Keeping Up With The Bandermann's: Christmas Eve

***Sidenote - Apologies for the BILLION different Christmas posts...but it's easier for me to just do one "event" at a time rather than one HUGE post, which would be so big and stress me out. The last few (and several more to come) posts are MAJOR picture overload!!

On Christmas Eve morning we headed over to my parents house to celebrate and open presents. Ryan had to work until noon, so we headed over early and ate brunch with my mom and dad, and Lindsey and Curt. Once Ryan got there we were ready to open presents. YAY! It's so fun when you really like the gifts you get for people and can't wait to watch them open them. I was also excited to see my mom's reaction to one of my dad's big presents for her!

Brynn already likes Starbucks? OH BOY!
Just kidding...we got gift cards in the cups and she wanted to look like a big girl and "drink" out of it. =)

She could pretty much open the presents all by herself this year, and she would say "pez-ints!"

My mom has cross-stitched everyone's stockings.
Curt's wasn't finished yet, so when we got over there we were laughing because she put all
of Curt's stocking gifts behind her "cross-stitch loopy thing." HA!

My dad MADE this cute table and chairs for Brynn for Christmas! The really neat thing is that he
modeled it after a table/chair set his Dad had made for his sister. His dad passed away before I was born, so this
was a really neat way to remember him.

And of course once Grandpa brought up the table for Brynn she told him to "seat seat her Ba-paw!"
Translation - "sit here Grandpa"!

And the $2 stocking-stuffer chapsticks that my mom got her were the HIT of the day!
They had to line them all up, take the lids off, put them all on, etc.

Princesses and a Tennessee headband from Aunt Lindsey and Uncle Curt!

Abby and Elmo!

Playing new musical instruments!

WHOA!
My dad splurged and got my mom a beautiful bracelet from Tiffany!

When my dad decided to splurge on this gift he had it sent to my house so my mom wouldn't see it. I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to play a little trick on Ryan. The day it came to the house I sent Ryan a text at work that said something along the lines of "I can't believe I ruined your best Christmas present ever...but the UPS man hand-delivered the box to me. I can't believe you bought me that! You are too much! Yada yada..." Well Ryan sends back a text that says "what?" I continue to play it up and say "that's cute that you are trying to hide it, but I know you bought me that! I can't believe it!" He gets home and I give him this huge hug and he is looking at me and saying "I really don't know what you are talking about. I didn't buy you anything like whatever you are talking about." It was pretty funny. I finally showed him the Tiffany box and he was like "I'm glad you are excited about that, but I don't know who it's from...it's NOT from me!" I could not stop laughing...pretty fun!

Lots of fun and LOTS of spoiling! Then Curt and Ryan took Brynn back to our house to nap (the boys tried to hook up this garage door code kit that we had gotten for Christmas) and my mom, Lindsey, and I all stayed at my mom's house and COOKED our tails off for my mom's annual Christmas Eve get-together that we have with my grandparents and aunts and cousins from my mom's side of the family.

At 5:30 we had a Christmas Eve service at church, which I love! However, there isn't ever child care at this service (which I totally understand them not having), which makes it more challenging. Brynn did good during the singing, especially when we were all standing up singing and I could hold her, and then Ryan took Brynn, Ebby Lee, and Nixon up to the front with all the kids while our Pastor read the Christmas story. But during the sermon part and the Lord's supper it was a little hairy. I brought a LOT of things to keep her occupied (and even gave her some gum to keep her quiet...HAHA...bad mommy alert!) but to be honest I don't really remember anything our pastor said! =) Oh well...it's still such a fun and special thing to go to.

Then we all headed back to my mom's house for the Christmas Eve party. We always have hot chicken salad, smokies, rotel, etc. YUM! I WISH we could have just sat more and visited with everyone, but with little kids that doesn't always happen! HA! =) We spent the second part of the night downstairs hanging out with the little ones and watching them all dance together, which was quite hilarious.

Ebby Lee, Brynn, and Nixon
(oh, and my dad's head..ha!)

David (a college student that came over to celebrate with us), Curt, Tab, and new little Bowen!

Ryan and I headed home and even though we were both so tired from all the festivities, we stayed up WAY too late putting together Brynn's princess castle and watching Christmas movies.