise for the day!  Ha!

Delivering gifts

Lee's mom always joins us too!

Everyone took their traditional places, and Brodie took a seat in his makeshift Christmas Eve cage.  Bless his heart!  Kristin is severely allergic to dogs.  Well, pretty much everything!  So, Brodie stayed behind this fireplace screen until he had opened all his gifts.  Then, he took his place on the back deck for the rest of the evening.

Brodie and his gifts

The whole crew...minus Russ! (Behind the camera again)

The reason it takes all night to open our gifts is because of our method.  And don't try to mess with our method!  We open our gifts one at a time!  This originated at Maw Maw's house growing up I think.  I'm not sure.  Anyway...we all open in order around the circle.  Everyone is able to see what everyone got, and we love to see everything!  This family doesn't like to miss much!  Ha!

There he is!  My love!

Rhonda has been wanting a large wedding picture for her house, so Mama and Daddy and the family gave her a large canvas from one of the pictures Russ took at their wedding.  I think she was happy!

In this family, dogs are not treated like dogs.  They are treated like "grandpuppies."  We are dog people, and we like it that way.  My parents dogsit our pups all the time, and they love it!  Our dogs sleep with them, never go hungry, watch television with them, and have special dogsitters during football season.

Brodie opening his gift.

So it's no wonder that they get their own gifts at Christmas!  After all, they are our firstborns and "grandpuppies." 

Do you think Brodie likes this look?

He let his cousin try them on too.

It was fun adding a new face to our Christmas this year!  Sheila was the perfect lap for Farley, and she did a great job jumping right into our Smith craziness!  Even opening gifts til after midnight!

She loves caramel apples!

Russ and I split the job of opening Millie Janalee and Farley's gifts.  Whoever ran out first, opened the rest.  Millie Janalee had some of the cutest outfits and fun accessories!  She's a blessed little girl this year, and we are all blessed by her!  She deserves every bit of it!

Precious monogrammed outfit from Uncie Lee and Auntie Kristin!

Perfect Party of Three owl lamp from She She and Uncie Dustbucket!

I've been looking for a keepsake box like one I was given for high school graduation.  I haven't been able to find one like mine anywhere!  Susu and Paw Paw found one!  I wanted Millie Janalee to have a special box to keep all her pictures and letters from her birthparents...and all her special adoption memories.  This engraved wooden box is perfect!  Susu wrote Millie Janalee a letter to be sealed and kept in this box as well.  So special!

Millie Janalee's keepsake box

When Kristin and I were young, Nonnie gave us a Holiday Barbie each year for Christmas.  We still have them all...still in boxes.  They were not for play.  Just for collecting.  Well, we may have snuck a few of them out of the box.  I'll never tell!  Ha!  Kristin wanted to continue that tradition with Millie Janalee and give her her very first Holiday Barbie...2012!

Millie Janalee is already dreaming of the pink Barbie convertible, I'm sure!

Millie Janalee, me, and her first Barbie doll!

No, Millie Janalee didn't make it through the whole night of gifts.  She snoozed in her "Aunt Nana's" arms while Russ and I opened the rest of her gifts for her.  Next year, she may just have to sit in the middle of the floor and open while we all go around in our circle.  Haha!  "Aunt Nana" gave Millie Janalee her very first pair of Cole Haan shoes!  Oh. My. Goodness!  So cute!  I didn't even know these existed!  Russ loves Cole Haan, so it was fitting that he opened this gift.

Thank you, Aunt Nana!

Our night went on into the late hours.  Everyone opening their gifts, waiting for their turn, snacking in between, and laughing all the way!  Christmas Eve night is always a fun one full of memories around here!

Real men wear pink!

Susu's Moni angel from Millie Janalee

The Smith girls with our sunglasses from Maw Maw for the bowl game

Mama asked for a collage of Millie Janalee pictures for a wall in her living room.  So, we fixed them up with framed three month portraits.  I think they liked them!  We gave them four 12x12 framed portraits, and they are precious!

PawPaw with two of the framed portraits

You may remember Lee's sock monkey Halloween costume this year.  Dustin and Sheila found the perfect robe for Lee!  It looks more like a smoking jacket.  Ha!  He completed his look with the sunglasses from Maw Maw!  Very stylish.

Uncie Lee

After opening gifts around midnight or so, it was time to complete our traditional Christmas Eve with another family tradition.  Since we were very young, my dad has read the same two children's books to us.  The amount of space we take up has changed, but that is all!  We still snuggle up in our pajamas in anticipation of The Christmas Story and 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.  I couldn't wait to share this tradition with Millie Janalee!

PawPaw and the Smithites

Once upon a time, we all snuggled up in my dad's orange recliner.  Piled in his lap and on the arms of the chair.  Now, we are sprawled out on the couch because that's the closest we can get.  Things may seem quite different these days.  But, when you come home for Christmas...you realize just how much stays the same!

These are the memories I love!  Traditions passed down from generation to generation.  Traditions remembered with sweet giggles and teary eyes.  Traditions I cherish.  And traditions I long to continue as my own family grows!

So much to be thankful for this year!  Thankful for a family full of traditions and sentiment.  Thankful for family full of love!  Thankful for family memories on Christmas Eve!