Thursday....Christmas Eve...

Every Christmas Eve we head up to Becky and Marshall's house to celebrate with the Jones'. It is quite the event and I look forward to it every year. There is just something about tradition that just gets me so excited this time of year.

Before we head out each year we take a family picture in front of the fire in our house. We went with the "grey" theme this year...
I can't believe how much we have changed since last year...
The kids even posed for a few quick pics for us before we had to run out the door...

We headed into the living room for some more family photos and someone had a the idea of trying to get all of the kids to take a picture together but it didn't quite work out...

Instead Emily and Jake did some dancing around the tree...

And finally I got a picture of the kids in their full attire...Next it was off to the garage to listen to last year's King and Queen of Valentine's Ball read the scripture while Steve and Mark lit up the candle...Then we all prayed together...

then got a little silly...

Jack ditched our table soon after to find his new friend for the evening, Teresa. Didn't I mention before that he has a thing with pretty girls?...

Then after a YUMMY meal of oysters, peas, potatoes, rolls, pickles, olives, jello and rolls (I look forward to this every year) we head back inside to relax a little..until there was an EXTREMELY loud knock at the door...

Emily was the first to arrive at the door and just seconds away from seeing Santa Claus himself but lucky for her he left his bag filled with toys for all of the kids...

Just what she "always wanted...a veterinarian kit!"

and Jack got a recordable phone...

Then it was time for the cousin exchange and the adult gift exchange. I think Jack wanted to help his Godfather Mark with this very interesting gift, a cooler full of "beverages"...

Emily helped many "animals" all night long and made them feel so much better...

Around 9:00pm the kids were exhausted so we packed them up and headed back down to Mount Vernon in order to make it to 10:30pm mass. It was an absolutely breath taking mass and the choir was incredible. Emily slept through the entire mass but Mr. Jack woke up the minute we got there and was full of energy. Oh well...I wouldn't want to sleep through that beautiful music either.

P.S. I know this says I am posting on January 1st but it is really January 3rd (the day I finished the posting). And I am thrilled to announce that I am officially off of bed rest! I go back into the doctor on Friday for more information but as for now everything is great. Thank you to all of you who helped us out...especially my saint of a sister Jenny. Honestly, we could not have gotten through this without her help! THANK YOU!