I think we're alone now

So I can put my freshly wrapped gifts under the tree for as long as needed... until Eli wakes up. :)

I LOVE Christmas shopping! If we had good money, I would buy everyone I know tons of presents! I love it!! Sometimes when it's time to open them on Christmas I get a little anxious because for some reason I completely forget what we bought the person! strange?

Anyways, before I got married my side of the family's Christmas tradition was (and still is for them) to allow all the kids to open one present on Christmas Eve Eve! We celebrate Christmas with our whole family... all the aunts, uncles, cousins... the works. We thought that was so cool! The only downside was the parents got to pick the present, and usually it was Christmas pajamas or socks or something. bummer. :)

Then on Christmas Eve we would all go to the Christmas Eve service which is my absolute favorite service of the whole year! It would be beautiful! Candles everywhere, everyone dressed all warm and cozy, and we would get to hear the story of when Jesus was born and sing Christmas songs. I love that service. After church we would go home and my grandpa, Pa, would make his delicious chili. We would eat chili, eat dessert, and everyone would go into the living room and a kid would get to be "Santa" and pass out presents from under the tree to everyone. It always started out as going "one at a time" so everyone could see you open your gift but by the end "Santa" would get annoyed and ready to go and just started shelling them out to people. 

After that, usually my uncle John has been picking up all the paper during the openings, and so we all get ready for bed. The little kids would all go to bed after setting out milk and cookies, and the big people would stay up to help Santa.

Christmas morning we all rush to the tree to see what Santa brought. We had so much fun! We would eat the same meal that we do on Thanksgiving on Christmas and after lunch we open up stocking stuffers. 

I love Christmas! Do you have any traditions?

Now... I know Eli isn't quite yet 12 months old... and I know that he's not saying that many words, but y'all I promise this kid is trying so hard! Please tell me you hear him trying to say real words here! The dang battery died at the end...