Christmas Eve

 We made Gingerbread houses on Christmas Eve this year. It was a bit of a bust. I got a kit of 4 small houses to make a village like we did at Halloween. It ended up looking like a  village  which was hit by a small tornado. Everything kept falling apart. Next year by unanimous consent we will go back to a big house we decorate together. It was fun to have Grandma Hardy here to help. Uncle Sam mostly watched. It has been so fun to have him here too. His gift to me was to fix the shelves in some of my kitchen cabinets and take apart, glue and redo all the screws in the stools for the island. Whenever I have family to visit I remember how nice it is to have family here!
 We had our 1st Annual Hardy Family Carol Sing Along! Each of the kids played a carol they had prepared (except Luke. He did not practice his at all. So he and I played it together, his hands on top of mine. Hopefully next year he can remember and be ready) Craig skyped in and I promise Sam enjoyed himself...

 Noah played Away in a Manger, Grace did Jingle Bells, Luke and I did Oh Come All Ye Faithful, Sophie played What Child Is This, Angels we have Heard on High and the First Noel. Dessa contributed Silent Night and Hark the Herald Angels Sing.  I found a great website with free simplified carols and Primary songs both. It was fun to sing together and I am so proud of how much the kids have learned in less then a year of piano.

 Christmas Eve with Stockings

Christmas Eve with true craziness showing..

We read Luke 2 as a family, opened sibling gifts and had shrimp dinner. It really was fun to have Sam and Dessa here. Makes it all much more Christmasy. Grace made sure to leave some toffee out for Santa and carrots and oats for the reindeer. She has watched Santa tracker all afternoon and had us on a countdown to 8 o'clock bedtime to be asleep before Santa got to NC!