OurBaldwinClan: Christmas Eve at Our House

Wow, what a Christmas! We had a truly memorable time spent with family and friends. It all started around 10am, when Rob and Dad put the 15 lb prime rib in the oven to slow roast all day! (My mouth waters just thinking about it). Then, Mason and Rob went out to run some last minute Christmas errands, while the Girls, Hayden, my Mom and Dad and I did the same thing by dashing to the grocery store for the last of the items we needed for dinner.

While we waited for the rest of the clan to arrive and while the prime rib was roasting away, the kids spent some time tying flies with Grandpa. That was fun! Four little monkeys sitting on or around Grandpa while they worked with small fish hooks!

We ate appetizers around 3pm, while opening up our Polly Anna gifts. Mom got me (us) some great items for the camper! Coffee cups, a whisk, cooking spoons, wine opener, outside popcorn cooker, dish towels, etc. That was an awesome gift. Albert got Rob the coolest money clip. Christine got my Dad a build-your-own guitar thing (the kind you play on your lap. Joe got Maria something (I can't believe I

forget right now), Maria got Joe a toilet seat in the shape of a guitar, Dad got Christine something (again, drawing a blank) and I got Albert a Leatherman tool. It was great.

I didn't even get to the kids yet! Let's just say over-indulgence! Between stocking stuffers and eight adults, there was plenty to be had for the four little monkeys. Mason received some great building toys and a very cool Transformers learning computer. The girls got a ton a girlie-girlie stuff, like Barbies, My Little Ponies and Dolls. And of course, we can't leave out Hay Hay.

He got some great age-appropriate toys, like cars, trucks and ride-on toys.

I especially loved hearing the kids talk about Christmas to each other. Mason was very quick to tell the girls (and everyone else over the next few days), that the reason we celebrate Christmas is because it is Jesus' birthday and that we should all be

thankful for Jesus otherwise we wouldn't have a Christmas to celebrate. I loved that even at this age, they get that it's not about the presents and toys, it is about Jesus coming as a babe in the manger as a gift from God in Heaven. It was truly a joy... but don't be mistaken, the kids REALLY loved getting all of those awesome toys. Thank you everyone for all the awesome stuff!

Dinner, did I mention dinner yet? I have to ask, is it wrong to get excited about a piece of meat? I mean truly, a delectable prime rib that we wait one year for? Let me say first, that Christmas Eve dinner is AWESOME! Again, the prime rib goes without saying, but we also have mashed potatoes, and a veggie. (You can see the impression the other foods leave me with, I don't even remember what we had!) Of course Rob and Albert may be the funniest about the roast though because they check on it fifty-hundred times while it is cooking in the oven! This was my second year "graduating" to an end cut too! My favorite! I must say this, it is going to be a long year waiting for another roast like that!

After dinner, Rob, Mason and Evie went to his Aunt Donna's in Newtown Square for their annual Christmas party. I heard it was a lot of fun! While they went there, my Mom, Dad, Izzy and I went to church for Christmas Eve service. It was really very nice. We sang traditional Christmas music, enjoyed a short message from Pastor Peter and then went home. I was also able to sing a song during the service. I sang "A Baby Changes Everything" by Faith Hill. I really enjoyed it, that song really moves me.

When we returned home, it was back to more eating (dessert) and more presents. We put Evie and Hayden to bed, while the rest of us opened our stocking stuffers. It took over an hour and a half for all of us to open our stocking stuffers if that is any indication of how googly we get about the stuffers!

I think we finally went to bed around 1am. Santa arrived shortly after that to deliver more gifts to the kids and to chow down the cookies and drink the milk!