Day 24: Christmas Eve

All the journaling below is printed on two layers of text on the left page of Day 24 pictured here (Buttons - Crate Paper, Stars, Jillibean, PP - Lily Bee)

We began the day with more fun with the Morans.  It is becoming our Christmas Eve tradition to share breakfast with them.  They bring us treats from Panera and we provide coffee, tea, and the venue.  We talked more, pondered parenthood, the arts, science, how we raise our kids, and all the memories in between.  I so wish we got to see them more.  I have this vision of week night dinners with them, that probably can't be as we're very unlikely to live in the same place, but for now, the occasional breakfast is wonderful.

This will be printed as a 6x6 (or cropped to that)

The back of the picture will be this happy glittery page -- (Mostly MME)

I will add a separate page for these next three pictures as well.

Next, we went back to Grammy & Granddaddy's for the big Richards/Rouse gathering.  This gathering includes Brent's parents, sister & her family, cousins and their families, Aunt, Uncle, Grandparents, etc... The works!  It always begins with lots of time in the kitchen, which is one of my favorite parts.  This year, they smartly had the kids opened the presents from Great Granddaddy and Aunt Suzi before dinner, as the kids could hardly wait!  We had the most amazing prime rib for dinner.  M and I could not get enough!

This was about 1/2 the great-grandchildren in a serious conference of some sort while waiting for dinner.

 This year, desserts far out numbered dishes in the main meal, but I don't think anyone was complaining.  After dinner it was back to toys and conversation. I was exhausted and decided to slip in a nap (playing the "pregnancy card" as Brent put it).  It was pretty weird though as I went to sleep with roughly 30 people in the house and woke up to discover all the other guests had left!  It was still more than an hour before we needed to leave for Christmas Eve Mass so we all watched B try out his new video game from Great-Granddaddy and helped M through bath time before church.  We snuck in another family picture shoot and the pictures turned out wonderfully!

6x8 - Right Page

Christmas Eve Mass went fairly well.  The kids were tired and had some trouble sitting still.  I did get to hold B on my lap for nearly all of Mass which is very unusual for him.  I snuggled him close and absorbed every minute I could get as I know the number of times I'll have with him on my lap are rapidly dwindling.  M, meanwhile, sprinkled glitter from her dress everywhere so Brent's bear and tweed jacket were looking unusually festive before we reached "Joy to the World."  Overall, the message was great, the music lovely, and the tradition rich.


We continued to track Santa on my phone as we drove home-- he was in Dublin, Ireland.  As we rode, B asked me for the first time this year what I wanted for Christmas. I muttered something vague, but was delighted when Brent responded that I wanted something pretty.  Which is absolutely spot-on what I want every year.


At home, it was time for B's bath, setting out cookies, carrots and milk for Santa, sprinkling glittery reindeer food outside with M, two more books, and two little people tucked into their bed-- we can only assume with visions of sugar plums dancing.


Coming soon ---- Santa!