Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was so great this year.  Matt was able to get home from work by 4:00pm.  So the minute he walked in the door...you could feel it...Christmas was coming!

We invited my Dad to join us this year for the evening.  Here we are ready for dinner...

After dinner, the boys do the dishes, while the girls take a break!  It's tradition!  Then we all head into the front room with our scriptures and our flashlights for the telling of the Christmas story from the scriptures.

While we take turns reading the scriptures.....

We shine our flashlights on the parts of the nativity that are being read....

After the reading of the nativity, the kids get to open ONE gift.  And it's ALWAYS jammies!!  Of course!  What's Christmas Eve without new comfy jammies!  Well, this year was different, since Grandpa was visiting, he brought his presents, and we thought he would love to see the kids open them.  So they got to open TWO gifts this year.

Grandpa spoiled Sadie with an awesome princess coloring set and the boys got a $20 bill!!  They were VERY excited to say the least!!  Thank you Grandpa!!  Love you!

It's always fun to open gifts and get crazy with the wrapping paper!  Sadie loved her new princess night gown and the boys thought their transformers jammies were "cool".

After the opening of presents, it was back to the kitchen to make homemade donuts and hot chocolate.  Mmmmmmmmmmm.  I'd have to say that this tradition is one of my favorites, and yummiest.

Then after we're stuffed, we pile in the car and drive around to see all the Christmas lights.  This year, we found an awesome nativity display on a farm near our house.  There was a real donkey, a real sheep, horses and statues that looked very real.  We sat and enjoyed the beautiful nativity for a while...

And then it's perfect...by the time we're done looking at lights, the kids are getting pretty drowsy and are ready for bed.  We carried them into the house and put them to bed so Santa could come.

Christmas Eve is definitely my favorite.  This year seemed so busy and so stressful, but every year as we read the Christmas story, I'm reminded of the real reason for the season.  All the stress and hustle and bustle of the season disappear and I feel the love of our Savior.  I'm so grateful for His birth and for His atoning death.  I'm grateful to have this wonderful time of year that helps me stop and reflect.  May your homes be filled with the Christmas spirit this wonderful Christmas Eve.