Ava Elisabeth: Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is quite possibly my favorite part of Christmas. It was always fun and special when I was younger, but now that I'm older and family is all over the world, lives have gone separate ways, this is usually the night that everyone or almost everyone gets back together. Even though there were a few people missing, we still had over 60 people in the room, all scrunched together enjoying a large family meal! We used to have this over at Memaw's, and to be honest, I know it is easier upstairs above the store...I miss it being at Memaw's, plus it just doesn't seem as warm and inviting, but I'm happy to be with my people :)

Hula hooping is always more fun when there is a crowd watching!

This is my cousin Molly...probably the cousin I was closest too growing up- so many great memories! Now, she and her husband Ben are living in a part of the world I wouldn't really choose for them to be in to work with Samaritan's Purse. I told her I was going to turn into a worry-wart like her Ma. Before she and Ben were married and living overseas, she worked for an organization that helped refugees. One particular family has stayed close and they all came to spend the evening with us. This little dude I'm holding is only 3 months old...can you believe that?! He is a chunky-monkey for sure! They were such a sweet family, in fact, the kids all received some gifts and the girls were trying to share their gifts with Ava and Caden. They had received a pack of bubbles as one of their gifts and they handed Ava one and then Caden one, so I casually slipped them back into their bags- too sweet.

Memaw bought Ava her very own Doc McStuffins and Lamby toy. Mom and I had been searching high and low for this toy and they finally came in stock the week before Christmas at the Disney store- but I was so worried it woudn't make it in time- fortunately it did and the look on her face was so worth the headache of searching for this toy. Memaw did good :)

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Ava and Caden

After Memaw's, you would think we would go home, get ready for Santa and a busy Christmas Day- but not us! We headed to mom and dad's to do Christmas with our family. Ava had been counting her presents for weeks she knew where each one was.

The newest member of our family- Caroline, the American Girl doll, that oddly looks an awful like one of Ava's favorite people in the entire world-Caroline! ha!

We bought Dad a stereo system for his 'Man Cave'. My dad never gets excited about presents, its safe to say he isn't the best at receiving gifts...but I think we totally nailed it this year because he was hooking it up before we even left that night!

My husband, is quite possibly one of the last men on earth who didn't have a Playstation 3 or Xbox 360 (I'm exaggerating only slightly). He really doesn't spend that much*free* time without a guitar in his hand or he is flying on his flight simulator game, but he had been toying with the idea of a playstation for a little while just didn't want to come off the checkbook for it. So he was totally shocked when he opened this gift from my parents. I had done a good job of making it seem like he was spending all his Christmas money on new clothes or shoes- he didn't have any idea. I think he was excited, don't you?!

Stacey laid this present out on the floor and said it was for both me and mom...to which everyone raised their eyebrows....It ended up being pictures she had blown up of us, luckily there was 2 pictures inside it and we didn't have to cut the picture in half to share it ;)

Adam recently borrowed my dads shoe shine kit, and he joked with him by asking if he used to be in the business since my dad has this professional looking kit with everything you could possibly need in it, so an idea was born in my dad's head and he built this shoe shine caddy and gave it to Adam with some basic shoe shine essentials.