Christmas Eve with My Family

My little family after the Christmas Eve service

There are so many wonderful things I love about Christmas "at home."  It's just my favorite time of year, period.  But if I had to rank them, I have to say that our Christmas Eve service at our hometown church is my favorite part of the Christmas season.  First of all, growing up as a PK (preacher's kid) and in church every time the doors opened, the candlelight service is very nostalgic.  Secondly, it is the one time when everyone around me slows down...and stops.  Everyone stops the shopping and wrapping and cooking and talking and rushing.  We all stop, sit on the same pew in a dimly lit sanctuary, and listen to the Christmas story and sing Christmas carols.  We take the Lord's Supper together.  And we end the service by singing Silent Night to candlelight.  No instruments.  Just us holding lit candles and singing.

This was the second year we brought Millie Janalee to our Christmas Eve Candlelight service, and it just makes it that much more special!  Even if we did spend it feeding her baby doll and eating cracker after cracker after cracker.  She even sang along to some of our carols.  Sweet perfection.

When we all just stop.

Per tradition, my family meets at my parents' house immediately following the service for dinner and gifts.  Kristin and Lee eat dinner with Lee's side of the family before coming over for gifts.  But the rest of us gather around my mom's dining room table to a delicious spread she prepares for her family and any friends who may join us that year.  This year we had potato soup, taco soup, broccoli cheese soup, ham, salad, rolls, cornbread, and several sides and desserts. Yum!

Dustin and Sheila before dinner

While we waited for Mama to put the finishing touches on dinner and waited on everyone to arrive, we enjoyed time sitting around and talking.  Basically, we just played with Millie Janalee or watched her roam around entertaining herself. 

Kristin and Lee arrived as we finished up dinner, and we all got comfortable in the den ready to open gifts.  Pajamas were the the choice for the evening.  Our gift exchanges have been known to last way into the morning hours.  Russ had to work Christmas Day, and we were unsure of how Millie Janalee would fare, so we quickly began passing out all the gifts.  As children, this was our job.  Now that we are all grown, it is everyone's job.  Ha!  We all pitch in!

Lee getting excited about some wrapping paper and bows! Ha!

We can always count on Dustin to be festive.

We decided to let Millie Janalee start opening gifts and play it by ear as we went.  If she got distracted by a toy, we could move on and start opening our own.  Remember, she is the first baby on my side of the family, so we are still working on the logistics of it all.  Ha!  If you click here you will remember that last year she was just a baby.  She didn't really know what to think when she walked in to see her gifts in the middle of the floor.

It didn't take long for her to reach for some wrapping paper.  She has gotten quite good at tearing into a present.  She takes after her mama!  I love a gift!  She enjoyed opening gifts so much that we just kept watching her open until all her gifts were out.  We had as much or more fun than she did probably!

Fun activity block from Auntie Kristin and Uncie Lee

Her first pair of Ugg boots from Aunt Nana!

She wasn't too sure about this singing/talking teddy bear.  I finally got her to smile and dance to it today.

Once Millie Janalee had a few toys out of the boxes, she was distracted enough for the rest of us to start opening our adult gifts.  And if she wanted to play in the empty boxes and wrapping paper...so be it!  It's Christmas!  Babies can do anything they want on Christmas!  Including staying up way past bedtime.

Sheila with her State necklace from Millie Janalee

MawMaw loved her picture. I'm not sure why she's looking at the wrong side.  Ha!

Aunt Nana and Millie Janalee playing with her new MegaBloks

Even Hughes got some little Uggs.

Mistletoes for Pawpaw and Susu too!

Russ was in rare form.  Here he is modeling his new Jingle Bells necktie and reading his A Christmas Story glasses.

Millie Janalee did not make it to the end of the night.  [Sigh.]  Honestly, she was very tired from the day's festivities.  Heck, she was tired from the month's activities!  She is such a little trooper, and she hates to miss out.  I was sad for her to leave the fun too.

As we have done every Christmas Eve for the last 30 Christmases, my brother, sister, and I gather around my dad for the annual reading of The Christmas Story and The Night Before Christmas.  It never disappoints - for laughs and a cozy, family feeling.

Once the last ribbon had been thrown away and the gifts had been put away, I scrambled to find some cookies for Santa.  No, Millie Janalee and I did not have a picturesque moment of baking cookies and sprinkling sprinkles on top.  I reached into a jar of No Bake Cookies that Lee's dad had given my parents for Christmas.  I'm sure Santa liked them all the same.  It just wouldn't be right for Santa to bring goodies for us all and not have refreshments after his hard work.

So, I set out Santa's milk and cookies for Millie Janalee since she was early to bed.  We all called it a night.  Not a creature was stirring...