the eve

Tis the season to take LOTS of pictures - so get excited!!! That is also why I am not combining Christmas Eve with Christmas day - it would be a little overwhelming.

So lets start from the beginning.

Is it just me or is Christmas Eve always more exciting than the actual day? I love Christmas Eve. This year we spent the eve with my family. My dad took us to Tuscany's for din din. It is such a good Italian restaurant, and the atmosphere is even more fun!!! It felt like we were all cozy in a winter cabin. We got so lucky to sit right next to this pretty fireplace. Here is mi familia. I love them. ..and just the sisters. Seriously we took so many pictures, it started to get embarrassing. Yours truly.....

Thanks so much mom & dad!!!!!! My dad is the best to go out to eat with because you will never be short of food. He orders soooo many appetizers all the time. We got crab cakes, roast beef, clams, oysters, cheese dip, you name it - plus desserts!!! Lets just say I needed to unbutton my pants by the end.

Oh our menu's lit up when we opened them...very entertaining... or else we just don't get to go to expensive restaurants too often.???

Brandon gave us a special toast hahaha...... so we toasted with our waters and had quite a few eye rolls at us. I looked down through most of it.

Our 2009 Christmas Picture - Merry Christmas!!!!!

Afterwards we went to my parents to open some presents - yay!!!

hello siblings...

love this picture... Erika and I look like the purple people eater. Anyone else used to love that show?? It's not weird at all.

Matchy Matchy thermals for the brother in laws...

Linds got some stuff from Nordie, of course :)

Erie Berry made Brandon the cutest little scrapbook of all their pictures together since 7th grade :) special!! Ahhhh so exciting!!!!!!!!!!

Austin has a hard time with Christmas. He just can't handle the suspicion. I had to tell him about the vans my mom got him because he was going to buy them earlier that day. Boooo Austin!!! Just like how I had to let him start wearing his new jeans early. Every day he would say, "Can I wear them?" NO!!! Finally i just gave in...funny man.

Pretty much everyone got a shnoodie as my dad calls them. Quite the popular gift this year.

Er also made Brandon this cute blanket with a bunch of their pictures on it so that he could take it away with him to his army training. I don't know the right name..sorry!! I should also mention what he gave her.... just a little promise ring....what does that mean? hmmm.

This picture is a tribute to Brandon. I would like everyone to know that my brother in law picked me out this lovely jacket at by himself! Sooo impressed....don't mind if I do wear it every day.

Er and I got Dixie this new little bed. At first she had to get forced to lay on it (like the picture below) but I have no been informed that she LOVES it. Yay. The mama & papa didn't get left out of the excitement,....

We all got way too spoiled and had the best night. Thanks Mom, Dad, and siblings!!!!!!!!!!!!