Christmas Eve

I love Christmas Eve. Not just because of the excitement and build up for Christmas. But because it is one of my favorite get togethers with my family. Which in all reality is probably not fair to say because I look forward to all of the big family get togethers. But still I love Christmas Eve. Maybe because there is also a gift exchange and the game part of the gift exchange is just fun. Probably better than the actual getting of the gifts in fact.

Anyways.

I love Christmas Eve. And Christmas Eve this year did not disappoint.

My Aunt Sheli and Uncle Trav always put on our Christmas Eve party. There's food. Drinks. My Aunt Sheli always makes the BEST drinks for her parties! And most importantly family, duh!

We do a kid gift exchange. On Thanksgiving all of the kids draw names and then exchange gifts on Christmas Eve!

For the adult exchange we each bring a gift and stick them in the pile in the middle of the room and draw numbers. Thus begins sneaking, plotting, partnerships, and stealing! It is so much fun!

Of course it wouldn't be a family get together without us trying to get a family picture.  This is one of all of the kids.  And by kids I mean the grandkids.  There are a lot of us.  And it is actually impossible to get a perfect photo of each one of us.  But look we are all there...almost, we're just missing two of my cousins!  

When we finally drag ourselves home after wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, Preston gets to pick a present from under our tree to open!

He was pretty excited about the one he opened this year. Can you tell?

Then after reading T'Was The Night Before Christmas and The Elf On The Shelf I tuck Preston into bed.

And me and Brad (and this year my cousin Sarah) start wrapping all of the Christmas gifts we put off until the night before Christmas. Because I'm a procrastinator like that.

It all gets done just in time for us to go to bed before Santa comes!