Christmas Eve

Every year since I was eleven or so, my family have spent our Christmas Eve's singing carols to people residing in nursing homes. It's a great tradition that now my children are able to participate in. What a great opportunity to do and teach service and the true meaning of Christmas. Carter spent an hour or so coloring pictures/cards to hand out to people while we sang. Carter loved handing out his pictures/cards to "help make the old people happy." The people there loved talking to and touching/shaking hands with the boys and it was so fun to see their eyes light up as we sang and visited with them.
We then went to a persons home in our church who is too sick to leave his house (suffered from many strokes) and his wife who cares for him. We sang a few songs there while he was in his hospital type bed in the family room, his eyes full of awe and happiness. I had always seen this man before as kind of gruff but that night I truly felt our Saviors love for him and saw him as I'm sure the Lord, our Father does. I got choked up a bit and just looked around at everyone in that small room and felt the same love for each of them as well. I could not have received a greater Christmas gift than to feel Christ's love for me and the one's I was singing to and with that night. And isn't that what Christmas is really all about?
We then said good-bye to other friends who came with us and the grand kids opened their Christmas Eve gift (which are always PJ's) and put them on. Carter got dinosaurs and Bryce Spider man. Each loved them. The kids got PJ's too after a "announcement" that this was the last year the big kids got PJ's. Brian's job was to go pick out men's PJ bottoms for Brady and Jason. He was instructed to get XL for Brady and M for Jason. Here is what happened....

And can I just say that this picture does not do it justice. Brian went to the women's department and got Jason a Medium and still in the women's department got brady a XL... but a 7XL! Yeah, Dave looks normal b/c his were the right size that mom picked up herself. I guess we know who the favorite son-in-law is- and he's not even official yet! :) We were all cracking up and mom said, "this is why I do things myself!"
We then did sibling gifts amongst myself and my siblings. There was a mix up this year about who had who and just so happened both my sister Brooke and Brian got me something. Oh well, I'm not complaining! :) Anyways, Brian got me a very cute Monkey's Jumping on the Bed game for our family to play. I wonder why... there are no monkey's jumping on the bed over here.... not anymore at least. :) He also got Carter a remote control airplane which he LOVES! Brooke got me some mixing bowels which I've been wanting, the pants that are exactly like hers that I have been envious of and the cutest shutterfly book that recaps our past year with little poems and pictures. Too fun! She and Dave (her fiance) also got Carter a remote control motor boat. Needless to say, Carter was beside himself with excitement that night and it was only Christmas eve! We got home late but Carter remembered (he has a memory like an elephant) that I said a few weeks ago Bryce could open the gift that Carter bought him with his own money that night. So, here we go again with the opening of presents around 10pm.

It's a motorcycle track that the motorcycles run down and do flips themselves then go up the elevator to do it again. Fun to watch. Bryce loved it and Carter loved giving it!
Since PJ's were on, we just brushed teeth and put them to bed. It was so fun to feel their excitement for that night and anticipation for the next day. However while sugar plum fairies danced around in their heads, Brady and I still had presents to wrap and stockings to fill. Brady gave me the greatest gift of all that night. He mopped the floor!!! I don't know when the last time I did it was, but that's all I asked for so I could have a nice, clean house Christmas morning and I did. Finally we went to bed around 1am. But what a great night~