Christmas Eve!

Christmas Eve seems to be packed full of memories. 10 years ago Brett proposed to me on Christmas Eve, last year we found out we were most likely going to lose the baby I was pregnant with, and every year my family has Chicken Rice Soup and Oyster Stew. This year we stayed home for Christmas, and although we missed celebrating with family we had another wonderful and memorable time!

After a day of relaxing and hanging out as a family we all got in our Christmas best for the annual Christmas picture. One big happy family, right? :-) The story that isn't being told is that Gianna (not Gigi, gasp!) had just completed a marathon fit right before these pictures due to her strong opinion of what dress she would like to wear for the evening. The one she is pictured in is the third option she was given, and it only went on (darn her for knowing how to dress herself) because she was promised that as soon as we got back from dinner she could take it off. In the midst of her fit, the mother pictured in the pictures that follow may or may not have thrown a pregnant-induced fit herself and may or may not have been found to be crying and saying, "Is it too much to ask for a nice family picture? For crying out loud!" :-)

The rest of the evening went almost as smoothly as possible. While pulling our van out of the garage Brett decided that he was going to do some work in our alley by "packing down" some snow that makes getting in and out of our garage a little more difficult than we would like. About 10 minutes later, after we got the van unstuck from the deeper-than-previously-thought snow drift, we were on our way to Duluth to a friend and colleague's house for Christmas Eve dinner.

It's a tradition in our friend's family to put on a production called "Back to Bethlehem". Gianna decided to be the "watcher" and not the angel she was cast as, Aidan and Emma were Joseph and Mary, I was the narrator, and Brett was one of three wise men. We had a wonderful and memorable night with a great family who we are so blessed to have in our lives.

When we got home, the kids, as is tradition in my family, were allowed to open one present. Growing up, this present was almost always a new pair pajamas. I made the kids some fleece pjs this year and it was fun to see them enjoying them. I am an amateur seamstress and although I measured the kids and went by the measurements for sizing the girls' nightgowns turned out huge. They should be able to wear them for three years at least. Lol!

The girls got to snuggle together in our bed (which is a huge treat in our house...ha, ha, ha...if you don't know, this happens about every night anyway) and they were out in no time. Brett and Aidan went to Midnight Mass which was very special. I stayed back and rested and filled stockings and got things ready for the morning!