Christmas Eve is one of the very best days of the year to be a child. Combine Christmas Eve with being at your grandparents house and you have a pretty special time. We have a tradition of opening new Christmas Eve jammies on Christmas Eve morning and the kids were excited!
We woke up to admire a wonderland of Utah snow. This is the road in between Grandma's and Grammy's. This is a special path for our kids.
It doesn't matter the season, when I visit Mapleton I realize what a beautiful, perfect place I grew up in. The sight of this mountain is something I adore.
Heidi and Nathan were excited to get some sledding time in on Grammy and Grandpa's hill.
Daddy and Nathan spent the morning making orange rolls 'a plenty.
We had originally not planned on going to Utah for Christmas and then at the last minute things worked out that we could make it. We only told our parents that we were coming and wanted to surprise my siblings on Christmas Eve. We enjoyed ringing the doorbell and caroling at the start of the big celebration at my parents house. Some of my siblings were more surprised than others..haha ;)
A group of the cousins, all in their new pajamas, singing a few Christmas carols.
This was the first time in a while that all my siblings were together. It was WONDERFUL. I love my family!
We enjoyed a wonderful presentation of the nativity scene by cousins, while Grandpa read the Christmas story from the Bible.
And the evening would not be complete without the Christmas gift exchange. We each draw one family's name and each cousin draws another cousin's name for a small gift. Our family has grown big enough that this turns into quite the event and it was really fun to be there for it all this year.
Nathan was thrilled to get a monster truck and a chocolate tool set from his Engler cousins.
Grandma made each grandchild a cozy fleece blanket. Our kids have slept with theirs every night since.
And then it was off to bed before Santa arrived!
Nathan chose to sleep in the playhouse closet. He was a little concerned that Santa might peek in on him while he slept so he created a little barricade on top of the small trampoline.
And Heidi chose to create a fort underneath Grandma's sewing table and felt so very cozy!
And that is how we spent the night before Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa's house.
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