Christmas Eve 2008

I love the Holiday Season, but I especially love Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve is full of tradition, which I think is one of the most important things a family can do. The day was started off by Jeff flying into town at 5 am in the morning. After his friend Johny and I picked him up from the airport, we went home and slept for a little. After catching some z's, I made breakfast for the family which consisted of chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, fruit, and orange juice. Then we finished wrapping presents and showered and got ready. My mom watched Landyn so Jeff and I could go to church. The service was amazing like usual. It was nice to go to the church I grew up at and loved the Holiday music and Christmas play. After church we ran home, picked up Landyn and headed off to Jeff's Auntie Nancy's house. The whole family was there Mom and Dad Alongi, Kelly, Julianna, Grace, Kristine, Sophia, Sarah, Paul, Auntie Nancy, Lisa, Amanda, Brittany, Auntie Susie, Auntie Pat, Hayden, and Kylie. Dinner was the first thing planned, perfect, my favorite. For dinner we had perogies, fish, sauerkraut, bread, potatoes, and corn a traditional Polish Christmas Eve dinner. Before dinner is prayer and the oldest person(Auntie Susie) goes around the table and makes her wish for you for the new year and we break off a piece of the bread that tastes like Styrofoam. Then dinner is served. After dinner was angel wings desert. YUMMY! The kids as well as myself enjoyed this tremendously thanks to Sarah and Auntie Nancy who made them. After desert, the whole "east side" family comes over as well. They are called the "east side family," because they live further away and are the 2nd cousins of Jeff's family. When Auntie Barbara, Uncle Bill, Cindy, Mark, Grant, Claire, Brooke, Becky, Jason, Isabella, Molly, and Todd come over all the kids go into a room and sing christmas carols and wait for Santa's bell to ring and the Ho Ho Ho which meant that he delievered the presents underneath the tree. Then the children come out in a single file line from youngest (Landyn was first) to oldest (Amanda). Then we pass out Christmas presents and everyone opens their presents and the children play while the adults hang out. Around 11:45 the "East side" leaves to go to church for midnight mass. We also used to attend midnight mass as well until the Polish Catholic Church Jeff's family attended for years and years and years closed down. Now, Jeff and I attend the Methodist church I grew up at before meeting with his family. Since we don't go to midnight mass anymore that is when we have our second dinner of the evening, sausage, kalbassa, bread, and jam. MMMMM more food. Can you see why i have been packing on the pounds? The children all play some more and finally around 3:30 am. we say goodbye, go home, and put on our Christmas PJs that my mom lays out on our bed (she matches all the girls and the boys all match). We then try to get some sleep for a few hours before santa comes.
What is your family Tradition for Chistmas Eve?