Christmas Eve Night

     Last year, Riley and I started a few traditions with our family on Christmas Eve.  It starts with the Christmas Eve Candlight Communion service at church that night.  I sent both girls to the nursery so we could enjoy it (and actually they were the only ones since we have 3 times you can go...everyone with young kids went to the first service, but we couldn't do that this year).  I love this service and I usually find myself crying through most of it!  I feel like with all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, you sometimes loose track off what the real meaning of it all is.  And of course the music gets me everytime!  I also think about Riley's mom and how much she loved the Christmas eve service, too and how we wish she were here with us all the time but especially during the holidays.  I just remind myelf she is having the best Christmas in heaven celebrating Jesus' birth!

       When we got home from church, we got baths and got in our pjs. I get the girls a new ornament each year and then we have a new family ornament each year that we hang on the tree on Christmas eve. Riley reads Luke 2 and then I read The Night Before Christmas. We get cookies and milk ready for Santa and then its off to bed for the girls! After the girls are in bed, Riley and I always watch the movie Christmas Vacation (our favorite) on Christmas eve and get things ready for Christmas morning!

All ready for church

Of course we had to have the sippy cup in the picture! :)

Pop Pop, Riley, Anna Riley and Ava Kate before leaving
for church (and the sippy cup yet again!)

Christmas Eve 2011
(AND my child is smiling for the camera!! YAY!)



Anna Riley and Daddy hanging her ornament on the tree



Hanging the family ornanament on the tree





Leaving cookies and milk for
Santa or "HoHo" as Anna Riley says

Sorry Santa...Anna Riley couldn't resist taking a bite of
your cookie!!

Christmas Eve lunch with Granna and PawPaw

We had lunch with my parents on Christmas Eve.  Mom fixed lots of wonderful food and we ate and watched Anna Riley open her presents. Ava Kate will get to join in on the fun next year! Both girls got lots of fun stuff.  I don't remember everything but Anna Riley got a keyboard, leapfrog laptop, play makeup, a doctor set, a baby doll, and a latch puzzle from uncle Wesley,  and movies and books for both to share.  Ava Kate got a sound machine for her room, a toy bar for her carseat, and some winter clothes. 

Paw Paw helping AR open her presents

Daddy and Ava Kate watching
Anna Riley open presents

Anna Riley is very picky with baby dolls that she likes...
Granna finally found another doll that she likes!

Anna Riley and Uncle Wes

Getting more goodies out of her stocking



No trip to Berry is complete without
riding on the golfcart! 



PawPaw putting Anna Riley's makeup on! HAHA

No wonder she loves him so much!!

Playing Doctor on Granna

Sweet baby was worn out from the
excitement!

I love this picture!!
Anna Riley playing Doctor with Granny Boo!

Hollyhand Christmas

Saturday, December 23rd, we celebrated with first with the Hollyhand extended family with a potluck dinner (which I didn't take any pictures of) We got to see lots of family that we don't get to see often Then, we came back to Mr. Doug's to open presents and celebrate with the immediate family. I am so thankful for such great inlaws!  I couldn't ask for a better family to be a part of!  

Mimi and Ava Kate

Wesley and Duncan (not even 2 weeks old)

Sweet Brilyn

So sweet!  This is what it is all about!! :)

Duncan was able to sleep throughout all the chaos and
my bright flash! :)

Ainslee showing us what she learned in gymnastics!

Present time!

All the grandkids get a bigger gift from
Papa Doug and this was Ainslee's! 
She was the only one that actually had
her gift there...ours was part of a swing set.

She was sweet enough to let Anna Riley pretend to drive!

Family picture fail once again!
I will look back on this year one day and laugh at the pictures
that Anna Riley is refusing to take!

Earnest Christmas

      Saturday, December 17th, we had our Earnest Christmas gathering.  We always do it the week before Christmas so we don't have so much the week of.  This is one of my favorite gatherings during the Christmas season because we do all appetizers and party foods and we always have so much food! I wish I would have taken a picture of all the food we had because it was unreal.  My Mom always makes homeade eggrolls and they are so good.  She only makes them once a year usually because they are time consuming to make but it is requested she bring them each year!  

     It is also always great to see my family!  This year, Anna Riley really loved playing with her cousins.  We don't see them all that much but she just loved playing with them.  She felt like such a big girl and they were so sweet to let her play.  At one point, I went to check on her and she came to the door to close it and she said "bye, bye Mommy...see you later!"  Talk about getting so big!! 

Allee Beth and Anna Riley

Granna (or Gigi...I think Anna Riley
changed her name this weekend!)
and Ava Kate

Granny Boo and AR

Granny Boo and Ava Kate

Allee Beth, Addison and Anna Riley
They were so cute playing together!

Telling secrets! ;)

Paw Paw's girl!

Aunt Kat and Ava Kate

Mom and I

The party was at Janet's house and her dogs just had puppies
so Anna Riley got to pet one.  I think they were hoping we
would take one home...that's not happeneing yet anyways!

Ava Kate and Janet

My little Chunky Monkey! :)

Paw Paw and his Girls...He will kill me for
putting this on here with stains on his
shirt from feeding AR but I just
had to it was too sweet of a picture.
Sorry Daddy! :)