Christmas Eve at the Rogers'

Everyone is welcome to our house on Christmas Eve -- that is for certain.  So if you ever find yourself without Christmas Eve plans, call me up (the warning is imperative since I'm not so good at surprises), invite yourself over and have the best time.  Only bring some Nativity wear because we're running out of costumes.

This year we celebrated with 3 of my gorgeous friends and their families -- 9 adults, 16 children and not once did anything get spilled or broken.  It's a Christmas miracle.

If you do show up for Christmas Eve you should know that we always eat soup in bread bowls and the kids love to eat outside, so there will be room for you at the table, at the bar or the in the living room.  Adults are everywhere.

There are no formal place cards and we eat off of paper plates because I want to be in bed at a decent hour on Christmas Eve.

 Of course there will be dessert and plenty of food.

After dinner we always recreate the Nativity.  Just a warning: there is singing.

 

This year we ran out of costumes for the kids so we had to make a few extra wisemen with Ellie's scarves and the two oldest took over the used-to-be-an-adult role of Narrator.

Luke was the star, Nate was a wiseman, Ellie narrated and Sadie was Mary.  The kids were so incredibly reverent this year.  It made the entire night.  They're getting so big that they know what to do without us even directing.

Lastly we always always decorate cookies for Santa.  They ended up loaded with sprinkles, so good luck getting your children to bed at a decent time.

 

Strangely enough, while the little ones are decorating cookies, Santa ALWAYS drops off new pajamas for all of the kids.  The big kids have caught on to this fact and were practically camped out by the front door.

After the nativity, the mad dash of the pajamas being delivered is my favorite part.  It's like a Christmas ad.  Wrapping paper and children running everywhere.

 Some just strip down right in the living room to put them all on.

This year there were matching PJs, footie PJs, and lots of adorable little kids ready for Santa.

We attempted a family picture.  I should have known Luke was going to continue his picture taking trend from Sunday.

In his defense, he was REALLY excited about his new pajamas.  He kept yelling, "Tank you Santa for my new doggie jamas.  I weally lub dem."

 After all the chaos had calmed down the kids went back to eating the cookies they weren't going to leave for Santa and hanging out around the fire pit.

 Finally I had to kick everyone out so I could do really important things, like pick up this little goodie who had been living at a friend's house for 3 months.

And getting all the presents out while Dustin helped "Santa" with a basketball hoop.

All the kids wanted to sleep together in Nate's room.  It lasted until about 11:30 when I heard them up whispering if Santa had come.

 

 

I quickly put pillowcases over their head (just kidding -- or am I?) and shoved them into their own rooms.  And I was kidding.  I just draped a blanket over their heads.

And there you have it -- wouldn't you like to come for Christmas Eve?