Christmas #3 - The Night before Christmas Eve

Susan, I hope you don't mind if I borrow your post title. I thought it was pretty clever!
So, Thursday evening we went over to my mom's parent's house, that would be Granny and Pappaw. We used to do Christmas Eve night at their house and also celebrate Pappaw's birthday because it's on the 24th as well. Well, as you know Mark and I can no longer be there Christmas Eve and we are lucky enough to have family who are flexible so that we can join in on the festivities. My granny always makes a delicious meal of fried chicken and anything southern that you can imagine to go with it. Then after dinner we all pile into the living room and open presents. Several years ago we quit buying gifts for everyone and began only buying gifts for "the kids". Which I think means anyone under the age of 18, needless to say I'm not a kid anymore. But that's ok because it is so much fun watching them enjoy opening their presents.
This is usually what ends up happening at granny's house. I become the "coolest cousin" apparently, because Sophia loves me and LOVES sitting on my lap and I end up reading about 10 books to those two cutie pies. Sophia will initiate things and then Calloway gets jealous of Sophia being on my lap, so most of the time I end up juggle these two sweathearts. Can it get any better than that? Christmas is about family and being with those you love, right?

Then Calloway and Sophia spend as much time as possible playing together. You see God let Sophia come into this world about 2 months early and she was born exactly 38 hours before Calloway. So, they LOVE playing together and it is such a joy to watch them. I wish we weren't so far away.....I think they just might be best of friends if we weren't!

Here they are grandkids #5 and #6! Granny and Pappaw were blessed with 3 daughters of their own. Now they have 5 granddaughters and 1 great-granddaughter. Whooo! No boys in this family tree!

Calloway with her Dora doll and the doll she brought for Sophia to play with.

Playing around the coffee table before supper.

Pappaw always manages to come up with something crazy around this time of year. Here he is with a dancing santa hat that plays christmas songs. Calloway and Sophia went wild over this hat and even danced along. (Hopefully I can get the video attached at the end of this post!)

Opening presents.

Wearing her new hat Aunt LeAnn made which came with 2 extra flower accessories to interchange. I guess about 2 years ago, Aunt LeAnn took up knitting and she has gone crazy. She makes all kinds of fabulous things! She has truly been gifted with the means to do this and she is constantly making some neat stuff, including her "Crazy Amazing Hats" that Calloway got last year. And I got a Razorback one this year!

Opening a new outfit (I forgot who it was from, sorry!)

Opening her old fashion view finder, which she absolutely loves because it is full of Toy STory, Disney Princesses, and Tinkerbell! Thanks Aunt Susie, Sophia, and Uncle Toby!

Then Poppy got hold of Calloway's view finder and she got upset because he was hogging it! It was actually pretty funny because she didn't know how to communicate to Poppy that she wanted it back.

Then she got more super cute clothes!

And more.....

Overall we had a great time but it was WAY too short! It always is. I love my mom's family so much and truly enjoy being with them. I hate that we are so far away at times. I miss my little cousin Sophia and the opportunities that she and Cal could have growing up together. And I really miss my teenage cousins Brianna and Lauren. Hopefully I we will get to borrow them again this summer for one week. We love it when they come stay with us!

And now, if this video will work: