Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve ALWAYS finds us with my side of the family, we grew up doing Christmas on the eve and so it's the only place I want to be as an adult.....with my mom!

I've always loved her decorations.....timeless pieces! Simple cranberries, a table runner she found in my grandma's decorations last year, a very cool nativity scene are just a few

LOTS & LOTS of love to give.....as we have so very much to be grateful for

The kids were so excited awaiting my mom and sister to get off work {it seems 1 out of the 3 of us, nurses, is always working.....rarely do we have the same day off} they couldn't be still!

Someone really enjoyed their cradle, which very well may never be a baby cradle but her very own bed! Maybe she remembers sleeping in the very cradle at her aunties house as a baby!

My girls got a friendship bracelet making dream.....a box full of thread and beads!

I got some knitting essentials thanks to my secret santa!

What every hiker girl needs!

My husband who gave his secret santa 1 very specific wish.....a boring gift card....so my mom did some teasing and had him thinking he was getting a pair of binoculars! Which if in fact was the real gift his wife would have been super excited!

Is this child not model material??!! Seriously proud auntie!! Her wish was a new jacket with a fur lined hood like her mommy & sister's jackets!

Wooden plaques: Top: for my younger sister from her boyfriend....very true! Bottom: for my mom from her daughters, this is something she has always said to her grand babies!

AND pictures do no justice to these laugh inducing trees......they have 2 little black feet and when a button is pressed music starts playing and they begin scurrying around!!

I have to admit that I'm a practical gift giver.....I come by it honestly mostly from my grandparents I think! I want to give something that someone will use for a years to come or as long as it can possibly be used! I know I make my mother and sister crazy because I am no different in my gift giving to my husband & girls. But in turn this makes my mom & sister the fun gift givers....positive for them right?!! They showered Kayden with Taylor Swift items and a doll head with long hair to fix over and over again. My little miss Emery received a play dog and Buzz Light Year.....her favorite! So thanks Aumie and Aunties for being non-practical!!

I will say this often over the process of blogging about our Christmas weekend, it was perfect. Simple and perfect. There was a plethora of laughing and hugging and smiling and some crying and sooooo much thankfulness for family.