Christmas Eve....

On Christmas eve we all gather at Marcie and Gary's for a big breakfast ......

......and white elephant gift exchange.  It's a riot.  We laugh a lot ...this year one of the highlight presents was "Golf Rat on a Shelf." Liz is now the lucky owner.  She's going to take it from room to room and have it watch over her and do naughty things all year long.

Tru made an awesome DVD for the grandparents.  He had all of the Cole cousins talk about why they believe in Santa Claus and morphed it into why they believe in Christ with a mormon message from Thomas S. Monson on the end.  It was really beautiful.  Mom and Dad only made it through 4 scenes before the tears started to flow.  He has video footage of our Santa Claus that came to Grandma Butters home year after year.  Really special.
Go watch this......

http://youtu.be/Dk77acz_2DA

 

Bowling is a family favorite.  None of us are very good...well, Al, Wayne, Adam and Guy are pretty good...but for the most part we just bowl to bowl.  When anyone gets a strike it's a big deal complete with a happy dance and high fives all around.

The Kids like to have silly names show up on the bowling tv.... Truman did the naming this year...he is Squiggles, Bre is J. Breeber, Addison is ADHD, Landon is Landeezy, Wayne is Whayne, and Laila is Lil Mama.  That makes me Big Mama.

We gather in the evening at Grandma Sheri/Grandpa Lyle's home.  We had a sit down dinner for Mom Dad, Wayne, Melinda, Liz, Landon, Truman, Laila, Megan, Nelson, Marcie and Gary this year  complete with brass reindeer goblets.  At the end of the meal Truman threw a jingle bell into his cup and started ringing it.  I chimed in with, "hark, how the bells, sweet silver bells...."  and then Landon joined with "ding, dong, ding, dong."  Pretty soon all twelve put jingle bells in their cups and all were ringing and singing till the end. SO COOL!   It was a Jingle Bell Flash mob experience.  One that can't be recreated....we tried.  

We played some games, then as usual, we pull out choir music and sing 4 part harmony christmas carols and the Hallelujah Chorus.  I really love this part.  I always get choked up looking around the room at so many loved ones singing.  "Were you there on that Christmas night?"  gets me every time.  I don't think I have finished that song, for years, without crying.    I love how music brings the spirit in and unites us.