3 Girls and a Guy

IT'S ALMOST TIME!!!! CHRISTMAS EVE! It's just our little family and Grammie and Papa on Christmas Eve. It's nice and pleasant. We went to a matinee Christmas Eve afternoon to help the time pass. This has become a tradition in our family-a movie and dinner at CARINOS. The kids love it, Renn and I love it, and Grammie and Papa love it. We saw the second Alvin and the Chipmunks which was not as good as the first one and then to dinner at Carinos. We were there a long time because the food was so slow. Maybe they only had one cook that night!!! On Christmas we have a big dinner so we wouldn't want to cook two days in a row!!!

I've tried to make some traditions with my little family on Christmas Eve to really remember the true meaning of Christmas. Renn and I have really tried throughout the month. This is the first time we acted out the nativity with just our family. Adri threw a fit and would not be the angel like she promised earlier in the day. It was frustrating so I filled in. It worked out okay, but we might need to perfect it for next year. Kaden helped me read I BELIEVE IN SANTA CLAUS. We do this every year. It's the best book that makes Santa okay and a symbol of CHRIST!!!! I love this book so much that I'm reading it in my Relief Society lesson today!!! There is also a picture in the top middle of the manger we made this month with good deeds and acts of kindness towards each other so that when Christ came it would be a comfortable manger. I think the kids did a pretty good job.

My mom and dad delivered all the presents to their children's house for Christmas even to Roosevelt and North Carolina. Good parents!! I love my bag of goodies. My mom and dad are way too nice. The funnest thing I received from them was a box that was entitled MEMORIES. It had Christmas ornaments and statues from when I was a young child. It brought back so many memories and I am so happy my mom saved them for us. I will cherish them forever. The kids got a piggy bank with money in it. The piggy bank they get to decorate themselves. Cute ideas Grammie girl!!! My mom and dad always made Christmas so special in every way and they still do to this day.

We had another melt down. A couple of weeks ago Abby asked for footie jammies. Then she changed her mind a couple of days before Christmas. Do you know hard it is to find PJ's a two days before Christmas. Hard!!! I finally looked at a couple of Targets and found some buried in the clearance racks. I lucked out on the 23rd of December. Abby opened two jammies and I had her choose from them. She cried and threw a fit because she didn't know which ones she wanted. I think she was exhausted and a mess. It was frustrating again. Why do kids have to do that. Well, everyone else loved them and it was time for bed. Kaden transformers, Adri Hannah Montana and Alex cute ones. Who knows what Abby will decide. She put on her old pjs. Got to love kids.

It was time for bed and the kids almost forgot Santa's snacks. Good thing Alex was thinking. Abby wrote a funny note, but she wanted Santa to have cold milk. Lights were off and kids in bed by 9 p.m. We had too many exhausted kids from sleepover and we had to make sure Christmas was great with rested children. Everyone was in bed by 10:30 p.m. at the McBrides even mom and dad!!!!! The next morning was MAGICAL!!!!!