Christmas Eve

My family is really big into traditions-- and Christmas Eve is just one giant tradition.  Everything from the food we eat to the activities we do and songs we sing-- it's all tradition-- and I love it.

After our dinner of ham, company potatoes (doesn't that sound much better than calling them funeral potatoes?), beans, jello, rolls, and Christmas punch we do the nativity.  This year Kirstie was an angel and Ian was Joseph.

With more girls than boys in the family, we had a plethora of angels so my brothers donned on their childhood robes (wish I had a picture of that) to help be shepherds.

Look at that sweet face!!

Kirstie has an obsession with the nativity.  She loves to watch movies and sing songs about it.  She LOVES seeing all the little nativities that people have out in their yards.  She calls herself Mary, Brent is Joseph, and Ian is baby Jesus.  I'm sometimes the angel, other times she says I can be Mary with her.  When it wasn't her turn to be Mary in our Christmas Eve nativity this year, she was disappointed.  So when we were all done, I let her put on the Mary costume and hold baby Jesus.

The tradition continued-- after the nativity, we pull out the chimes and play Christmas songs, followed by choosing our favorite Christmas songs to sing-- including The Gingerbread House-- a song my sister and I learned when we were in 2nd grade!

 Then begins the opening of presents, the first one always being pajamas for all the grandkids.

Once jammies are on, the presents continue!

Ian fell in LOVE with this truck-- he has been glued to it since Christmas Eve.  He also got a pirate ship to ride on-- it's so cute!

Kirstie got a Barbie make-up kit.  She wasted no time glamming herself up.  She also got a princess castle and a Barbie head where you can do her hair.

  

Once home, the kids each picked out a special sugar cookie and some milk for Santa.  Kirstie had to make sure that nothing was in front of the fireplace so Santa could get out easily.

 We hung up stockings and it was off to bed!

Christmas Eve is by far my favorite day of the year-- even so much more than Christmas Day itself.  I love the sights and smells the night brings, all the traditions of course, and the excitement and anticipation of everything!