'Twas the Night Before...

Christmas Eve is ...... kinda a big deal in our family. And we like it that way. We loved having almost the WHOLE family there for Christmas Eve. (Plus a few extras!) It is always fun, and filled with food -- which is part of the fun, right?

This year, Grandma asked each smaller family group to do Charades, with the title of a Christmas song for the answers. Some were more creative than others. (Chalk me up under the Lacking Creativity category.)

This was one of the songs. Can you guess which Christmas song it represents?

Yep, you got it! It's, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree". With real rocks.

We have a tradition of playing chimes with our songs, too. This year, we did it slightly differently, and had the added challenge of playing harmony with the chimes. Somehow, it helps if Grandma keeps everybody together:

A different group for a different song:

I caught Brandon hitting his chime with great enthusiasm. Look at that swing!

Alyssa played the piano for some of our songs, too. First time I've had someone else to trade off with at the keyboard.

Here's the whole group, minus Aunt Penny, who had to work that evening. This is us, and spouses, and kids and a few girlfriends thrown in here and there:

After the festivities, and we went home, the girls went downstairs to sleep. Yes, this is the same room where we'd had the water damage..... note the bare cement wall in the corner. Darcie is credited with building the mothership of all blanket forts:

Darcie was MOST put out that we had to take one of the fort props (the music stand) with us to Grandma's for Christmas Eve. But she rebuilt when we got back home. And THAT is where they slept. I'm counting 5 different blankets, just on the floor. Six blankets make the top of the fort. Pillows? Just a LOT.

Snug in their beds? Not exactly. But I think Emma loved every moment of it! Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!