Christmas Eve

We had a great Christmas Eve night together with Matt's family.  Grandma Jo was able to come over, and she was having a good night, meaning she was pretty lucid.  She said her prayers and Christmas wishes were answered because she was able to be alive to be with us through the Christmas season.  It was pretty cute.  We missed Megan's family though.  Matisyn was especially missing David and Sammy.  We had a great dinner.  Matt's mom got Wallaby's bbq meat and mashed potatoes and everyone brought other dishes to go with it.  We sang Christmas songs and acted out the Nativity.  The girls got their big present from Papa and Grandma, and all the kids and adults got new pajamas from them.  All the cousins draw names for presents, and they exchanged with each other.  They opened oldest to youngest, but Matisyn couldn't wait!  Then the kids ran downstairs to play with the awesome new airplane they got for the grand kids at their house, while the adults and older grand kids played a present exchange game put together by Matt's mom.  She must have taken hours to put it all together, and we had fun playing together.  There were some ruthless players and trades, especially Grandma Jo!  I ended up with a journal and a Texas Roadhouse giftcard after Grandma Jo stole the manicure set back from me, (it was pretty bad that I stole it from her in the first place!) and Matt ended up with a fancy Mag-Lite flashlight after stealing it from his brother!  We were both happy!  It somehow got really late fast, but before we left we exchanged presents with the adults and ate some pie.  We packed up and headed home around 10:00 to get cookies and milk ready for Santa, and sprinkle some reindeer dust on the porch so he would make sure to visit us!

The Nativity

Emilyn started out as a shepherd, because Madilynn insisted on being the star, but after she changed her mind we put Emilyn in the sparkly star costume.  Matisyn was Mary, and did a fantastic job being pregnant and then taking care of her baby Jesus.

 The wisemen, CJ, Kenzie, and I think Alexis

 Matt being a shepherd holding his little star!

 Dave narrating the Nativity

 "Mary" Matisyn holding baby Jesus

 Emilyn so proud of herself, helping Aunt Becky play the piano during Christmas carols

 The girls opening their cribs with dolls already inside.  Thanks to Papa and Uncle Mike for having them already put together!  Emilyn got triplets and Matisyn got twin bath babies.  We put the cribs in each of their rooms, and they love them.  Emilyn wakes up every morning pointing and calling out "Babies".  When I get her out she runs over to check on them.

 Matching Jammies!

 Matisyn crawled inside of the storage part underneath her crib to hide.  We couldn't believe she could fit inside.

 Cousins exchanging and opening presents.  Emilyn gave Cassie a hoody and Matisyn gave Madilynn a diary with a fancy pen.  Matisyn got a popping tic tac toe game from one of the Mullen's and Emilyn got a princess bean bag toss game with princess fruit snacks from McKenzie.

 Emilyn has her pajamas half off because she felt like she was getting a fever she was so hot.  Luckily she was just overheated, she never got sick.

 Sprinkling reindeer dust she got from her preschool teachers, which consisted of seeds and glitter, magically enhanced, of course, to help the reindeer see where to land.  Matisyn has been a pill lately, so she needed all the magic she could get to make sure Santa came, even though I'm pretty sure she was on the "naughty" list!  Good thing she's so cute!

 Matisyn's cookies and chocolate milk for Santa, along with a note that she dictated and signed.