Christmas Eve Eve with Amma and Granddad

We've celebrated Christmas Eve Eve with Amma and Granddad for the last couple of years, and it seems to be the perfect way to kick off Christmas in Kentucky.  Amma spoils us all, but the girls especially.  She has done the best stockings for as long as I can remember.  A few years ago, she started having to use gift bags, because everything wouldn't fit.  This year she took her stocking game to a whole new level...like Santa sack size...we had individual Santa sacks for our "stockings" and it was just perfect and so cute!

Some of the highlights from the night...

• Carter would have been fine with m&m's as her only gift.  Once she got to those in her stocking, she wasn't really interested in much else...until the final American Girl Doll gifts came out, and we learned a lesson that the girls probably need the same thing!  The ice cream truck and convertible were big hits...but Charley would have liked it better if Carter could have been locked in the bedroom while she "organized!"  (So my child!)
• Uncle Justin brought his girlfriend, Shelley, who he seems kinda serious about.  I almost chocked from the other room when I heard Amma introducing her new Santa sacks with the comment, "I can always get more!" 
• It must have been a Shoe Christmas from the Robinsons, because we gave shoes to Amma, Granddad and Uncle Justin...the girls got shoes, too!
• The taser that was in my stocking "sparked" lots of laughs over the course of the night.  Who would test it?  How does it work?  I could use it like this...buzzzz!  It was so funny to joke about.  Somehow all the joking turned into Granddad creating a challenge that whoever could make it to the highest setting testing his dog shock collar would win $100.  Uncle Justin thought we were crazy and gave us all kinds of scenarios on what could go wrong.  At one point, he used the word "paralyze"...which totally cracked me up.  After he left to take Shelley back to Nashville, I googled YouTube videos of people testing the collar just to make sure it was "safe!"  Besides looking ridiculous, it didn't really seem to do much harm, so Granddad went to the garage to fetch it.  Amma and Craig took the challenge, and Amma made it all the way to level 6 (the highest setting) and Craig quit at level 4.  Hands down the funniest Christmas EVER!  My cheeks were hurting from laughing so hard.  I posted the video to facebook, and it had almost 5,000 views, over 300 reactions, over 100 comments and 19 shares...Amma going viral on Christmas was definitely a highlight.  We laughed just hearing how other people were laughing at it! 

Charley's School Christmas Program

Charley sure has come a long way since her first school performance.  Luckily her mouth "worked" this time, and she did such a great job singing the cutest Christmas songs with all of the kindergartners at Rutland.  She invited Billy and Marilyn to come watch her.  Thankfully they move faster than we do and got there early to have four seats together on the floor...and thankfully Mikayla was able to watch Carter at 6:45 in the morning!

The Grinch with Billy and Marilyn

Marilyn called months ago to see if Charley and I would be free to see The Grinch at the Grand Ole Opry House.  I'm so glad we planned such a fun outing in advance, because our December calendar was nuts.  The four of us enjoyed the best afternoon eating lunch at Chuy's, making a quick loop around the mall, and watching The Grinch.  When we got home, we exchanged Christmas presents.  They always spoil us and Charley got an awesome new Lego set, Carter got Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVD's, and Craig and I got gift cards to Chuy's and Burger Republic.  Just having their friendship is more than enough of a gift!  We (along with Amma) gave them a gift certificate to Patti's and a night stay at the Patti's Inn!  Carter had just woken up for a nap, so she wasn't in the celebrating or picture taking mood!

Christmas with Mamy and Pops

We celebrated Christmas with Mamy and Pops the weekend before Christmas after Charley's cheerleading competition.  We had pancakes for dinner, so it was only appropriate for the girls to be in jammies.  For the first time ever, Carter was interested in opening presents, and she was so cute!!!  They both got lots of goodies, but their favorite gifts were matching jammies to Lucy and Bitty Baby from the American Girl Doll Store.

1st Place Champions

There is nothing like having to go to the Opryland Hotel the weekend before Christmas for a cheerleading competition!  For once in my life I can thankfully say we had to be there at the crack of dawn, otherwise we would have spent hours in traffic.  Charley had quite the audience since Amma, Mamy and Pops were there to watch her.  The Grinches did awesome and are now Champions sporting 1st place jackets!  Carter loved watching Sister and all the other cheerleaders!  GO CHEERVILLE!

We ran into Lulu and Mollie.  I had an immediate flashback to another cheerleading competition 17 years ago!

Charley's Kindergarten Christmas Party

Charley's Kindergarten Christmas Party was so much fun!  I loved being in the classroom with her friends and teacher and other moms.  I managed a craft station, and it was so cute interacting with all of her friends!!

Back row (left to right) Kellum, Bentley, Armando, Brahm

Middle row (left to right) Donathan, Nanditha, Chivony, Charley, Brinley, Rebecca, Harper

Front row (left to right) Landon, Aiden, Braelyn, Matthew, Jacob, Naomi