Christmas Eve

A picture of the Fam. Everyone looks so serious, except for Nikki. Obviously not drinking enough sangria at this point.

Caeden and Grandpa. There are not enough words to describe how much Caeden loves him. He talks about him everyday and when he is here ... well, Mommy and Daddy do not exist. Their bond is special, strong, and what every parents hopes for when they have children to "present" to their own parents.

Papa and Claire "dancing" to Christmas music. I could have watched them all night.

Daddy & Claire.

Donna and Nikki. So much fun to hang out with these two. The best is when Mom's cheek's get all red ... from what, you might wonder.
Family secret. :)

What am I going to do when she moves to Texas? Someone need to tell her that I moved all the way from Kansas to be near her. She can't go!!!

Sweet Claire's Christmas outfit from Mimi. The dress is SILK. It was the prettiest thing she has ever worn. I want to get a shadow box to display it every Christmas.

Mimi & Claire

Christmas Eve was everything it should be. Special. Loud. Funny. Sentimental. Full of Family.

We went to an early church service (kid friendly) where Caeden's teacher spoke. He loved that.
The powerpoint slides (with the lyrics) were hit and miss, but what do you expect for the first service of the night? I was just grateful that it was okay that my child could lay on the pew, look around, and not get dirty looks. Perfect!

Afterwards, everyone came back to our house for dinner. We started with wine, beer, and sangria and ended with honey baked ham, cheddar corn chowder, salads, and lots of cookies, fudge, and other sweets.

Wayne made a special toast with our last bottle of Cain Five (1995!!). He toasted to both of our grandmothers that we lost this year. Grandma Lyons and Grandma Goldie. They were a lot alike and are missed so much. Wayne's tribute was beautiful, and there wasn't a dry eye by the time he was done.

After Mom & Co. left, we opened presents. Wayne's side of the family has always opened gifts on Christmas Eve, leaving an empty spot for Santa to sneek in for Christmas morning. While all the gifts were wonderful, one that will stand out forever is Claire's new quilt that Donna (Grandma) made for her. She used my hospital gown that I delivered her in, and also the prettiest green, white, and pink materials to create Claire's quilt. We will cherish it forever (and I will post pictures one of these days).

Even though Claire had no idea what was going on, it was such a special Christmas to have two children to share it with. I feel blessed beyond measure.

If you are still reading, thanks for being such a trooper! More tomorrow ...