A Christmas Eve to Remember...

There is only one word to describe Christmas Eve this year...F-U-N!!! I am so thankful that my sister and her family got to come spend a few days with us for Christmas!! It's just never long enough and there are way to many things to try and cram into a couple of days. But, we definitely made the best of it that we could! :) Typically a Christmas Eve around the Ford household is hanging out around the house, playing games, eating, and wrapping presents late into the night. But this year we decided to do something different. And that we did. Well first of all, it seems that we all procrastinated this year and didn't even really start shopping until Christmas Eve. YIKES!! Ok well I had a couple of things but not near enough. LOL So that was definitely an adventure. A fun one at that. :) That evening we decided to go downtown Kansas City and spend the evening at Crown Center and The Plaza! It was so much fun but it was soooooooooo cold! Did I mention that it was C-O-L-D?! LOL My sister and I have annually taken the kids Christmas pictures but since they moved further away this year it was kind of hard to get it all together. So we decided to do it Christmas Eve this year. This post will be kind of long, so hang in there with me. :)
So, we arrived at Crown Center! The kids loved it!! This huge tree was hanging from the ceiling!

Hanging out in Crown Center...Ashlyn, Mom (Grandmommy), Me,Todd, and Katelyn

Todd had his eye on a couple of cars at the toy store

We had a little Christmas photo shoot of the kiddos in and round Crown Center. This is the Christmas store. They are open all year 'round. LOVE IT!!! Katelyn looks adorable in her pettiskirt!!

My kiddos are growing up way too fast!!




Me and my 'baby' girl Ashlyn!

Countdown to Christmas!!!

Todd started posing by himself. LOL



I love this picture of them!!!






Crown Center has this AMAZING Gingerbread village!!! Oh.My.Word. It was awesome!!! LOVE this picture of Katelyn!!!


I went CRAZY taking pictures of the gingerbread village!!! Seriously. This is "just a taste"! :)


And this...my friends...is what the gingerbread village is made out of!! :)


I just so happened to do Ashlyn's hair that night! :)


Outside Crown Center! BEAUTIFUL!! The Mayor's Christmas tree is 100 ft! Every year when they take it down, they make ornaments out of it and sell them to go towards the Christmas tree for next year!



Still out and about outside at Crown Center. Totally loved it but it was so cold by the time we left, we were numb. lol So much fun though! I adore this picture of the kiddies!

My sister, Robyn, and her husband Jeff!

Totally loved all the Nutcrackers down there!!!

After we went to Crown Center, we went to The Plaza since we never go down there with the family at Christmas time. It was pretty much amazing! LOVE all the lights down there!

And we even got a visit with Santa in!!!! Oh...did I mention that he was a DRUNK Santa?! Yikes! The kids weren't really sure how to take him. lol







Loving the kids expressions! lol


One last view of the Plaza!


Before the kids went to bed that night...Katelyn wanted to write a note to Santa because she left him some brownies to eat and eggnog to drink! She also wanted to make sure there wasn't a fire going in the fireplace so Santa wouldn't get burned. :)


Here you go Santa!!



And thats all folks...stay tuned for Christmas Day and New Years pictures!