Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve morning was a bit crazy for me as I finished up some projects that I had been working on to give for Christmas.  I ran around getting everything ready to take to Christmas Eve dinner at the Palmer side of the family, getting our house clean and ready for Christmas and just getting things organized.  We finally got everything ready and in the car.  The boys were excited because we were going down a bit early to play basketball and scatterball with some other members of the family.  I kept feeling like I had forgotten something...and then when we were half way there I remembered.  My camera!  What in the world!  Of all things to forget, how could I forget my camera!  Well, my cute sisters Michelle and Heather were great and emailed me pictures of the night and I am SO GRATEFUL!  That you cute girls!

Our family was all together this year, which is always such a blessing.  We had a big dinner where everyone brought yummy things to share.  I brought this super yummy punch (also served at Thanksgiving) and delicious gingerbread with cinnamon whipped cream and bananas for dessert.

After dinner we had a talent show.  Palmer played a song for everyone on the piano and did a great job.

I have been looking for the "Christmas Candy Advent Song" for YEARS (does anyone know that song?  "It's six pink peppermints til Christmas, and there's lots and lots of things for us to do...")!  Most of my brother and sisters and I sang it when we were in kindergarten at our special Kindergarten program program.  We wore huge paper bibs with tinsel on them.  I had forgotten most of the words to the song and finally found a group of school students singing it on you tube and finally got all of the words. 

At first when Josh saw the paper bibs he said no way...but he is a good sport and went along.  The boys thought they were the coolest thing ever.

After we sang, Lincoln decided that he wanted to do his Christmas song that he had learned this month.  I was worried because I didn't bring his music as he hadn't said he wanted to do it.  Imagine my surprise and amazement when he got up and played it perfectly.  I was so proud of him!

The rest of my family all did awesome talents and then my mom read us the cutest book and gave us all a copy of it. After that my dad did a slide show of all of the things that each family had done that year (I love that idea and am going to do it for my little family on New Year's Eve).  It was so well done and he added little captions to some of the pictures that were hilarious! 

After that we did a gift exchange.  We all draw names and exchange gifts.  I love it.  My kids get so excited to give to their cousins. 

I am so sad that I didn't get a picture of it, but we all went in and got my parents this picture of the Nauvoo temple with a huge cream frame around it. 

My parents also got all of the kids fun gifts. 

We did pajamas (and I didn't get pictures...)  Here are McKay's pajamas.  He is in love with Mickey Mouse right now.

After it all our family headed home to quickly go to bed so Santa could come. It was such a lovely night (above is Uncle Tyler whom my boys think is pretty awesome).