Christmas Eve

I just love the holidays. Trent has been home since Friday and we just all have a really good time hanging out together. Today, Trent made breakfast for everyone - eggs and toast and then we wrapped some last minute presents, got ready for the day, caught up a bit on the laundry and then we all headed out on some errands. First we went to chick-fil A for lunch (even posed with the mascot!)



And then a quick trip to costco, home depot and Kroger. We came home fully loaded and Trent and the kids put all the groceries away while I did a photoshoot. It was cooler than it has been with the high being only about 50 degrees but it was a great afternoon to take pictures.

Then I came in and we got our traditions started. We do a fancy dinner on Christmas eve. For us that means using the wedding china, having fancy sparkling cider, and having at least 3 or 4 courses for dinner.

We had butternut squash soup with french bread, then a gorgonzola/craisen italian salad, then cocktail shrimp, then rib-eye steaks with brussel sprouts. It was delicious.



















The kids were amazingly pleasant to be around and I was quite shocked by the lack of teasing that usually is there. And then when dinner was over everyone helped do all the dishes without really even being asked (I only mentioned that we wouldn't be able to open the Christmas Eve presents until the dishes were done . . .) I don't suppose that really had anything to do with all of their sudden willingness to help out. Or maybe, just maybe after 24 days of ignoring the elf on the shelf they decided to put their best effort into the last remaining hours???

We opened our Christmas jammies, read Twas the night before Christmas, read from the Bible (and this time instead of acting it out, we set up our Little People nativity as we read). We sang songs (actually I sang mostly and the kids didn't complain too much). We facetimed with family. It really does give you the sense of being right with them. We set out cookies and the kids put out nearly every carrot we had (Madelyn said it was to make sure she wouldn't have to eat them if she gave them all to the reindeer) and then the kids headed to bed.