Christmas Eve 2015

We spent Christmas with the Jansen Family this year. 

On Christmas Eve we headed to their house to start the festivities mid morning. 

All of the kids are always anxious to get started with stockings and presents! They snoop around and try to find theirs. 

Oma always puts out a great spread of goodies to munch on throughout the morning. 

And once everyone has arrived we start with stockings. 

This year we went back and forth for the kids stockings from youngest to oldest, youngest to oldest. Then the adults go next. 

They all got some fun stuff! 

I wish I would have taken a video of Nolan when he found this watch in his stocking. He was so surprised and happy! It was so cute! He's always wanted one. 

Socks! Everyone got socks this year! 

Star Wars was another hit theme of the day! 

"Relaxing in the sun" and ready to open some presents! This kid is a crack up. 

I think these kids were more than ready too! 

Heath got some baseball cleats. 

Nolan got some great new clothes. 

Brooks got a sleeping bag...

and a flashlight to go with it! 

He also got a Broncos wallet! 

He gave Brady a big hug after opening it. 

He got C3PO and R2D2 Bobble Heads too. 

Nolan got Star Wars Battleship. 

Heath got some batting gloves. 

More socks! 

Opening up a family gift- a pitching machine.

After the kids opened their gifts, they went in the other room to watch Inside Out while the adults opened their presents- which I didn't take any photos of. 

After presents we headed down to the basement to sing carols. Heath wanted to be as close to the stairs to watch and wait for Santa. 

The kids played and sang and even Lucy joined in on the action. 

How does Nolan look 15 in this picture?

Singing with Daddy. 

Brooks following along.

He looks so cute "reading". 

 And then Santa came...

Did you catch what Heath said? He is starting to question the whole Santa thing a bit. He even said later, "Santa's face looks like Uncle Dave." 

Brooks was shy, of course. 

And the other two smiled nicely. 

Opening their presents from Santa. 

They each got Star Wars cars. 

Saying thank you to Santa! 

I even got in on the action! 

After Santa came then we had dinner. Aunt Sue made the famous Christmas Eve chicken dish. We all stuffed ourselves and then our family headed out to church. 

Brooks was asleep before our car left Oma & Opa's street. He slept all the way to church and almost all the way through the service. What an exhausting day for a 4 year old! 

It was a beautiful service of carols and candlelight. 

Love our church and love making room in all the busyness to celebrate the reason for the season. 

The LIGHT of the world.

After church we headed home to wrap up our Advent devotionals. 

When the boys headed over to the Nativity, they saw that Eckabee & Rudolph had left them a note and some presents before they headed back to the North Pole. They were SO excited to get some new Christmas p.j.'s from Eckabee and Rudolph. 

They put their p.j.'s on right away! 

And Nolan opened and read the last window on our Countdown to Christmas Calendar. Heath got the final chocolate. 

We got this in Disney World and it was such a fun way to remember our amazing trip all month long! 

We sing our candle song each night and take turns lighting the candles. We added our CHRIST candle in the middle on Christmas Eve. After reading, discussing, and praying together, it was Brooks' turn to blow out the candles.  

This was his favorite part of our Advent tradition. Nolan is at a great age to really understand the significance. Heath gets a little squirrely and Brooks just climbs on Mark and plays while we read. Even if they aren't always fully invested, I want our boys to always grow up knowing that it is important to focus on God's amazing love for us not just at Christmas, but all year long. 

Then, this year we started a new tradition. Heath and Brooks' teachers both sent home Reindeer Food. 

Heath fell asleep during Advent that night and we COULD NOT wake him back up. 

So Brooks and Nolan were ready to do the job. 

They sprinkled the Reindeer Food in the lawn. 

And Brooks wanted to leave it by our lighted Rudolph. 

The Reindeer food is Oatmeal, Bird Seed, and glitter. It is supposed to glow and shine and lead the way for the reindeer to land in our yard. The boys thought it was so neat. (I thought it was one more thing to do and to clean up later that night.) But as you know, I am all about making magical moments for my boys. It's just fun.  

Then the boys set out cookies & milk for Santa and carrots for Rudolph and were ready and happy to head to bed. And then Mark and I had to get to work! 

Love this! Ha! 

I ate the cookies, drank the milk, and nibbled the carrots. 

We stuffed stockings and got all the presents out. 

It was a beautiful sight after a full and beautiful day.