We had a day of fun-filled activities and traditions on Christmas Eve. Somehow it seems that everything takes longer than you think it will and we always seem to stay up until midnight!
Brian, the kids and I stayed the night at my sister's house on Christmas Eve even though we live 15 minutes away. We just thought it'd be nice for us all to be together!
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| In the morning, I spear-headed Dollar Store plate coloring (another Pinterest find). The kids seemed to enjoy it. |
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| Ruby wanted to do her own, but she needed to wait for her mom's help. |
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| The kids then wrote letters to Santa to put in their stockings. |
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| My mom, me, and my sister, Angie got to work chopping vegetables for the traditional clam chowder (potato soup for me since I'm not a clam fan). |
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| The middle kiddos at dinner time! |
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| Wes and Sydney patiently waiting to open their Christmas Eve presents. |
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| And off they go, opening away! |
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| Traditional books and pajamas. Wes' book was a Christmas Nate the Great and Sydney's book was a Christmas Fancy Nancy. |
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| The girls in their Christmas PJs...all nightgowns, of course! Sydney wasn't really grumpy, she just looks like it. |
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| Then we had peppermint ice cream sundaes with a candle to celebrate Jesus' birthday. |
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| The handsome boys waiting for their moms to finish taking pictures so they could eat their ice cream! |
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| Grandpa Swensen read us the Christmas story. |
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| Then, right before bed, Uncle Brian (aka: Dad) showed all of the kids where Santa was using the Santa Tracker online. |
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| After the littles were in bed, the adults and my two oldest nephews played Christmas Minute to Win It games. Danny and Mike going head-to-head in the cup stacking game. |
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| Husband (Eliot) and wife (Angie) in the nut-stacking competition. |
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| Dad and Brian playing "Merry Fishmas". |
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| Jennie and Mom blowing their ornaments to the square. |
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| Grandma/Mom and Nathan reattempting the cup stacking. |
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| Me and Angie reattempting the Merry Fishmas game. |
