Christmas Eve Eve

There was a survey I responded to on FB asking, "Christmas isn't Christmas until ______." In our family, it isn't Christmas until we decorate cookies! It has become somewhat of a shaky tradition, but a tradition nonetheless, to spend the night at Nonnie and PawPaw's house the night before Christmas Eve...Chritmas Eve Eve. Nonnie cookies dinner, everyone stays the night, cookies are baked with the grand kids, and we all play a board game that evening. The next morning we all wake to a big breakfast and we head out to finish up last minute details for Christmas. Many times the grandkids stay at Nonnie and PawPaw's to play while the adults (my brother, my husband, and I) leave. That evening we all join back up to attend Christmas Eve service together (but more on Christmas Eve later)

This year, we had a chili dinner and cornbread. As a special treat for PawPaw, Nonnie made Sour Brauten (aka cow tongue). These are the following family members who actually tried it: Kent (PawPaw), Steven, Abi, Richard, Dylan, and Tony. We didn't tell Richard what it was until we thought he had swallowed - he had not. Abi did not like it. Steven liked it and couldn't understand why no one else did. Dylan likes everything. Tony LOVED it - the pickiest eater in our family tried it on his own (we actually told him it was a dip for the chips) and he LIKED IT!! How do we know? He kept going back for more. ICK! I refused to even give it a try, something about moving past the word tongue!

 You can see Tony going back for more cow tongue in the background.

 

 At one point in the evening, there was a birthday celebration for Willow - it was her first year with our family.

After cookies, we played a round of "What if..." This year the grandkids were old enough to participate as well. They all pretty much picked on Richhh-ard. (you'd have to be there to understand that one but basically the board said Rich and Kayann over emphasized the ard everytime she said his name. Everyone quickly picked up on it.) There were a few jokes about Nonnie being President, but everyone said Chef.  Richard may have been compared to Dennis the Menace but that was not a choice so instead Kent choose "Leave to Beaver" family basically because Eddie Haskall was on that show. I lucked out this year and not once did anyone select me as the topic of discussion!

There was some bartering on getting my brother's gifts wrapped. In the end he was going to pay me $20 to wrap his presents, but by the time we got the kids in bed and I began wrapping, Steven and Richard were feeling GREAT and were very HAPPY thanks to a little liquid beverage. It was the funniest 2 hours wrapping with those two. Steven made sure to make Josh's gift quite special - he added some bathroom items to his box along with some golf tees, spent shot gun shells, and a pink rubber duck. The next morning, I needed to no-sew a blanket for my dad's wife and needed some painters tape. It was out in the barn. I offered to wave my wrapping fee if Steven would just go to the barn and get the tape. While I thought it worked out great for me because I hadn't planned on charging him anyways, he popped his head back in and says, "Anyways, you have to admit that was the best time wrapping ever." He was right!

Josh's specially wrapped additions

Midnight/1AM we finally shut everything down and head to bed...Steven was in the restroom and Josh came out of nowhere and scared the mess out of him. There may have been a crack of wood on the banister but we won't talk about that. I just told them they needed to stop before they wake the president!!

Christmas Eve to follow...