Christmas Eve - Evening

We spend Christmas Eve Evening with the Moreno's. Mom & Dad Moreno have hosted a Christmas Eve party for extended family & friends for as long as most of everyone can remember -- at least I think. :) Tradition had to be kept this year, even against all the odds. We missed Dad greatly, but celebrated just as he would have wanted us to. It was such a special evening... ( I have lot's of pictures...I really should've done a collage, but....I didn't.)

Waiting for guests to arrive...

 Eliana in her Christmas outfit -- I just LOVED the hat... 

 Aspen & Eliana... Aspen just wouldn't sit still long enough for me...she was far too excited!

Crazy Uncle with Ryler

This isn't a very good picture, and certainly doesn't do justice of Mom's beautiful tree!

Gift Exchange - round #1 - The extended cousins exchange gifts...gotta love Abby's beautiful smile! To the McDonald Family -- I thought it was neat because a Moreno/Garcia Aunt & Uncle gave the great neices & nephews McDon@ld's gift cards... Reminded me of all the years Aunt Ginger & Uncle Sandy gave those to us...

Eliana eating Charro beans for the first time -- Popo would've been proud!

 The kids had to sing before they could get their gifts...

 Our girls trying to figure it all out -- grant you, this was around 8:30 p.m...so already pushing bedtime.

"Jingle bells, Jingle Bells..."

Yay!!! Wrapping paper!

Hugs!!

Okay...all the extended family left -- time for our family to have 'Christmas'...notice it's about 10:20 p.m. Eliana has had 2 mini naps, and Aspen is just doing everything to stay awake... And Kilyn is obviously still having fun!!!

It was determined family pictures would be made at this time, and then we'd exchange gifts. See Aspen's sleepy face?! And Kilyn posing?! Having fun!!!

Full of tamales!! :D

 Brothers...

This one speaks for it's self...He really was just playing, I promise!

I didn't get a very good picture of all the grandchildren...but, again -- to my McDonald Aunts -- see my little girls? Do you remember the McDonald grandchild picture that I did the same thing?! Made me laugh when this happened...I had a flashback for sure!

Present time!

Poor Eliana was so out of it...

 I didn't get a lot of fabulous pictures this evening, but some fun, memorable ones for sure. Again, it was a very special time together... We all put on our 'happy faces', and were sincere, but...I know my mind drifted to Dad so very many times...no doubt it was so and even more with the rest of the family. The first of many Christmases without him....so hard...yet, so full of love, and grace. I think we all appreciated being together perhaps even more than we usually do.