Christmas Eve 2010

No matter how hard you try, the Christmas season is ridden with busy schedules, baking, cleaning, decorating, class parties, shopping, special events, and seemingly long days and short nights...

I couldn't have made it through the last few months without the Lord's help.  I felt inspired to accomplish my goals early this year.  That way, with a little luck, I wouldn't go into labor during Christmas.  (I'm not due until February 25th.)  I finished 90% of our Christmas shopping in October.  We got our family pictures taken and Christmas cards finished in November.  I baked Christmas cookies early and froze them.  We finished gifts for the kids' teachers, Brian's secretary, and packages to family all ahead of time.  

Once December arrived, we were prepared to enjoy the holiday.  We went Christmas caroling - twice.  We visited Santa, participated in multiple Christmas parties, sang Away in a Manger as a family at our church Christmas breakfast, decorated together, had hot cocoa and apple cidar on a regular basis, listened to Christmas music, read stories and played games.  The kids counted down the days  until Christmas by adding an ornament each day to our advent calander tree.  

I was shocked at how truly enjoyable December turned out to be.  I still have contractions every day, but nothing major.  My doctor has me doing fetal fibronectin tests every two weeks to make sure I'm not going to deliver any time soon.  I also got two doses of steriod shots to help develop the baby's lungs in case she comes too early.  Peace of mind.

December 23rd
We had special visitors for Christmas this year!  Uncle Spencer and Tio flew out from Washington DC to spend a few days with us over Christmas.  They were the most enjoyable company!  Whether Uncle Spencer was playing with the kids or Tio was helping in the kitchen, they outdid themselves and brought so much holiday cheer with them.  Laughter filled our home while they were here.  As if Christmas wasn't exciting enough, they made every minute super fun.

The night Uncle Spencer and Tio arrived, we visited The Gift of Lights at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  Since the boys rented a convertible, we drove through canopies of lights in style!  With the radio blaring and the heater full blast, driving through seas of Christmas lights couldn't get any better.              

Here we go!

Christmas Eve

Brian and I spent the majority of our Christmas Eve putting together the girls' new bunkbeds.  Considering we're going to have three little girls in one bedroom, we felt bunkbeds were a necessity.  We had cinnamon rolls for breakfast and didn't get out of our PJs until lunch.  My family came over in the afternoon and we cooked an early dinner together...

Breaking family tradition for the first time in our married life, we didn't have fondue for Christmas Eve dinner.  We opted to move our fondue meal to New Year's and have taco bowls for Christmas Eve instead.  (The last time that Spencer and Antonio had fondue they got the flu and spent two days throwing up.  Now they relate fondue to throwing up.  So postponing our fondue night seemed like the right thing to do.  Haha!)  Dinner turned out great.  The pinto beans spent all day in the slowcooker; we had fresh cilantro, guacamole, black beans, beef, rice, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, onion, salsa, and crispy taco bowls.
 

Nana sent us this awesome magical key for Santa to use since we don't have a chimney.  The kids were so excited to hang it on our doorknob. 

We sprinkled reindeer dust (oats and glitter) on the lawn.  That way when Santa's sleigh flies overhead he will for sure stop at our house.

Our kids love their uncles.

On Christmas Eve we let our kids open the gifts they picked out for each other.  They were given $10 to spend on their gift.  It was cute to see them figue out what would make their sibling the happiest.
   

They wrapped the gifts themselves.  Check out this tape job!  Irelynn wins for the most tape used ineffectivly on a package. 

Natalya had Irelynn.  She picked out doll clothes for her favorite baby doll: a Sunday dress and a onesie with a diaper.  Irelynn loves her baby doll and was so excited to get new clothes for her.

Irelynn had Branson.  I watched the two of them run around the toy isles at Walmart with Optimus Prime and Bumblebee masks on, laughing and acting in character before I gently persuaded Irelynn to pick one of the masks for Branson. 

Branson loves Transformers.  We record all the Generation 1 episodes on DVR and he's seen bits and pieces of the recent movies.  Now he randomly calls out, "I am Optimus Prime.  Autobots, transform!"  Needless to say, Irelynn made her big brother super happy with her gift choice.   

Branson had Natalya.  He bought her Squinkies because he knew she thought they were so cute from their TV commercials.  Branson kept saying, "Natalya, when you open up my present you're just gonna scream.  You will be so happy."  She was.

 

Then Brian and I opened the presents the kids had made for us at school.  Branson made Daddy a modge podge jar full of assorted nuts.  He took them to work and thinks of his son every time he eats them. 

Branson painted a mug for me.  Natalya made me a macaroni wreath.  I displayed them proudly in our home.  :) 

Before bed Grandaddy read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas to our children out of the same book that he read to me when I was little.

We put cookies and milk out for Santa.  And nine carrots - one for each reindeer. 

One last game of "Angry Birds" before bed.  Uncle Spencer's phone became an obsession while he was here.  

  

Bedtime at 7:30!  The girls got to sleep in their brand new bunkbeds for the first time on Christmas Eve.  It was the end of a wonderful day!  But between getting a new bed and Christmas being just a few hours away, it was almost impossible to fall asleep...