CHRISTMAS EVE 2010!

Steve and I absolutely LOVE Christmas. We love to feel closer to the Savior, spending time with family, and enjoying all the traditions that we share with both sides of the family. Steve and I starting the Christmas season by decorating our HUGE tree which we cut down off my Grandfather's property in the mountains. It was so big we had to get a little creative on how we were going to get it in our home since we live on the third level. But with the help of my mom and Larry we were able to get it up.





Then we were finally ready to decorate!!! I love Christmas trees. They bring me back to my childhood and all the fun memories and traditions of Christmas. It took me three hours to put 12 boxes of lights on the tree.


We spend Christmas Eve with Steve's side of the family. It is always fun! We have several traditions, but there is always something new every year. We usually sing, exchange white elephant gifts, eat, read of Christ's birth from the Bible, eat fudge made by Uncle Curt, listen to "Star Belly Snetches" quoted from memory by Aunt Jolynne, and of course laugh.

Here is Steve singing with his Dad, a few of his brothers, and one of his sisters. They ended it 'Buda Belly' style. Amanda won, it help's she is eight months pregnant.



Uncle Curt taught us all how to play a harmonica. It is a lot harder than it looks. With everyone playing (old and young) all at once we sounded..uh...harmonizing.



Even the grand-kids got into the music by playing their instruments.

Here's Jerry (Steve's Dad) reading the story of Jesus's birth.

It is also B-Rod's (Brodrick's) Birthday so we celebrate him for awhile with cake and presents.



Then we all start to open our white elephant gifts. Joylnne supplies most of them. We have so much fun trading and laughing. Someone ended up with just a bag of dried beans and others got really nice gifts. That is what makes it fun, you never know. Benja and Jon got me a picture of Steve dressed in a wig and his brother's old work out shirt that he wore to his brother's 40th birthday party. We all dressed like we were in the 80's. Steve went a little over the top. What can I say, I married a hottie!





We ended the night with Jolynne's presentation of "Star Belly Sneches". Remember it is all memorized.


It was a great Christmas Eve. I love reading of Christ and reflecting on his birth and what his life means to me. I love laughing with family and being close together. There is hardly anything that is better than this.