Christmas Eve

This is OLD news by now, but I still want to include it.  I know there are at least a few people who will appreciate it.  (Myself included, especially if I ever get around to having this made into a book.)

Anyway, we headed to Vancouver on Christmas Eve.  Judson was SO excited to see Papa's Christmas train.  (They have an enclosed area at their front door.   There are so many doors that no one uses the front door, so it was the perfect place to have the train take up a lot of room.  Plus we could close it off when we needed to.)  Judson loved it!  He would have eaten and slept out there if we'd have let him.

My dad had put up a lot of Christmas lights outside, so once it got dark, he and I took the kids out to look at them.  I was sad not to be in Bandon this year, and I missed our traditional trip to Shore Acres (see here and here).  However, being outside with Judson and Macy ooh-ing and aah-ing over the lights felt a tiny bit like being at Shore Acres.  At least I told myself it did.  :)

Right as we got outside, Macy stepped out of one of her shoes and was hysterical.  She was screaming like she'd lost a limb and nothing we said or did was calming her.  My dad offered to hold her hand; she kept screaming.  Then Judson said, "I'll hold your hand, Macy.  That will keep you calm," and she instantly stopped crying, grabbed his hand, and off they went.  So sweet.

We had our big Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve (a change for us, but I loved it.  No crazy dinner prep on Christmas Day!) and Anna's brother and his girlfriend joined us (third year in a row).  Then, I went to the eleven o'clock service with my parents and Christmas Eve was over...

Each grandchild has a car with his/her name on it.

 

When looking at them, it's hard to believe she's only nine months younger!

They found one that had burned out.

Just a little game of "Ring Around the Rosie" afterward.

It was FINALLY a clear day and Cooper was so excited to see the moon!