Ahh, the relief I feel on Christmas eve. It’s when I really start to enjoy. This year we had a great Christmas eve dinner with some friends from Church and our dear neighbor Ralph (you can see him in the background of this first picture). He is awesome. He almost always compliments me and jeff on our teeth and is constantly telling me how much he likes the way I say “Oh NO!” I tried to say it for him a lot that night. The mix of people was just right and everyone even stayed around to fill in as inn keepers and wise men and shepherds for our nativity pageant. After everyone left the kids opened their new pj’s (or used in Charlie’s case….I tried to make our Christmas “green” aka recycled this year….getting as many things off of ebay or craigslist or freecycle as I could….I just don’t like the idea of contributing to all the stuff in the world….plus, I’m cheap) We read the Grinch (a Shumway family Christmas eve tradition which we all love), wrote notes to Santa and left him and his reindeer some goodies, and marched right up to our beds. The kids went right to sleep (which surprises me, I remember having such a hard time falling asleep on Christmas Eve as a kid). Jeff and I got right to work finishing up some last minute things. I snuck down after Santa had came and this is what our living room looked like. Oh, I love that peaceful moment right before bed on Christmas eve. I’m convinced it’s more fun to be a parent than a child on Christmas.
I love that you used Great Grandma GG's special Christmas glass for Santa's milk. I'll have Rosemary show her on the blog. She'll be thrilled. Another tradition! MA & Rob have theirs in a blog picture about advent. It will make Rosemary and Kaki feel like it was worth all the effort last year to get them wrapped up and mailed for Grandma. Wonderful Christmas blogs. We loved watching the video--it was like we were reight there for all the excitement. Love, Mom/Grandma
I am totally with Ralph -- I LOVE the way you say "Oh, NO!". It is one of my favorite things about you, right up there with the way you smile like a doublemint gum commercial when you waterski. In fact, I think you should invite your dentist and orthodontist up to waterski with you sometime, just to appreciate their handiwork. It looks like a wonderful Christmas Eve!
What a fun night. There's nothing like that Christmas pageant, albeit abreviated, to bring in the real spirit of Christmas! Love these pictures. It almost makes us feel like we're there!
I love that you used Great Grandma GG's special Christmas glass for Santa's milk. I'll have Rosemary show her on the blog. She'll be thrilled. Another tradition!
ReplyDeleteMA & Rob have theirs in a blog picture about advent. It will make Rosemary and Kaki feel like it was worth all the effort last year to get them wrapped up and mailed for Grandma.
Wonderful Christmas blogs. We loved watching the video--it was like we were reight there for all the excitement.
Love,
Mom/Grandma
I am totally with Ralph -- I LOVE the way you say "Oh, NO!". It is one of my favorite things about you, right up there with the way you smile like a doublemint gum commercial when you waterski. In fact, I think you should invite your dentist and orthodontist up to waterski with you sometime, just to appreciate their handiwork. It looks like a wonderful Christmas Eve!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun night. There's nothing like that Christmas pageant, albeit abreviated, to bring in the real spirit of Christmas! Love these pictures. It almost makes us feel like we're there!
ReplyDelete