Christmas Eve

On my side of the family we have a ton of holiday traditions. Kylan has a few on his side as well and living away from family for so many years we have come up with some of our own.
But there is one thing for sure that happens on Christmas Eve...the opening of the Christmas pj's! I know, it's a tradition that most people have.
Keion helped Emory open her first present. She actually did a really good job and was into it.

 

 

 

 Then Emory helped Keion, because he is a teenager and what teenager doesn't need help??? (not just presents!)

 

 

 

 

 Then we open gifts from the family exchange. I don't know what it is but we cannot make it through opening gifts without having complete giggling attacks. I think it's because we are sitting there so long and recapping the days events and making fun of each other. Whatever it is the laughing is contagious!

 

The kids are ready for Santa!

 

 Another tradition we have is eating Chinese for Dinner. The food, not the people. Now that I am looking at this picture I realize how lame it is that we are eating from the takeout containers. Next year I am setting the table!

I think I love the holidays more for all the traditional things we do and the memories that come along with that. I also love making memories for my kids and hope they continue to carry on some of the traditions when they have families of their own.
Next year we will be closer to family so we will be able to participate in so much more but for now and the past several years, I have loved spending Christmas with just this little family of my own.

Christmas Sunday

The first thing we all do when we get home from church is to quickly change into our pj's.
I know some people don't think you should do that but hey, it's what we do.
So, after church Sunday we remembered that we hadn't even taken pics of the kids and Keion was already half undressed when we called him down to come take pics.
Being a 16 year old boy you can imagine how enthusiastic he was about that. (insert sarcasm)
He was getting mad at us and tried hiding behind Emory.

 

 

 That didn't last too long because Emory started grabbing Keion and messing around with his bow tie.
She was making him laugh.
Attitude gone!

 

 

 By the time we were all done laughing both kids were done. So this is what we are left with.

 We tried to grab a few pics of Emory after Keion quickly bolted upstairs to change.

 

 

 

I failed at capturing how great the two of them looked. I guess there is always next year.
I am going to try and get all of our Christmas pics posted on here right away. I really want to do a better job with my blogging.
So many have dropped off blogging and I miss it. I don't keep track of friends and family as well. I guess everyone is on pinterest all day and too busy or just posting on Instagram. But  hey, not me, I will be back here and hopefully more frequently!

Pullin's Christmas Progrum & Final ENT Party

This year was the grand finale for our annual Christmas parties.
Of course we had to go out with a bang at the Pullin's party. For the past two years we have dropped the ball in the talent portion of the party.
Two years ago Sara was pregnant with Henry and was sick and then last year I was fat and pregnant with Emory and not feeling the holiday joy. So this year we had to bring it and end on a good note.
We got our other friends the Prescott's to join us in a flash mob, dancing the gangnam style!
It was a hit and we had a blast.
There is a short video clip of part of it but I hope it never comes to surface...I am thinking sometime in the future I will be blackmailed with it!

We then had our white elephant gift exchange. Always entertaining and fun.

We also had a final ENT party. It was thrown together last minute so it was not the greatest party we have had. It is still fun getting together with Kylan's fellow residents.

It's hard to believe this is going to be our last Christmas here in Michigan. Next year and for all of the years following we will be close enough to spend the holidays with our families. We look forward to it but somehow we will still have to make it to the Pullin's Christmas Progrum!