Christmas Eve Festivities

We had a great holiday this year. We spent Christmas Eve at my parents home. I was in charge of bringing the seven layer bean dip. As you may have heard from my earlier post, I think that I must have over done it on the dip, because I thought I was going to internally explode for the following week. Next time I am asked to make something, I am thinking I will volunteer for a vegetable tray!

At my parents house, we started out by eating dinner. After dinner, we played Budda Budda Bingo, which of course, I did not win (that must be why I don't enjoy Vegas, I am a poor loser!). After trying unsuccessfully about twelve times to master the Bingo card we played a Christmas game. My mom read a story and everytime she said left we passed our gift to the left. Everytime she said right, we passed our gift to the right. I think Jaxon enjoyed this game the most. Everytime he would get a new present he would pick it up and hit my dad or brother on the head with it. He also giggled most of the game.

Then we all opened our gifts from my parents and they opened their gifts from us. Jaxon loved every single one of his gifts and plays with them non-stop. There was one gift from Gwamma and Papa that he still has not put down ... a microphone and electric guitar. Whenever dad plays his Guitar Hero that Santa brought him, Jax grabs his guitar and jams! He now makes me use the microphone to announce what he is doing through out the day. If he is walking into the room, I have to say, "Announcing the amazing Mr. Jaxon Unrein." If he is ready to leave the room, I announce, "Thank you, thank you very much." If he comes into the room bouncing on his new horse, I have to say, "Here is Jaxon Unrein and his amazing horse Bullseye (or Poop-stain, depending on the day!)." Then he gets bucked off the horse, which I have to announce into the mic, remounts the animal and rides off in all his glory as I say, "That was a great ride Cowboy!"

Darrel got a remote control helicopter from my parents. I think he wore that one out before the clock even struck midnight. The helicopter is now in peices in my bedroom with big hopes of being repaired. We will see!

After all the presents were opened, we sat down and read the Christmas Story from Luke. We are not a musically inclined family and most days, we are the ones at church that only mouth the words to the Hymns, but my dad put together a little program where we read a little of the story and then sang a Hymn to go along with it. It was very nice to remember the reason for the Christmas Holiday and we all enjoyed it.

After twenty something years of spending Christmas Eve with Santa CLaus, it was very nice to be able to sit down and to celebrate Christmas Eve with some of our own new traditions.