our favorite night of the year

After hugging, snuggling, talking and laughing on our arrival at home in SC, my family headed to the church we grew up in and my parents still are active members at, and went to a Beautiful Candlelight service that Lux slept through. 

It was perfect, although, i did try to keep the candle away from sleeping babe on my lap and in doing so, had hot wax drip onto my leg and through my jeans. yeow!

It's always fun to go home to my church and see everyone that we've grown up with, not to mention, get to sit next to my husband in church! And since Lux was sleeping, I got to participate in the service. It was a great way to just stop and remember why we celebrate the birth of Christ. 

We have the tradition of looking for those houses that looks like Christmas threw up on the front lawn (quote that my sister-in-love and husband always say;)) and we found a street with some fabulous lights. Bright colorful lights, cardboard figures, santas, reindeer, nativity scenes...everything was on these lawns. 

And in our car, it's rarely silent, so we're usually cracking up or talking loudly about one thing or another. It's so fun.

However, in the midst of all the fun, Lux decided that after three days of traveling, she did not think she should still be strapped into a carseat, so she let us know by wailing all the way home.

It was fun while it lasted. :)

First night staying at my house, and this girl got bathed, in her fun Christmas jammies, and snuggled everyone as they said goodnight. We always have our Christmas celebration at midnight on Christmas Eve, so while Lux headed to bed, we enjoyed some muddy buddies, and candied pecans, some of our family's favorites.

The hours leading up to midnight are always so much fun.

There's so much excitement in the air, everyone is busy bustling around, dancing in the kitchen, cooking, playing, singing, and laughter is a constant in this home...i love how it's never still with my family.

I was under the weather and sick while all this was going on, so I fell asleep on the couch while the rest of the family took pictures of me. I won't be posting those though.

Christmas dinner happens at 10pm and consists of juicy ham, roasted chicken (cuz our family doesn't really like turkey), green bean casserole, mac and cheese, fried rice, stuffing, and rolls...we always make plenty of leftovers because we eat it all day on Christmas day!

Daddy let Ryan read the Christmas story from Luke this year and he closed in prayer.

After that, we hurry and clean up all the dishes and the table, whip out our video cameras and cameras, and take our pics before opening presents.

our sister pic!

my parents.

 love them.

my boys.

missing Lux cuz she was asleep:(

but she heard all the commotion and decided to wake up and join us!:) 

She got to be a part of our midnight merriness!:)

Of course, this year, many of the presents were directed Lux's way.

She was amazed with all that was going on.

I think she was still processing her very loud happy family:)

My parents got her her very first American Girl doll.

This bitty baby looked JUST LIKE HER.

and lux thought this doll was a real baby.

and proceeded to talk to her, kiss her, and smack her on the head a couple times.

ya know, just like a real baby. lol.

it never gets old opening presents.

I still get giddy and excited when it's time to open presents at Christmas.

I think we all do.

My parents seem to have a gift in knowing what we want for Christmas, even without us saying a thing about it. 

So it's always so fun, finding out that they picked exactly what we wanted without saying a thing.

My sisters and I just feel like little kids again and get so excited.

It's just so so fun.

 And after we've ripped open all the presents, done our squealing, given our hugs all around, recorded silly videos of us during the gift opening, we clean up the living room, clear it up, drag our mattresses, blankets, and pillows out to the living room, and camp out as a family.

We fall asleep with just the lights from the tree twinkling and the tv playing the Home Alone movies..which is the ONLY time of the year we allow ourselves to watch it. Otherwise, it's locked away all year long until Christmas Eve:) 

on Christmas morning, we all wake up, and lounge in our pajamas all day long, play and test out our new "toys", and eat leftovers, while watching whatever Home Alone movies we hadn't finished, along with Jingle All the Way, The Grinch, and the Santa Clause.

Lux LOVES her new doll.

 There was a bunch of this going on too.

Snuggling, napping, and picture taking.

 She and daddy were helping set up one of Lolo's Christmas gifts and she fell asleep on daddy.

 and Lola and her did ALOT of snuggling on Christmas and napped together.

Well, that was our Christmas eve/Christmas folks.

It's my favorite day of the year.

My sisters and I always talk about how we feel like kids again whenever we come home.

Mom and Daddy just do that to us.

We love the traditions that they started with our family...and it's really fun to share those traditions with our own families now.

It's always sad when Christmas day is over,

and then to prolong the day, my sisters and I sleep one more night in the living room (this year watching Ashley's new 1D movie and squealing and jumping on the mattress while singing the songs).

*Sigh*

I love Christmas.

I love my family.

I can't wait til we get to do this all over again.