Sunday, December 26, 2021

Our Merriest Christmas Eve Ever!!

 Every year I think, "This is the very BEST Christmas Eve EVER!!"

I've planned and prepared just about everything ahead of time and it all went off without a hitch, making it as enjoyable for me as it was for everyone else.

I was up early putting the last touches to things while Louis Dean finished cleaning up outside.
Before we knew it - it was time to go to church!
My son, Jesse, and his family arrived at just about the same time we did.


Photo ops abound at Fellowship Church!
This is - from left to right-
Jesse, Faith, Sam, me, Louis Dean, Leigh Ann, Levi and Jaelynn.


Pam took the group pic for us and here we are together.

We were all early because the Bell girls were singing in the children's choir and none of us wanted to miss that!!


We all sat together - taking up the entire 8th row from the front on the right hand side!


Pam was on the end and took pics for me.
Can you see the three Bells??


I took this shot from the overhead screens.

It was an amazing service!
I wish I had taken pictures of the candlelight part......so beautiful as we all let our lights shine in the darkness.

We attended the 3:00 service and there was cookies and refreshments before and between the 3:00 and the 5:00 services so we lingered a little bit since the Bells had to stay since the girls were singing in both services. Except for Harrison! He is absolutely crazy about his cousins and he only gets to see them a few times during the year.....so he rode back to our house with them and Amber and Mike and the girls came afterwards.


I had an appetizer table all set up as I knew everyone would be hungry!



I loved hearing the hum of conversation......
here is Mike showing the video of his recent hockey game (he's on a hockey team as well as the kids!) where he made the winning score in a shoot out. I think that's what you call it!

So some gathered in the living room......


and since it was so warm, others went out to the deck and the gazebo.


Snippets of Christmas Eve......


Summer gave Louis Dean his Christmas gifts out there where she had his undivided attention.
A builder's pencil attached to a cord that pulls out and then goes right back - so he won't be losing his pencil every time he turns around!


She knows him well!!!


People were gathered in groups all over the place and every one mingled here and there.


Sam and his girlfriend, Jaelynn.
Harrison was so funny!
He said, "I'm actually surprised y'all are still together!"
It seems relationships don't last long in the 4th grade and he thought that was the way it worked with college kids, too!


I love having our gazebo as an extra 'room' and with our mild Texas winter so far - we are using it quite often! 




The kitchen is always a favorite place to hang out!





I love all these pictures!
My handsome son, Benjamin!


Only Trystan changed clothes after their performance.
Opps, Louis Dean did, too!


The kids all love being together!



Sabrina always brings something - no matter what!
This was popular - especially with Ben who scored in taking home the leftover dilly bits!


Next year, I will have a big pot of Queso!
Levi thought he smelled it but it was probably the pepper poppers - which were a big hit.
I promise you some Queso next year, Levi!
And I will have some for Good Friday, too, since that's the next time we are all usually together.





The veggies all done!





Preparing ahead was worth it all!!


Next year I will bake TWO hams!!


Everyone ate where they pleased as there are so many of us now. 
20 for dinner and everyone had a place setting.

We put up the perishables and prepared for the next round - Presents!!


I didn't do a big tree this year but next year I am getting a new one to put in the den to replace this small one.


I put my gifts into Christmas stockings.


I had as much fun filling them as they did opening them.


What a beautiful mess this is!!!


I'm spinning a Honey Bee Lazy Susan!


One of the things in all the younger grands stockings was a diary.
Logan immediately started writing in hers.
I told them it can be a journal or a place to record things or do sketches.
Each one has a lock and they seemed to really like that.
 For  Logan, I ordered one and the lock didn't work so they replaced it - and again the lock did not work. So I took a refund and ordered from a different place!
Pays to shop early so you have time to test things.


My two beautiful daughters.


Leigh Ann gave Louis Dean a laminated copy of the history of Pretty Paper.


She wrote such a sweet note to him.....


.....she knows how much he loves music and especially Willie Nelson!

Next up???


NUTS!!!!


One of the best gifts I gave all the grands was personalized playing cards.
To play NUTS, everyone has to have their own deck of cards which I had printed with their picture on them.


It was a wild time of cards flying and people yelling NUTS!!!


Alas, I used to be the Champion!
I did not win a single round this time and that's a FIRST for me!

Our final activity of Christmas Eve is rolling the sugarplums.


Next year I will make TWO bathsch of the candy dough!

this was the very first time I have had all my children and all my grandchildren with me at the same time.


I give you the Funny Faces first!


It was, indeed, a very Merry Christmas Eve!
Jimmy, a dear family friend took this photo for us.
20 people in all and each one so very special to me.
It was nearly midnight when everyone left....
The entire day went by at record speed.


And just like that - Christmas Eve is over!
But it was the best one ever!!




19 comments:

  1. Wow, what a party! It was a resounding success, and beyone perfect. And the food! Summer got Lous Dean the perfect gift! I did not even know such a thing existed! Your gazebo is huge inside! Wonderful photos to remember forever.

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  2. You're so lucky you could have your family for Christmas. Here in Canada, the numbers for Covid have risen again, and we all had to stay home without visiting family and friends. Even with all the vaccines and boosters. Hoping next year we can get back to being with others. We still had a lovely Christmas and are thankful for our good health.

    Happy New Year!

    X Chy

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  3. Everything and every one of the 20 folks looked grest. What a lovely thing that everyone could be there. It's t reminded me -- the food and all the folks -- of when we used to go to Mama's on Christmas Eve for dinner and to Mrs. Atkins' for Christmas Day lunch. Neither had a big house or a dishwasher, but we had fun at both.
    We,'d always go by her house after we left Mama's house so Ed could sneak a slice of country ham she had cooked that afternoon, and just to see them, too! I helped Mama with what she did, and helped Mrs. Atkins make pies and chicken salad.I always helped both my mom and her cook for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, and I loved doing both. Our nephew, who brought by ribs and a rum cake he and his wife fixed, spoke of remembering me always being in the kitchen with his grandmother on holidays. "Why didn't an of the other aunts help!?" He asked. I just told him the kitchen wasn't big enough for many helpers.
    He replied that it was plenty big for " eaters, though!" I had to laugh, but I told him I enjoyed ever minute of it. And I did.
    I am so glad everyone could be there with you! Everyone looked so good, and of course, the food did, too.
    Sending love and happy new year wishes -- it won't be long!

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  4. Oh wonderful! Yes, indeed, you were all together and having fun. 🎄😁
    I can't believe the warm temps you enjoyed. Perfect for a big gathering as you
    could spread out.

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  5. What a wonderful Christmas Eve you all had and all that wonderful food. You are clever in making things ahead so not to have to be rushing around cooking but instead enjoying the party.

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  6. All your work and preparation certainly paid offf. It looks like everyone had wonderful time.

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  7. What a wonderful Christmas Eve!

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  8. I love it all! So much fun.

    I laughed at Harrison's comment about Sam and Jaelyn! I saw her in a photo and thought "Oh, that's Linda's grandson's girlfriend!" So I noticed they were still together, too! LOL

    I love that you all have the best time together. What a blessing!

    Next year I am going to remember to record what is happening when we are all together. Often I just am being present, like this weekend but that doesn't allow for very many physical remembrances of our family time together!

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  9. i think this family get together might win the #1 place of all your get togethers, imagine them all in one place, your home at one time and it might not happen but it did. what a super fun time for all of you, to much here to comment on each wonderful moment. I did not know cards could have photos on them and that blows my mind. this post is full of happiness and joy

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  10. Oh Linda looks like the best time...You are so so blessed!!

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  11. You certainly had a beautiful time! We are under COVID restrictions! I see you don't even need masks! Hope you all stay healthy!

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  12. Linda , your party and family "do-ings" just give me chills. The memories made will last a life time.
    Beautiful family and fantastic that they could all be together!
    The Quads sure have been brought up with tender hearts. I love the special gift for LD from Leigh Ann..thoughtful.
    Wow to have the cards printed with everybody's name is a fantastic idea and perfect for your crazy game.
    What an amazing weekend.
    Those food tables were literally groaning with food...Yummy for sure.
    Sue

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  13. i watched every video and enjoyed them just as much as you enjoyed christmas eve. what a merry celebration and the food looks so amazing!!

    we played mexican train on christmas, i had never played before and it was so much fun!! i always say the same thing too. i spent christmas day with my great nieces and i told them it was my best christmas ever!! they said it was for them too!!

    from my blog...i don't think the gingerbread house would last from one year until the next, but i have never tried. i always make a new one each year!!

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  14. Linda, I'm at a loss for words. Words can't express the joy I feel in my heart for your family this special Christmas Day. God is so GOOD!.

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  15. Lovely photos, lovely people. Glad to see Rayne there and Summer. Lots of stockings to fill..and you did a wonderful job. You are so blessed to have this large family, and they are blessed to have you as their Matriarch. Again, thank you sharing

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  16. What a joy to have all your children together. It seldom happens for us anymore and it is so special. Merry Christmas!!

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  17. That's a huge team - how fantastic you saw them all together. Merry Christmas

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  18. I love that you had 'the best Christmas ever'! So fantastic to be able spend Christmas with your family. What a happy party it was!

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