Christmas Eve Festivities!

We had our Hirst Family Christmas at my parents house on Christmas Eve and had a great time! That room gets fuller and fuller with our ever-increasing number of grandkids! We're noticing that it's definitely getting harder to keep everyone "patient" long enough until it's their turn to open their next gift (it takes a long time to get through 18 people worth of gifts!) (good thing there's only 2 packages for each person!).

Grandma had a craft all set out for when we got there, the kids got to color nifty cups that they'd get to drink out of throughout the remainder of the evening. It was neat seeing how all the older kids' coloring has progressed over the years! We then had a super yummy meal!!! Then the cousins put on a little talent show: sang various songs, James read some verses, Abby read the Christmas story out of the bible, and a couple more songs. Time for presents! Everybody got such perfect gifts. Which leaves one thing left, DESSERT! Yes, 4 options of desserts to choose from (or have all 4 of course!). At last, the youngins started "hinting" that it was time to call it a night, so we tidied up as much as we could with "hinting" children at foot (aka: tired & fussy), and I'm sure left a terrible mess for my parents to clean, and headed home (which reminds me that I'm thankful for all the DOT crews making the roads drivable, and us all having rigs that could plow through the rest of the snowy roads, and crazy parents who shoveled and shoveled to help us get into their driveway) :-)

Once home, we got all the kids in their Christmas PJ's, read Twas The Night Before Christmas, Jacob said a prayer, tucked them all in bed, and off Matt & I went to wrap wrap wrap :-) What a great day!!!

Jacob & Grandma hanging angel ornaments

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Maya & Jacob showing off their lost teeth!

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Juliana holding "Baby Jonovan" :-)

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Jacob helping Aliya color her Christmas cup.

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Jonathan is SO cute!

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Aunt Denise holding Baby Jonathan.

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Baby Jenna goin' for Grandma's glasses...they all do...

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Kyra and her awesome cousin, Kyra!

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Abby, Kyra, James & Jacob singing Jingle Bells.

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Maya, Kyra & Abby singing Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer.

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Jenna's first Christmas!

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Jacob was SOOOO excited about his letters!!!

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The longest pose EVER!!!

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Juliana opening her first gift :-)

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James slyly picking out a present for himself :-)

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James' new Frame-It game.

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Juliana was on cloud nine over this gift!!!

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Aliya excited about Elefun!

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Jacob's cool Solar System book!

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Jenna hanging out with Aunt Stephanie.

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Maya's turn to open gifts.

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PINKALICIOUS!!! A well-loved book!

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A very happy Jonathan opening a gift.

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Kyra's so funny :-)

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Jonathan's cool John Deere tractor!

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Curly Lox opening a Disney book!

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Baby Jenna's so happy :-)

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A happy Juliana :-)

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Jacob helping open Jenna's gift.

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Our "Happy Birthday Jesus" Cake!

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Time for bed!!! Santa's coming soon!!!

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All three kiddos in their Christmas PJ's!