Christmas 2014 :: Part One

Each year we rotate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with our two families.  As the children get older it is getting harder and harder to cut their morning short and/or leave our house by a reasonable time on Christmas morning so over the years our plans have been tweaked accordingly.  This year we spent Christmas Eve with Stephen's parents and brothers.  Both of Stephen's brothers live out of town and I have known these boys since they were small enough to hug me around the waist so it is always wonderful to see and spend time with them.  It was nearly a day-long event of cookie decorating, eating, unwrapping presents, and Christmas Eve service at Stephen's parents church.  Everything was packed up and ready to go the day before because after church we piled everyone {and everything} up in Stephen's truck and headed to the camp {which will be covered in part two ;)}.

Here is our Christmas Eve in pictures:

Jacob has been bucking "overalls" aka john-johns recently.  It breaks my heart!  Bennett wore them up until age 4 and never cared one bit about it.  Bennett was actually bigger at this age than Jacob is and Jacobs so compact and teenie-seeming to me that he just HAS to continue with the john-johns.  But third children/younger brothers tend to identify themselves with their older siblings vs other john-john clad children their age so I know that is what I am dealing with.  I had to work some reverse psychology magic on him but he did end up wearing his Rudolph for Christmas Eve and I was MOST appreciative :).

I love that my mother in law always does Christmas crackers...they are so fun for the kids AND adults...and I know a few adults who kept their paper crowns on longer than the children...

Jacob saying "Yook! TWO FORKS!!!"