Highlights of Christmas 2011

My favorite night of the year!  I can't wait!  Christmas Eve.  Although the events of the evening don't change too much from year to year, I wanted to document the evening with pictures.  Our children are growing up and someday when I go back thru all of the pictures of all of the years, we will notice subtle differences from Christmas eve to Christmas eve and how our children have grown.  Probably a little of how we've grown (groan), as well!  Christmas Eve starts off with the yummiest dinner that Nonna prepares that usually consists of Prime Rib with Horseradish sour cream, Salt Crusted baked potatoes, rolls, spinach salad and pretzel salad. 

Mom and Sarah making preparations.   

Look how tall Eliza is!  She is a senior this year and who knows how many more years we will be doing this with her?  

This year was our year with Charlie and Snick (Julie).  It's always so fun to have them up from Vegas to spend the holidays.  We love them so much!  This picture of Sarah and Snick makes them look more like sisters than sisters-in-law!

Awwww, twu wuv!

Todd and Charlie looking hungry and ready to eat!

Mom's long-time neighbor Vi.  She has spent Christmas Eve with our family for the last four or five years since her husband, Ed, died.  She must like us to want to come every year!  (maybe its just the prime rib?)

Mom wanted me to take a few shots of the Christmas table.

 After we clean up dinner, we usually share our talents and do our family white elephant gift exchange.  It's always nice to listen to the kids play a tune on the piano.  This year my kids have been taking lessons from Eliza and were both able to play for the family, as well.  They were so happy to be able to participate!

 Andy 

 Jake

 Gabe

 Jack and Eliza playing a duet

 Claire

 Buzz

Eliza played and sang the song her Grandma Gaye wrote for Christmas this year!  She's not only beautiful but talented!

Then we get to hear Sam's latest Christmas poem.  This year it was about having cartoon characters in our family tree.  It was fun and very clever!

My boys were very attentive!  All you have to do is mention a favorite cartoon characters and you've got their attention!

The adults loved it, too!

Claire and Nonna

Eliza and Jack

  

 The kids are always excited to open white elephant gifts and see what treasure they will end up with.  This year Mik also sent a box of gifts of things that reminded her of each of us.  It's always very entertaining!

Andy got a giant cookie maker

 I think these two had the most fun!

Claire and some orange sticks

Eliza has faith!

The boys having a good time!

A new addition to Snick's Christmas decorations!

After we're done doing our family celebrating, we fill the table full of wonderful things like shrimp, wassail, cheese balls, veggies, spinach dip, butter cookies, fudge, chocolate dipped pretzels, and all kinds of wonderful treats!  Of course we can't leave out the chocolate fountain with all kinds of wonderful things to cover with chocolate!  Then people start coming.  Usually Sam's parents, Todd's parents and other family members come.  Gaye will usually come and perform for us, sometimes Sarah and Sam's friends the Hancock's come and play and sing for us.  However this year it was just us and Gaye.  Eliza and Claire and I did a flute trio.  How cool to play with my nieces!  However, I kept coughing and couldn't get thru a whole song without coughing my head off!

We had Sam's brother Ben and his family come, my friends, the Weeks and Jen Middleton from my old neighborhood, Todd's sister Tiffany and brother Matt and my friend Heather and her husband Chris and daughter, Lola.  With the exception of the last two Christmases, She has been coming to our party for 25 years!  

Christmas Morning 2011


Christmas was on Sunday this year and our ward was assigned to go do church services at the State Developmental center.  So we had to be up and at that church by 8 am.  So we asked Santa to come while we were gone so that we could do all of our presents after church.  Todd had to speak in our ward and I was singing and playing flute for a few different musical numbers.  So it just was better to do it this way and I was so happy to have our family celebrate the true meaning of Christmas before we opened presents.  It so happened that as we arrived at the Developmental center, we were told that the services were cancelled.  So when we got back home Santa had been there!

The boys were so excited!  We decided to let them open their presents from Santa and then wait until after our church to open the rest.

They each got a little flat screen TV and a Wii game and a DVD

After Church Nonna, Chuck and Snick came over to watch the boys open presents and to have some breakfast.  What a wonderful Christmas!  I wish every year we could have Christmas on Sunday.  What a great way to remember why we celebrate this beautiful holiday!