Christmas Traditions Part 3 - Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was a big day for me growing up as Christmas was.  Christmas Eve was always spent with my dad at my gramma's house.  To be living back in Jacksonville and able to attend the annual Christmas Eve means a lot to me.  Not to mention to have 4 children to make this tradition with :). 

We spent the day getting ready for Christmas... cooking, baking, playing, we let the kids open up 1 present each.  This year they really didn't bug us to open up presents everyday... which really surprised me.  Then we go to my gramma's for Christmas Eve dinner.  This year (and last year) we had pizza.  As my gramma is getting older this has been easier for her and everyone loves pizza! 

The kids opening their Christmas Eve present.

 At my Gramma's house.  I love the look on Taylor's face at all the presents... especially that BIG one! :)

My Gramma and Addison.  Addison loves my gramma. She calls her the "old Gramma" and says "she's so cute!"  I've told them they can't call her Old Gramma but just Gramma. :)

This was so cute... We gave my stepmom, Mary a collage picture of our family and Jackson LOVED it!  He literally sat there for like 5 minutes pointing talking and laughing at the pictures.

We were given a huge gift as a family and we are loving it!  Especially the kids! :)  My aunt got them a Princess Power Wheels.  They were so surprised and cute!  It was all put together underneath the box so we lifted the box up and seriously before the box was all the way lifted up Addison had jumped into the drivers seat!  It was hilarious!  I guess she knew how to get first dibs!

Addy claiming her spot! :) LOL

The girls outside test driving it!  They caught on really quick.  We have to go over some safety rules ;)  or they will run someone over!

Jackson getting a ride.

We got home late and didn't get the kids down until about 10:30.  They didn't have a nap that day either and seriously their heads hit the pillow and they were OUT! 

Taylor and Jackson ready for bed in their Christmas jammies.

Taylor snug in her bed fast asleep.

Payton passed out.  She is in Taylor and Addy's room.  When Papa and Nana are in town she gets to sleep over in their room... and she loves it! :)

My Sweet Pea... sweetly sleeping. :)

I didn't dare try to get a pic of Jackson out of fear of him waking up! LOL

And here is our tree with all the gifts set up and ready for the morning!

Christmas Traditions Part 2 - Ginger Bread House and Winter Wonderland

So this is the second year that we've made a ginger bread house.  It's a lot of fun and the girls love it (and Nathan)  This is totally Nathan's thing... he puts it all together.  And helps the girls decorate.  I help to and take pictures. :)  We used all our leftover candy from Halloween (and probably Easter!)  It was great to clean all that out and I had almost thrown it out a couple days before we did this. 

Addy taking some candy :)  Here is the house all done complete with a laffy taffy and tootsie roll walk way!

We went to St. Augustine's Winter Wonderland.  It was really cute and pretty reasonably priced.  Admission is free and so are some of the activities and other things depending on what you wanted to do cost something.  We went with Nana and Papa and Lily and Nicholas came too.

The girls in the Elf Village.  This was a cute set up of a ton of little play houses.

Taylor and Daddy

Daddy and all 3 girls

Jack Jack

 They had "sleigh rides"

Papa and Addy

Daddy and Payton

Taylor

 Jackson giving Daddy pounds

The "snow" fall.... it was bubbles!  Guess that's what you get when it's 70 degrees in FL on Christmas!

Can you see the "snow" in Addy's hair?

 Daddy and the kids at the tree

Me and the kids at the tree

Ballet Performance

The girls have been in ballet since August.  We go once a week. They love(d) it!  Payton stopped doing it after about 4 lessons.  I wasn't sure how she would do since she is only 3 but wanted to include her if she wanted to.  So she hasn't been doing ballet for a while but to her she is doing ballet she loves to dress in her outfit.  So... Taylor and Addy have been practicing for this performance since October.  They love it!  And for some reason Taylor decides to not do ballet anymore... 3 weeks before this performance... SIGH.... not sure why.  She just says she doesn't want to do it anymore.  We tried talking to her about fullfilling her commitment and after this performance she didn't have to do ballet anymore. But we needed to give the teacher notice.  Everything went great and Taylor agreed.  However she didn't do it.  But its a learning curve for her.  So Addison is in ballet now and she is the only one who did the performance and she was sooo cute!!!! 


Taylor doing stretches before hand "trying" to do ballet. :)

 Time for the performance they line up.

 Is Payton really going to do it.... :)

Here is where she changes her mind and comes running to me...

 Addy did great.  Here she does her turn.

 At the end the girls blow kisses to the audience.  Addison blows 4 kisses :) It was hilariously cute!

I was so proud of Addison I seriously had tears in my eyes! 

So we now only have 1 daughter in ballet.  We've asked Taylor if she would like to do another activity and right now that answer is no.  So we'll see what the future holds! :)