We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with my family in Menlo Park. We had my mom's siblings (Aunt Kaky, Uncle John, Uncle Jerry and Aunt Mimi) and their families here for our usual Christmas Eve celebration. Santa comes to our house Christmas Eve after a big cracked-crab dinner... the kids are actually helpful with the dishes hoping it will bring Santa just a little sooner:) We all ran upstairs when we heard the bells of Santa's sleigh and piled into my brothers old room on the third floor with the Uncles. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be up there with the kids or downstairs with the "parents" this year since I am one now! Brian and I took Francie up for her first waiting-for-Santa experience and rushed down the stairs to see all the presents out for the kids after we heard Santa leave. Francie got just what she asked for... a giant, pink Whoozit!

In her Candycane Christmas Eve dress :) but wishing her fingers tasted like one

Connor, Em, Francie, Claire and Mimi

Jannie making the crab sauce with Bammer, James' friend who has been initiated into the family Christmas festivities after three years at the party

Francie holding her sign :) (Heff forgot she had fallen asleep on the couch this morning and sat on her foot... he almost had a heart attack thinking he could have sat right on her so Emmy and I made Francie a sign to hold when she naps on the couch that says "Don't sit on me... I'm sleeping."

Emmy and Kaky put Francie right to sleep

This crab doesn't know what is about to hit him

Uncle Rich and Uncle Andy cracking crab

Jannie's Christmas Table for the "parents" (that's the new rule even though I've been at the adults table for 10 years... I love being the oldest:)

The in-between-kids-and-parents table... Jerry, Claire, Em, James, Bammer and Connor

The twins with Francie (see you at your 21st birthday party Emmy and Johners!)

Kaky's famous Christmas Crackers after dinner... she hides a $100 bill in a cracker and each is decorated in a theme that goes along with a very cute and creative poem she always writes that eliminates the non-winning crackers until we get down to the final four then the winner... Emmy won this year with number 25 (Kaky and Rich celebrate 25 years of marriage this year too) We all love the Christmas Crackers Aunt Kaky!

Uncle John and Francie... not that you can see Uncle John but I'll get in trouble if he doesn't make the blog (sorry UJ I'll try to get a better picture of you next time ;)

Jannie and Francie ready for Santa!

Santa left the presents and Francie got her Whoozit!

Aunt Kaky sporting Jerrys new helmet for his scooter

Santa shopped at North Face for the Kreeft kids

After Santa leaves his presents for the kids we do a swap between the adults and one between the kids too. Each swap has a theme, this year a "Personal Favorite" for the kids and "Vintage" for the adults. You pick a number, then in order choose a wrapped gift and decide to keep it or trade with someone who went before you, the first to pick gets last chance to swap... this is what happens when we have kids between the ages of 29 and 7 in the swap, Drew gets Tequila! (later traded by Connor who is 15:)

Baby Ann not too pleased about Emmy's perfect "Personal Favorite" gift :)

Drew won my gifts... not exactly MY personal favorite but Drew collects (and loves) elephants and is an avid Saturday Night Live fan so my gift was an elephant TV with SNL Best of Will Ferrel. It was a big hit and a Ella shed a few tears when Drew stole it away but luckily Heff and I considered that possibility and had a spare elephant TV for the person on the wrong end of the swap