Christmas Eve 2012

We had a great time celebrating Christmas, and I hope you did, too! Christmas Eve we did our traditional 9-foot sub from Subway, and ate with LL's family.  His Aunt, Uncle, cousins, and their kids were visiting from Oklahoma, so we had a very full house!

The sub was so big that it was divided into 3 sections this year.  When we were done, there wasn't much left!

Collette was super excited to meet and play with her second cousins, LL's cousin Ben's girls.  Esther is only a few months older than Collette, and the two of them had a blast playing together.

Our friend and LL's former advisor from Bucknell, Dr. Nyquist, gave the kids a SEVEN AND A HALF POUND chocolate Santa from a local (and really, really good) candy company, Purity Chocolates. She suggested the kids share it with their cousins. :) So, we brought it along.

Dr. Reitz got the job of dissecting Santa:

It was sooooo good.  But there is still approximately six pounds of chocolate left, even after 25+ people ate it.

Trey thoroughly enjoyed his first sampling of Purity Chocolate (and don't you just love his little bulldog outfit from Aunt Gwen and Uncle Jon? So cute!):

After lunch and an afternoon of talking and playing with cousins, we went home and got the kids naps before our Christmas Eve Candlelight service.  We had to wake both of the kids up to get them ready, so they were not in the most cooperative mood for pictures, but here they are, ready for church!

Our church service was really nice. The kids both went to nursery, but at the end, when they passed out the candles and were getting ready to sing, I went and got Collette.  She got to hold her own candle (with help) and sang the last two songs with us. She really enjoyed it!

After church, we went to our church friends' Christmas party for a little bit. We had a great time, but the kids were beat after their long day, so we didn't stay long. Collette really liked this white Christmas tree, though, and requested a picture by it (this is her "fake" pasted-on smile she gives when someone tells her to smile.)

Collette got this dress from her cousin's cousin (on the other side) and she loves it. She was so excited to wear it! (I guess she has a thing for plaid, since both of her Christmas dresses were plaid this year!) My little Southern Belle in her smocked dress! I hope all of my Southern friends are proud!