Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was a downtown adventure with 7 adults and 15 children walking the hotels of the Strip.  Instead of enjoying a nice quiet traditional dinner at home with friends, we decided to drag them into the city with us.

We started the "Christmas Eve Dinner Out" tradition while living in San Antonio when our kids just didn't appreciate or really like the Stuart's traditional German dinner on Christmas Eve.  Since we are always running low on time Christmas Eve by watching movies, finishing up presents and last-minute preparations, and doing things together, we decided that we didn't want to waste the day by cooking food the kids didn't really like.  (Maybe we can instill that tradition again when they grow up a little bit.)  We came up with the idea to eat out early in the day and enjoy the Christmas lights of the city's Riverwalk at sunset before returning home for our family's Christmas traditions.  It was something we did almost every year in Texas and we absolutely loved it.

Now living in Las Vegas, we have done different things every year.  Sometimes we host friends for dinner, sometimes we go to someone else's home, and sometimes we just hang out by ourselves.  This year, being a Saturday, we decided to resurrect "Christmas Eve Dinner Out" and head into the city early to hopefully beat the crowds.  And we convinced some friends to come along with us--Oldhams, Hathaways, and Swaseys.

 The Oldhams and Hathaways

 The Swaseys (Drew got called into work 30 minutes before dinner) and Stuarts

The Venetian hotel had a wonderful wintery scene with an outdoor ice skating rink, a big Christmas tree, and silvery snowflakes and lights decorating the rooftops during the month of December.  All of us piled into three big booths at the Grand Lux Cafe for dinner around 4:00.  It wasn't very busy and the kids were amazing.  They all behaved really well and ate every bit of their food like champs.  It was terrific!

After dinner, all of us paraded through the hotel and shopping district to get outside to enjoy the winter scene.  Ava, Clara, and Carlee held hands and sang Christmas carols the entire time.  Luckily everyone around us was in the Christmas spirit because those cute girls got lots of smiles, chuckles, and pictures taken of them.  Outside were stilt-walkers, jugglers, ball-balancers, acrobats, and fun characters dressed up and walking around the plaza. 

Group shot with a new family member?

Joe is like the Pied Piper.  Wherever he goes, all the children follow.  Everywhere.  Every time.  All the time.

We took several pictures and then headed to the Bellagio to see the conservatory.  It was really busy there and half of our group decided to ditch when they couldn't find a parking spot and meet back at our house.  It was a quick stop for a few pictures and a brisk walk-through and then we headed back to our house to continue traditions.

 The polar bears smelled amazing since they were made of beautiful white flowers.

We decorated sugar cookies for Santa, sang Christmas carols and played the chimes, and acted out the nativity.  Our nativity this year had a modern twist since we forgot to pack clothes of the "olden times" to put on.  It was still cute and the kids knew their parts right on cue. 

Lining up for their scene

Katelyn was Mary this year.  Jacob was Joseph.  Not sure what Carlee is doing there.  Maybe she's the nanny?

Melissa, the chimes leader

When cookies were packaged, songs were sung, hugs were given, squeals of excitement echoed into the night, and wishes of Merry Christmas were said, all families loaded up to head home and the Stuarts were left alone.

 Honestly, are these children ever going to go to bed?!?

The kids already opened their Christmas jammies on the way to the Polar Express so they raced to get them on and waited for something new and different to open this year . . . special Christmas night lights!

Carlee's gingerbread house, Kate's snowman, Clark's nutcracker, and Jake's fireplace

We read 'Twas The Night Before Christmas, set out cookies, milk, and notes for Santa, said prayer, gave excited hugs, and headed off to Katelyn's bed to sleep all together. 

Joe and I started watching our traditional movie "White Christmas" to wait for the children to fall asleep.  Thirty minutes later, just after 10:00, it was completely quiet upstairs so I tiptoed up to check on them.  They all seemed asleep.  Thirty minutes after that, Joe was completely zonked out on the couch and Clark was coming downstairs because he couldn't sleep.  For the next 3 hours! he tried to go back to sleep but it didn't work.  He decided to sleep in his own bed.  That wasn't working.  He moved to the couch in the playroom.  Nope, no sleeping there either.  Then he moved to our bed.  He looked to be asleep but another check on him and No!   Clark was up until almost 1:30 when Joe shuffled up to go to bed with him.  Guess who was up until 3:30 "watching lots of Christmas movies"?  Thanks, boys!