Christmas Eve

 After the afternoon opening gifts with my mom, we headed home to Carol & Carl's where they, along with Samuel, his girlfriend Tiffanie & Laura awaited us.

Josh fed & bathed the boys and once they were in their new jammies, we opened gifts downstairs.

Love Logan with his arm around Wyatt!

 It's family tradition with the Cunningham's for Carl to choose which single gift each child gets to open on Christmas Eve.

 I remember the first Christmas Eve I spent with Josh's family. Two things struck me. One was that his family always adopts another for Christmas.  They purchase a Christmas meal for the family, and get gifts for each family member, as well as putting in gift cards for them. Then on Christmas Eve they drop off the gifts, ring the doorbell & run like mad back to the car to make their getaway.

Laura & Jack

 The second thing that has stayed with me always is that Carl chooses a soft gift on Christmas Eve. Which means the present I watched ten year old Samuel open was socks. Socks. Poor kid.

(Now what strikes me is that Samuel isn't ten anymore... He's 21... I think that makes me old!)

 Even in the stupor of my sickness, I was able to capture moments of joy.

 Josh with his family, it's a beautiful thing.

 The evening was cozy, as Christmas Eve should be.

 The soft presents my boys got to open?

 Lovely stuffed animals from Aunt Laura.

A polar bear Logan named "Maggie."

And a penguin that Jack named "Smacky."

 Then it was up the stairs...

 And off to bed.

 Time for visions of sugarplums...

 And listening for Rudolph's hoof-steps on the roof.

 But first a little brotherly love was in order--

 Hugs,

 and kisses...

And lots of hope that despite being three, they aren't on the "Naughty List!"