First off, I have to say I was very pleased with Target this year. I did a lot of my shopping there and for one reason. I had heard that they had decided to have their employees say "Merry Christmas" to customers instead of "Happy Holidays" like everywhere else. Afterall, Christmas IS about Christ's birth, so I decided they would get my business. I put it to the test and without fail, every time I went to Target whether in Utah or Nevada, I heard music to my ears every time I passed or talked to an employee. I just wanted to say thanks to Target for making my shopping experience more pleasant this year.
Ok, now on to pictures and Christmas Eve Magic!!
Christmas Eve is always my favorite. The lights, the food, the festivities, the excited children, the anticipation of Christmas morning, the stories of Christ's birth, the Christmas movies. My mom goes all out for Christmas and it usually takes her a few weeks to get everything up. She has so many decorations that they have to move around furniture to get it all to fit. CRAZY!! But so much fun. Here's a little glimpse into the Luke House Christmas.
The kids absolutely LOVE all the Christmas decorations and the Christmas transformation that takes place at Grandma's house.
My mom made an extremely awesome dinner with Ham and Roast and Potatoes and veggies, etc. YUM!!
Then it was time for grandkids to open their presents from Grandpa and Grandma. (my parents started having everyone open presents from them on Christmas Eve since most everyone is at inlaws on Christmas Day)
Marley giving Hudson hugs which ended up in both of them flat on the floor.
Hailey wrestling with Uncle Jared.
The kids got these HUGE bears from Grandma and Grandpa. Each family got one and they were quite a hit.
This was a gift I made for my parents. It's a grandkids scoreboard with boys vs. girls. The numbers are magnetic and can be changed out when new kids are added. It was really fun to make.
I love how they are making the exact same face in this picture...
Playing outside with all the lights
I grew up with HUGE stockings that were packed FULL and I loved it.
So, we're doing the same with our kids.
We really had so much fun on Christmas Eve. The night ended with putting the girls to bed and Magically hearing Santa's bells wringing outside the girls window. They were BEYOND excited about it and had a really hard time going to bed because of it. At one point, I walked in their room and said "you NEED to go to bed so Santa can come!" and Hailey's reply was "but mom, i'm just SO excited that I can't sleep!"
Kids make this season so much more fun. I'm glad we got to spend this time with my awesome family.