Christmas Part 4, Section A, Subsection III... Finally, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!

Whoa!  That was a lot of pictures and blog entries associated with "Christmas" to have not actually covered Christmas Eve or Day!  Here we go.  You'll notice a lot of smiles, all the Trospers and way too many gifts. 

 

Christmas Eve

 

Pajamas ~ A Christmas Eve Tradition

I know that many family's have this same celebration...opening one gift on Christmas Eve.  In our family, like many other families, that one gift is strategically chosen for the kids and it is always pajamas. 

 

My family's love for the movie, "Christmas Vacation", is well documented. 
So, when it comes time for Christmas Pajamas, these t-shirts made sense.

On the backs of the shirts were quotes from the movie.  Most had at least some
mild language that had been replaced by #%$&* and the like.  This was mostly
done so that the kids wouldn't read it and ask questions.  However, when my
Grandmother read the backs of the shirts out loud, she replaced the "#%$&*"
with the real words!  We all had a good laugh...then answered all the kids
questions. 

The Grandkids in their Christmas Eve duds:
L to R:  Dax, Leah, Mady, Lucas, Grace, Hailey and Jane

Jim's love for the movie, "A Christmas Story" is also well documented.
So these adult feetie pajamas made sense too. 

Of course, Grandma also scored some new Christmas Eve PJs.

Jim's family in their pink duds.  Mady, Sam, Hailey and Jim.

Leah got herself a pair of Gingerbread Man pajamas for Christmas Eve!

Mom loved her purple pajamas for Christmas Eve

I love that Leah is close in age to Grace and Jane that she has girl cousins to play with and relate to, but
it is also sweet to see her be the big cousin to them. 

White Elephant Gift Exchange

 Every year we celebrate Christmas with Sarah's family, we do a White Elephant Gift Exchange.  I thought we did the same thing in our family, but as we announced our intentions to do so, it was almost as if the announcement was made in some rare foreign language.  In the end, we all got it right and we had a fun time.  The best part was watching the looks on the kids' faces when they opened the gift only to find out that it was a crappy gift.  It was also fun to watch them get confused when somebody stole their gift.  They couldn't wrap their heads around that one. 

 

In the end, Madyson got the gift that was best suited for her.  Betty Cornell's
Teenage Popularity Guide for Girls.

Here are the kids and some of their gifts.  You can tell those who had had their
gifts stolen (Grace, Jane and Leah) as they clutch what is, at least temporarily.
theirs. 

Leah understood the concept of the exchange, but...

 

She didn't understand the concept of the gift being "not of any worth".  She
thought this was the greatest gift ever.  She kept asking me for weeks after
Christmas to show her how to make this gift work.  I couldn't get her to
understand that it was a joke and not really something to waste my time on.

 

Hailey Leilani and her fart maker.

 

 

This was an awesome gift, though scary to Sarah.  This was, at one time, hanging in my
parents' home.  It was a wicker basket straight out of the 70's that had caricatures of my Mom
and Dad stitched out of nylons.  It was made by our friend Jackie Smith and somehow my
Brother, Jim, had rescued it from destruction.  It is kind of scary, but such a great memory.

 

Scotty scored himself a sweet pair of candy cane braces! 

 

Which I promptly attached to his underwear.  It is, after all, a big Brother's responsibility to
give the younger Brother a wedgie and I am, after all, a master of efficiency in all that I do.

 

My white elephant gift was a handheld phone receiver that you plug into your
mobile device.  Retro is in!

 

Cynthia got some dorky 70's candles that we had at our home every Christmas.

 

I know, Grace.  It's hard to get excited about that little candle after so much
build up.

 

This is one of those times when Dax and Lucas felt ripped off from the whole
ordeal.  One of them got some boring book and the other a candle. 

 

"What the heck is this?!  I wanna trade again!"

 

Impromptu Dance Party

 



It started with Jane singing a song and then led to Leah and Grace doing some theater piece, but when Lucas got up to do his funky cool dance to "Monster Mash", the dance party was on like Donkey Kong!

Lucas' dance is a riot.  You can't help but to smile when you see it.  He has
these moves that he performs so mechanically that it makes it more fun. 

 

 

Jane singing her song.  I can't remember what it was, but I'm fairly certain it
was from the movie "Frozen".

 

Leah and Grace performing a reading of the story they wrote and illustrated.

Here is Grandma, Dax and leah doing the Whip and Nae Nae

All these kids have no fear when it comes to dancing and singing.

Grandma enjoyed the show.

The Reason for the Season

Of course, the reason we celebrate is not for the pajamas, food traditions, family, presents or fun.  While those things are all such great additions to the holiday, the reason we celebrate is to remember and rejoice in the birth of the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ.  Before retiring for the night, the kids (and Grandma, Hailey and Madyson) acted out the Christmas story from Luke 2. 

 



Grandma was one of the three Kings that visited the Christ child and brought
gifts of gold, frankincense and myrh.

 

Lucas was the shephard and Grace played Mary.  Leah and Jane were angels. 
Leah has always been Mary.  We typically do this tradition with Sarah's family
and Leah is the only girl on that side of the family until recently.  She has
always been Mary and she was SOOOOOO looking forward to being an angel
this year.  In fact, the last 2 years, she begged to be an angel because she wanted
to wear the cool feathered wings of the angel.  This year was her turn.  When
she learned that Jane was also to be an angel, Leah volunteered her wings to
Jane and was happy to do so of her own volition.  What a sweet girl she is.

 

 

 

The three kings, Grandma, Madyson and Hailey, presenting Mary and baby
Jesus with their gifts on bended knee.

Dax was not the most cooperative Joseph, but he was the cutest. 

 

Birthdays

 

 We took a little time to celebrate the birthdays of October, November, December and January, since we were all together.

 

Our January Birthday Girl

 

Our December Birthday Boy

 

Our October Birthday Girl

 

Another tradition in my family is giving ornaments.  My Mom always does a
good job of getting us ornaments that we look forward to.  My ornaments
typically have to do with something in my life from that last year. 

This year she gave each of the kids a Nutcracker.  I don't think she was planning on it, but
she had some and the kids asked for one.  What the Grandkids ask for, the Grandkids get.

We wrote letters to Santa to be placed snuggly in our stockings, sprinkled
reindeer magic dust on the lawn, left cookies and milk for Santa and a few
carrots for Rudolph and then headed to bed where visions of sugarplums
danced in our heads.  It was a great Christmas Eve. 

Christmas Day!!!!!!

 

This Christmas day fell on a Sunday and it did so on a year that our church congregation met at 9am.  Typically when my family is in town, I don't force the issue of them going to church.  If they want to go with us, they can, but I'm okay with it either way.  In fact, sometimes when they're in town I'll skip out myself for a little family time.  But if there was one Sunday that it seemed flat out wrong to miss worship, it would be on the very Sunday we are celebrating the birth of Christ.  With that in mind, I made it known early that we would be going to church Christmas morning and that we would have to patiently wait to begin opening presents that day.  Everybody agreed and, though it was hard for the kids a little bit, we all went to church.  Beforehand, we took a few minutes to check out our stockings and the overall loot left under the tree.  Jim's family did stockings at Mom's with her and Grandma while Scott's family did stockings at our house, then we all met at church.  We were actually early and the Christmas program was fantastic.  It certainly set the morning off on the right foot.

Stockings and Santa

Like I said, way too many gifts.

Christmas Morning the kids waited downstairs patiently until we gave them
the thumbs up. 

In our family, we typically leave Santa's gifts unwrapped and out front of the
tree.  The kids get to discover their gift from Santa, then read the  notes that
Santa left in their stockings and then go through their stockings.

Santa's gift to Leah was a super cool telescope and Dax got this Hot Wheels
racecourse stunt set.

I love that my kids show such amazing and genuine excitement and gratitude
for the gifts they're given.  Even if it's just a small orange.

Even Marley got a stocking filled with snacks, bones, a new collar and balls.

Time Out For Church
 



Scott and Cynthia with their kids, Grace, Jane and Lucas all ready for church.

I imagined that leaving the house Christmas morning for church would be a hard thing for the
kids.  It wasn't and it made me proud to be their Father to see that presents weren't so
important to them.  Dax is clearly sad in this picture, but it wasn't due to not opening the presents. 

It's quite a different routine to get all dressed up Christmas morning as opposed to
rolling out of bed and heading to the living room.  Just as Hailey`!

 

 Presents Presents Presents

 

It took us awhile to all get out of our church duds and into our pajamas or more casual clothing.  Then we had friends visit and had to get breakfast cooking.  Christmas morning breakfast is one of my favorite holiday traditions....BREAKFAST CASSEROLE!  After we finally got those things out of the way, we began opening presents and didn't stop for some time. 

 

Scott and Cynthia helping with breakfast.

 

Grandma and the kiddos enjoying some breakfast casserole and cinnamon rolls.

 

Dax got his Mom some bath bombs because he's such a punk and places so
much stress on her...as can be seen by his face and hers. 

Sarah and I purposely had a smaller Christmas this year for our
family.  Even still, we had much.  It took some time to even find
Leah's first gift and you could see it on her face that she realized
she was getting less than others.  I was so proud of her because she
maintained the proper gratitude and realized she had still been given
much...so much.  Sometimes I expect more of her in the form of
selflessness, but I must admit, she is a special and sweet little girl.
And therein lay the problem. I want her to have everything in the
world that she desires and deserves, yet I realize the need to practice
restraint.

All the kids were so cute and grateful.  Baby Jane with her baby doll from Grandma.

Me and the girls showing off the fans we got for Christmas.

Hailey and Mady checking out a gift.  I appreciate how close these two are.

Of all the hundreds of pictures we have of Christmas morning, my favorites
are those that show the love and appreciation for eachother.  Lucas giving
his Auntie Sam a big Thank You.

Quote of the day goes to Hailey who said, "I love Winter and cold weather!  With
all the accessories it's easier to look so much cuter!"

This year, all the adults drew names for gift exchanges.  I drew Scott's name.  Since
Scott and Cynthia are putting in a pool at their home in California, I got him some
pool toys, beach balls, dive rings, a blue tooth mp3 underwater speaker and light
show and this super skimpy hot pink and fluorescent green speedo thong with a
drawstring that has chrome skulls on the end.  His neighbors are going to kill me.

I got a fan from my #1 fan.

Grace showing off her new sewing studio!

Dax hugging Uncle Scott

Mom showing off her fancy birdhouse.

With the fresh snow we got, there was a small break to play in the snow. 

Scooter collected pics from all of us and made her this big "T".

When it came to the gift exchange, everybody wanted Sarah to draw their name. 
Jim won that lottery.  Among other things, he got this customer sweatshirt with
a Raiders logo on the back and "Just a kid from Chino" on the front.

These two love each other for sure.  They certainly know how to
push each other's buttons, but each one loves the other as a brother.

A book Sarah made for Mom.

This cute kid.

All the kids love their Uncle Jimmy

Grace looking through the magic glasses.

Both Jimmy and Leah got ukuleles for Christmas.  I taught Jim the three main
notes and he taught Leah.  Here they are practicing together. 

This was a great Christmas.  Sarah and I agreed to take it easy in the gift department
for each other because we had just bought a new bedroom set.  It may sound weird,
but I really enjoy not getting so many gifts.  Now, the gifts I got were awesome!
My Mom drew my name and got me a jacket, tickets to Donavon Frankenreiter
and this collection of the journal writings of Lewis & Clark. 

Grandma enjoying some of Sarah's traditional Christmas morning cinnamon rolls.

More hugs.  Hugs, love and appreciation were flying all over the place.

With all the gifts this kid got, his favorite of the day was the bubble wrap!

Sarah got from Cynthia a tourette (sp?) and a recipe book holder. 

Jim and Leah jamming on the ukes.

Dax's look says it all. 

Dax inquiring of Uncle Jim why his hair on his head fell lower to his face.

The girls got necklaces from Grandma (I think it was from Grandma Leslie).
Here are Leah and Jane inspecting each other's necklaces.

Cool clothes.  Two Paris shirts and a Trojans shirt.  This little girl loves a
few different things...Paris and USC are at the top!

Grandma covered by gifts.

More Family and More Food

After we were done opening presents, we had a great ham dinner prepared by Scott and Cynthia.  Sarah's family stopped by (photos in Christmas Part 1), as did Uncle Ray, Aunt Lyn and more cousins. 



The notorious "kids table"

Scooter and Uncle Ray.  Apparently Scott's belly tends to sweat when he cooks.

Ray, Grandma and Lyn visiting

A happy Mother to have her family altogether.  Of course, we missed Pops, but it was nice
to all be together.  I'm sure he was there in spirit or watching from above.



Hailey never once complained to be stuck with her family in Utah for the week.
She left her boyfriend behind and other than the occasional text, she was
fully engaged with us.  Not all Millenials are snowflakes.

Grandma was all tuckered out after a very long day.

Hailey was very brave to let Leah do her hair.

 

Dax getting a horseback ride from his cousin Chaiz.

We had a wonderful Christmas together, but this was just the beginning.  We would sled, shop, eat, make several Big Gulp runs, visit the sites, take family portraits and visit the Sharing Place.  What is the Sharing Place?  I'm glad you asked.  Stay tuned for more on that.