12.24.14 - Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was a little quieter this year than previous years. Denny and the kids were at Mel's and Jack is out of town, so it was just the 5 siblings and Mom. It was kind of nice though - simple and peaceful. 

Mom made pot roast for dinner and all of us (except Julie, who wasn't over yet) ate in the kitchen. We tried to light the Advent wreath with hilariously failed results, and Ellen made a big deal about getting to blow out the two lit candles at the end (an homage to when we were kids and really cared about who got to blow out which candles). 

Both while Mom was cooking and after dinner Ellen kept bugging Everett to wrap the gifts they'd gotten Mom, and they started joking about how he needed to do some "rapping" and making a hand gesture like record scratching and laughing every time. Bunch of dorks.

Once Julie came over we lined up to do our gift exchange with Mom videotaping, but before we could count to three Everett was...pretending to eat his gift I think? For some reason?...and I reached over quickly and poked him in the mouth! That was hilarious.

Victory.

Then we finally counted to three and switched. :)

Neil had me and got me gift cards to Starbucks and Panera. I had Julie and got her stuff to make soy Chai lattes at home, plus a Groupon gift card for a date night with Denny. Julie got Everett cash but presented it in a very elaborate and colorful box filled with boxes she made. Everett got Ellen and gave her a special hand lotion she loves plus a Starbucks gift card. Ellen had Neil and got him a switch blade, which he has been playing with ever since.

After we exchanged we had Mom open her gifts and we (relatively quickly) opened the rest of our own. Mom got me a bunch of craft stuff, which is awesome, including an entire set of sewing supplies for the sewing machine Jack intends to set up in our living room. Now I just have to learn how to sew. :-P I made Mom some DVDs with as many Zoey home videos as I could fit on them. Mom also got Julie like 6 or 7 boxes of contact solution but wrapped each box separately. I think it's sweet how much Mom likes wrapping gifts, plus she's really good at it.

Then we quickly got ready to go and drove the ridiculously short distance to All Saints. I rode in Julie's car, partially because she has auto start and her car was already kind of warm.

Julie waiting outside the church for Mom & the other sibs.

As we walked inside, I remembered why I like going to midnight mass still, after all these years. The church was dimly lit with Christmas lights all over the altar and in some trees around the front. The balcony choir was in the middle of singing one of my favorite Christmas hymns, O Holy Night. And I really get something out of the familiarity of going back to All Saints. The murals and stained glass and statues have been the same since I was a child, and in a way it's like coming home to go to mass there again.

Christmas decor at All Saints.

Unfortunately I never took a much-needed nap before we went to mass, so I was getting sleepy before the service even started. By the time the service was over I felt like I was barely on my feet. I'm still glad we stayed to get a sibling photo though: