"through the years we all will be together"

CHRISTMAS EVE:
Every year for Christmas Eve, we do the same things. First, we go out to lunch. This year we went to Five Guys:

Then, we go to a movie. This year, we went to see Avatar. It was great! After the movie, we go home and have our Christmas Eve dinner, which includes things like candy, chips, bagel sandwhiches, cookies, etc. Just snacks and appetizers.

We then have our annual reading of "The Night Before Christmas."

As per usual, the dogs joined in on the family fun. Here are Dudley and Sammy, respectively, listening to storytime:

We then open two presents each - a pair of pajamas and slippers for everyone. After changing into our new pjs, we take a stairstep photo, which is to say, a photo showcasing everyone's current height, from tallest to shortest. The height differences used to be very prominent, but it's getting pretty darn close these days!

CHRISTMAS DAY:
Christmas morning is always fun. First, we get our presents from Santa:

We then have our traditional Christmas breakfast, Christmas Strauda, followed by opening our non-Santa presents. After that, we spend the rest of the afternoon as we please until it's time for Christmas dinner.

This year, Jonathan's dog, Bentley, joined us for Christmas Day. . .

. . . and I don't think Dudley was too pleased with the newcomer! Don't worry, they got used to each other throughout the course of day. :)

When late afternoon rolls around, we have our fancy Christmas Dinner. The turkey this year was scrumptious! Great job, Chef Melanie.

For dessert this year, Mom made a pumpkin pie with homemade whipped cream. But, we had a little bit of a problem when she realized that we left the handmixer up at the cabin over Thanksgiving. So, while we pulled out the stand-mixer, Dad was busy coming up with his own solution. He attached a whisk to his drill, and it actually worked! You can see the video at the end of the post. Mom, however, made every attempt to keep him from using it. She succeeded. :)

And finally, enjoy a few video clips from our fun family day:

i need you like a penny needs a wishing well from Melissa Nickle on Vimeo.

makeshift mixer from Melissa Nickle on Vimeo.

Untitled from Melissa Nickle on Vimeo.