Christmas Eve 2012

The four of us packed in a lot of Christmas celebrations while we were home. 

We started with my family's Christmas at my parent's house with all of my siblings and their kids.  My mom made an awesome, non-traditional, Christmas meal of BBQ ribs.  Soooo goood!!!  Kevin and I laid the twins down for their naps over dinner.  I was hoping for a long nap because it was going to be a long day/late night for them. 

After lunch, we cleaned up and waited a while to see if Kate and Matthew would wake up to do kids' gifts.  I took some pictures while we waited! (Some pictures below with the twins were from before lunch)

My brother and his two nieces

My sister and her daughter

Aunt Kelly and some of the kiddos

goofy faces

Love this picture of Kaleb reading to Katers.  Kaleb is so good with the twins and loves to play with them.

All joining in reading to Kate

The Breuner's

Grandpa Santa!  My dad wears his Santa hat every year.

Piggy back time.  We can't have a function without piggy back rides from Uncle Kevin.

K-bobber

We decided because of time constraints, we would have the boys and Allie start opening.  We knew the twins wouldn't miss what was going on still this year.  When the twins woke up from their naps we would have them jump in and start unwrapping.  This year, we decided we would open gifts in alphabetical order by first names.  We always have some kind of order for gift opening.  The kids always open first and then us adults do ours after they are done.  Works out nicely that the kids are entertained and busy playing with their new toys.

 

So excited to start opening presents!

Melissa and Kelly

Grandpa and Allie helping Matty open his gift

Grandma and Matthew - with his new Mickey Mouse cell phone

Sponge Bob!

We got Kaleb the first book in the Harry Potter series

Allie's new jewelry box from Grandma and Grandpa

Legos!

What did you get, Matthew?

One of his favorite gifts, the drill!  Played with it all of the time!  Our new little, household handyman.

We got him a Lego calendar, too.

Using his drill to 'fix' grandma's sign

My brother and his wife

So cute

Mr. Fix-Its!  Love this picture of the three of them.

SF Giants fan!  We got him this stocking hat.

Go Panthers!

We got Allie a personalized Ariel blanket.  Her favorite Disney princess.

"You can share my blanket with me, Grandma."

Cozy with Daddy

Kate's finally up!  She didn't quite get the hang of the idea of unwrapping.

Minnie Mouse!!!

Minnie vacuum from the Breuners.

Testing it out for Kate.

Little People set

After gifts, we all got changed and ready for church.  This year was our year to go to Christmas Eve service with Kevin's side.  My parents and brother's family headed to Fredsville, my sister's family went back to their church in Des Moines, and the four of us attended Great-Grandma and Grandpa Bernhardt's church. 

 

After church, we all went back to Great-Grandma and Grandpa's house for gifts and dessert.  It is tradition for the Bernhardt family to celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve by going to church together and then celebrating the rest of the evening back at his grandparent's house.

 

I only got one picture of of each in their Christmas outfits before we left for church.

 

It is also tradition in his family to take family pictures and one with Grandma and Grandpa.

Kevin's uncle Steve, cousin Brett, and Aunt Rhonda

The whole Willms' gang

Kevin's Uncle Bill and Aunt Jan

Grandma and Grandpa with their grand kids and great-grand kids.

Grandpa Jim and Grandma Ilene

Aunt Mary with all of the kids

Jenny and her boyfriend, Drew

Trying to get a family picture.  I think we might be missing a kid?  Kate was sooo over pictures by this time at night.

So a shot with just us two

Kevin's cousin, Brett

Aunt B and Matty

Katers in her pretty Christmas dress.

 

We ended the night with a new tradition, a white elephant gift, started by Aunt Jan a few years ago.  It's always hilarious to see what funny items people end up with.  This year we had things such as: Qtips, Post-It notes, W-D40, Symphony Bars, chap sticks, Life-Savers, and much more.  Thanks Jan for organizing it all for us!

 

It was around 11 p.m. by the time we left Grandma and Grandpa's house.  Definitely a long day for the kids, but we couldn't have asked for better behaved, flexible, go-with-the-flow kids!  We knew it was going to be a busy day tomorrow and hoped for a good nights rest for all.