On the 3rd day of Christmas Break - Christmas Eve

Well, here I am again.  I am making a liar out of myself about taking a break.  We are waiting to make sure the kids are asleep before we set up the presents, so while I am watching TV with Mat, I uploaded the pictures.  So.....I might as well post them!  The Grandparents will be happy.

Today didn't start as early as yesterday, which was nice.  When the kids got up, we had a nice breakfast and then let them open their Christmas Eve present.  Each year we get the kids a new game and new Christmas movies that they open on Christmas eve.  My mother in law, Sally, always gets the grandkids Christmas pajamas, so we had those in the present as well.

Scooby wanted to help:

We got them the game Fibber.  This was the one Arlington picked out and has talked about this year.  It was a good one for all of them, so it was a winner.  The kids had a great time playing it with us this afternoon.  It was a cute game.

My little fibbers:

We also got them a few little Christmas movies.  I had found them on Black Friday for $3/each.  Sweet deal!  Added them to our growing collection we make each year.

And we got them a Wii game.  It is called UDraw.

 

It comes with the game and the pad you draw on.  What you draw shows up on the TV screen.  The kids loved it.  It was another score on Black Friday - $10!

While the kids played their new game and watched a movie, I put Finley's room back together.  I love that her bedding matches now.  Nothing else is new in her room but the paint, but I took pictures anyway!

 All the artwork on her walls are princess artwork Mat and I found:

 Her favorite princess - Snow White - hangs above her bed:

 This is one of my favorites we found - this is Rapunzel:

 Another favorite - Pocahantas:

Christmas eve service at the church was at 4pm (perfect!).

 After church we had our other tradition -we went out to eat.  We don't have family that lives near by, so we go out on Christmas eve.  This year was Chilis.  Not much is open on Christmas eve (which is how it should be) but this was a good choice for us.  We even saw people we know there!

Tonight the kids are in bed and we are getting ready for Santa's arrival.

 The three kids piles pre-Santa.  Each kid gets to pick a wrapping paper each year.  Got this idea from my mother in law Sally.  No, Mat and I don't buy the kids this much!  Mat has 4 siblings, and I have one, and they all send the kids presents!  (along with other people)

 We lit a candle for the familes who lost children/loved ones in Newtown, CT.  We will leave it burn all night in their memory.  If you can, light a candle for them and say a prayer that they get through this holiday season without their children/loved one.  While we are opening presents, and laughing and being joyful tomorrow, they will have to bare to look at unopened presents and the hole where their loved one should be.

 We wish everyone a Merry Christmas.  Have a wonderful day tomorrow with your family and friends.