Christmas Eve 2014


Christmas Eve....
The most anticipated night of the year.


This might come across a little weird, but it's tradition in my family to start Christmas Eve with a killer workout.
My parents are big on working out as a family - whether 7 of us go out on a 5 mile run together or whether we do our own thing in the same room - it's a big deal for us - and I LOVE it.

Christmas Day is THE ONLY holiday of the year that we justify "not working out".
So we make sure to get a good burn in Christmas Eve.


Both sets of my Grandparents live within 15 minutes of my parents so we always spend Christmas Eve morning with my dad's side of the family,
and Christmas Eve Evening with my mom's side of the family.


Breakfast at Grandma's.
Crepes, fruit and eggs.


Each year my grandma has a present for all of her 34 grandchildren to open.
Ryan is 1 of 3 GREAT grandchildren on this side of the family.


Ryan's first gift of Christmas was pretty dang sweet.


My sweet grandparents hit it right on the money.
Give this kid a truck and he will love you for life!


We are usually home for a few hours in the afternoon prepping for Christmas day, and then head to my other set of Grandparents house for dinner.


( the sunset Christmas Eve was the prettiest thing! ^^ )

My Grandma is full blood Spanish and is probably the best Mexican food cook on the entire planet.
Fresh homemade Tamales, tacos, beans, rice, gorditas, she has made it all.



It's tradition to act out the Nativity as a family and this year was Ryan's first year making an appearance in the play!

Proud mom.



My youngest sister got to be the star, and Ryan made the best sheep there ever was.


Then we usually have a family talent show with the million and one cousins I have.


Some of my cousins do the Haka - and it's so awesome.

Soon after the talent show, we heard bells at the front door and Santa decided to show up making "one last stop" before he traveled the world and delivered gifts. ;)


We came home with 10 candy canes and an excited little 2 year old!


Our last tradition at my Grandmas house is to open one gift Christmas Eve.
It's always Pajamas and everyone puts them on and we take a picture.


( or try to take a picture - this is maybe 1/10 of us ^^ )

This year Ryan got Bulldozer Pajamas.
He couldn't stop talking about them the whole way home.


As soon as we got home, ( way past Ryan's bed time )
we whipped up a little Santa plate ( that Ryan could hardly resist eating )
and told Ryan he needed to get to bed fast so Santa could come.


As for the rest of us...
We slept in the "hotel" ( AKA: Bunk Room ) in my parents playroom.
We all piled in there and turned on the movie Merry Madagascar to watch and fall asleep to.

If you have not seen that movie - see it now.
Maybe it was just because it was after midnight, but we were crying we were laughing so hard.
I had never seen it but my siblings were quoting every line.


Best night EVER.
Aaron and I shared a Twin bed - not because there wasn't another bed but because I can't sleep without him HA.

I think he was pretty squished but I was as happy as a french fry.


It was one big family sleepover and it was awesome.


Hands down the BEST Christmas Eve yet.
I couldn't sleep because I kept imagining Ryan's face when he came down the stairs Christmas morning!

Next up : CHRISTMAS DAY!

Karina Marie Powell

12 comments:

  1. You guys are the.cutest family!!!.. Now onto Christmas day!!!

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  2. love love love! me andmy siblings always sleep together on christmas eve too! so fun! and i love that "hotel!"

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  3. I just love all the family traditions! Sounds like an absolutely amazing Christmas holiday, just perfect!

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  4. Love you to pieces!! What a fun family you have! I have a million cousins too, some I've never even met before, and it's always a good time when we get together!

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  5. Seriously your whole fam is so gorg!

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  6. I didn't know your family was so big, I always thought it was just you and your sister you always take instagram pics with! So fun, I especially LOVE the bunk room!!!!!

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  7. oh karina, your family is the cutest!!! i LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the big family sleepover with the bunk beds. so much fun!

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  8. Ok your family has the best of the best Christmas Eve celebrations! It's a party all day! So fun!!
    What beautiful parents you have as well as your 5 siblings! You need to do a whole post dedicated to your family and tell us what each person does and what their hobbies are... that would be so fun! It's fun to get to know them a little bit through your blogging!

    PS- for some reason it won't let me sign in so I have to post as anonymous. But it's Courtney :)

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  9. THis is the cutest, you guys are adorable!!

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  10. You guys are just too cute. Love that you guys get to all sleep in the same room Christmas Eve. So fun!

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  11. What an amazing Christmas Eve my friend - it is so special that you have such amazing and big families on both sides! I love all the little traditions - and that sunset, wow!! x

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