Merry Christmas Eve; Crazy Sykes Edition

When you have a family, the size of ours Christmas suddenly becomes big.  Then add in That two of the kidlets also have bio family to visit and now it is huge.  Surprisingly my employer gave me Christmas Eve off.  We started our rounds by taking Angela to deliver gifts to her sister, brother, Nannie and Poppa.  We had confirmed with Nannie and Poppa that this was ok and the timing was fine.  It isn't that picture perfect vision you may have in your head, but I tried to include all of her family into her Christmas.  Sadly this was a short but sweet very awkward start, but just the same she learned the joy of giving even if you don't receive.  No pictures for various reasons including I don't post others photos without permission and it was very short and sweet and over so not much of a photo op.  When we went home it was time to bake Baby Jesus' birthday cake and to do our Gingerbread Village Elbert the Elf had given us.

ignore the crowded messy living room/bedroom.... making their gingerbread houses

yep, a total carbon copy of the picture on the box ;-)

The kids with their gingerbread village

Then we rushed off to the candlelight service at church. The youngest kiddo had a nap on my lap briefly until it was time to light the candles at the ending songs.

Then it was time for Christmas with mom, dad and in town siblings.  I found a note that night that made me treasure the time with mom even more so.  Mom as always fixed the best finder foods.  Dad, Anthony and Jayna read the Christmas story.  

Then it was time for gift exchanging.  Everyone got more than they needed, but my goal was achieved for my four kids of equal gifts.  If someone bought for one of them they bought for all of them!  I really try my hardest to ensure the kids feel equally included, loved and accepted, every single day, every single occasion!

Gifts to Ang from Poppy and Grandma

Gifts to Ant from Grandma and Poppy and our traditional Christmas Jammies too

Gifts to Jayna from Grandma and Poppy

gifts to Jayla from Grandma and Poppy

Ant got a swiss army pocket knife... and a first victim too ;-)

Joe's gift from dad-- pretty pink poodle wrapping paper, captain crunch box, and gloves now that he is finally kinda a grown up he needed grown up leather gloves ;-)

mom's prank gift from dad: a wrapped box of tea---- with a pair of socks--- that yes she did for a matter of fact already own and we took out of her sock drawer and she thought dad got her them lol--- and then the real gift a cracker barrel gift card!  Funnier in person.  Ops if she reads this box I guess she now knows the socks weren't a gift lol

And of course, no night is complete without our awkward family growing photos....

who's  due 1st?

After mom and dad's house, we took our stash of gifts home and of course had to get our annual Christmas Eve jammies pictures!

Then we took Jayna back to Grandma and Poppy's to spend the night and Marko, Angela and I went to visit Angela's Aunt Shelia.

All my favorite gifts to give were picture gifts!  We obviously gave out photos of the kids/our family but I also made Angela a personalized mug, put together a photo album for Joe and Marko of their graduations this past May and June, and had grandkid photos taken of Momma's grands and framed them all.  Now all she has to do is put in a nail where ever she chooses to hand.  Aunt Shelia's gift was extra special as it was a large collage framed photos of Uncle Ron who had died a few weeks earlier.  After visiting with Aunt Sheila, Marko took Angela to Alta Vista for an over night visit with her bio mom.  I headed home to bed because I had work at 5am and it was now 11pm.