Christmas Eve

Last night we made homemade pizzas!  Ellie has been wanting pizza with lots of meat on top since she didn't get it at her school party last week.

 She loves to help me cook in the kitchen!

 Graham was more interested in the eating part!  He kept looking at the pizza and asking if it was ready yet.

 We normally like to cook them on the grill, but we had a playdate and by the time they left and Ryan got home we were too hungry to wait for the grill to warm up!

 This morning we made pancakes!  We hosted a big pancakes and pjs party last Christmas Eve, but its so hard to host when you have so many friends and don't want to hurt anyones feelings if they are left out.  Since we just moved a week ago and still have mostly empty rooms we decided to just make them as a family this year!

 It was 70 degrees again today so we made Santa and Baby Jesus cards with Christmas stickers outside and opened a present from our sweet friends The Robersons! (excuse the muddy pond in the background!)

 This is the kids first game and we played it for a long time!  There are times I get sad my babies are gone and Graham and Ellie are just growing up so fast, but at times like these I get excited because we can start having family game night! And yes Ellie is wearing a tacky headband and her Dorothy costume.

 Ryan had every single door in the house open and the breeze was perfect!

After lots of games we made cookies!  Graham said his were for Santa and Ellie said hers were for Baby Jesus's Birthday!

 Ryan's Santa cookie was my fav!!!

After naps we headed to church.  

The kids did great and sat still and quiet during the entire ceremony.  My favorite part was whenever Graham heard them talk about Mary or Joseph or the Angels or Shepard he would start singing the song they learned in school "Mary and Joseph and the sweet little baby boy" and Ellie was very into the Silent Night Candle!

After church we headed to a Christmas Eve party.  This is our fourth year attending and I swear it gets better every single year!  The theme this year was Feliz Navidad and they even had some amazing people cater it so we didn't have to cook, serve and watch all the kids!  That was truly a present in itself!

The musical instruments on the mantle were each families take home gift!  Graham played it and sang to us the entire ride home:)

Here are the photo booth props

 The kids love Mexican food so they were thrilled with the spread!

 Graham loved the mailbox for Santa letters.

 Ellie was just so happy.  She kept looking at me and saying "Merry Chripmas Mommy"

 Family photo booth pic!

 Holly brought all the ingredients for reindeer food again this year.

  Pin the nose on Rudolph!!!!

 Ellie has a very special place in her heart for Holly.  

 Piñata time!!!!!

 Love this proud look on Ellie's face after her turn.

This is seriously one of my favorite nights of the year.   The group just is so fun and so easy and laid back.  I am very thankful for friends who open up their house to all of us year after year and for the time we spend with our "Charlotte family"!