Merry Christmas Eve!
We kicked our Christmas celebrations off this morning with the Anderson Christmas Eve brunch at my Uncle Bill’s house. His Christmas snow village was clearly the star of the morning.
When I was younger my uncle would dedicate his entire dining room to his Christmas snow village. The train would circle the entire village and we would spend hours making up stories for all the villagers we spotted running Christmas errands around town.
After my aunt passed in ’94 my uncle started cutting back on his village until one year he just stopped doing it all together. I’d say it’s been 10-15 years since we last saw any of the villagers skating on the town pond, bringing mail to the post office, or frolicking in the park.
Per his granddaughters’ request, my uncle decided it was time to dust off the ole village and set it up once again this year. It was even better than I remembered. So many details in such a tiny village. I can’t imagine how much fun it must have been to put it together again.
The brunch was casual, relaxed, and full of family love.
Photobombed by mom!
There were mimosas
sweets
and all the good savory stuff.
Time to eat!
Breakfast with a view.
I loaded my plate up and enjoyed a couple of cookies post-breakfast.
It wasn’t long after we finished breakfast that you could hear the little ones yelling from the other room “Presents! Time for presents!”
In my family all the under-eighteen year olds get gifts.
The adults do a white elephant gift exchange.
We all draw a number and take turns selecting and opening gifts.
There’s a fondue pot that’s in its fourth or fifth year of being passed around in the gift exchange. It started out as a joke, but now it’s just a family tradition.
Usually who ever re-enters it in the pot hides a gift card or cash inside. 
I found a toilet-shaped mug on Amazon that I knew would be perfect for the gift exchange.
My family is in the porta potty business and has a thing for collecting outhouses and toilets. I thought it was hilarious.
The best part was my Uncle Bill actually stole the gift from my Uncle Bob. Ha! I knew they’d like it.
We finished presents with my dad’s side of the family, then headed back home to give the dogs their gifts.
I’m not sure they 100% knew what was going on, but that didn’t stop them from trying to figure it all out.
Maddie got a brand new bed from her grandma and grandpa.
I think she liked it. 
We’re resting up before Christmas Eve Part II with my mom’s side of the family. There’s a turkey roasting in the oven, potatoes cooking on the stovetop, and more cookies than we know what to do with! Man, I love Christmas!
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