Christmas Eve!

Ever since I was a kid, Christmas Eve was almost as good as Christmas morning. We have a wonderful dinner at my Grandma's house and then Santa comes for a visit and gives the kids a present. Now that I am an "adult" I don't sit on his lap and he doesn't give me a present, however, watching the little ones especially Abby is awesome!

Every single member of my mom's family was at dinner. All my cousins, their spouses and their children. It was the first Christmas without Grandpa and it was sad to look around and not see him there. He always made every family party very special and there will

always besomeone missing as long as he's gone.

After dinner, Santa came! Abby was not scared of Santa at all. She could hardly wait her turn, and when it was her turn, she wouldn't get off of his lap. She told him her list and then some. She opened her present and then went back for more. She made her way back as he was leaving and Santa let her put on his reindeer antlers. She thought he was the neatest thing ever. Last year she was scared to death and this year she didn't have a fear in the world.

Abby with her new Tea set.

Ned's gift from my Grandma. It's a digital tire gauge and an iTunes gift card.

My gift from my Grandma. The coolest cupcake stuff ever. I'm seeing cupcake towers in our future.

After Santa left, Abby noticed that he had left his "sack" behind. The "sack" was really just a black garbage bag. She was so worried that he needed his "sack" that my mom made Nathan run after him and give it back. Nathan was a good sport and played along, running after Santa and making a good show of it.

When we got home, Abby opened her traditional Christmas PJs. They weren't the usual red and green, but they had a cute reindeer on them and snowflakes. I thought they were cute. After the PJs were on, we got Santa's cookies and milk ready.

Abby also had me put carrots out for the reindeer.

When we went to the grocery store, we had a heated debate as to whether

it should be carrots or celery.

In the end she told me that reindeer eat hay.

Smith's doesn't sell hay, so we settled on carrots.

Abby went to bed willing (for probably the last time in her life on Christmas Eve) and mom and dad settled in to watch a few episodes of "Raising the Bar". Like I said, Christmas Eve is wonderful! So much fun!