Christmas Eve

Sorry if you’re sick of my Christmas posts. I’m mostly doing them for myself because I haven’t been good at writing in my journal lately…so I won’t be offended if you don't read them.

Christmas is also my sister Jessica’s birthday, so we usually spend the morning and afternoon celebrating her birthday, and the evening is more of a Christmas Eve celebration. We started the day with crepes for breakfast, then the kids got to break open a cute penguin pinata before we had our traditional “dollar store party”. My mom picks out various games and prizes from the dollar store and we take turns making up the rules and playing the games.

That evening, we stuck with our traditions and had ham & potatoes for dinner, played Christmas songs on the chimes, then the kids acted out the nativity with the costumes my mom had made, dad reading from the Bible, and I played some Primary Christmas songs to go along with the story. After the nativity, the kids checked the Santa tracker, then we hid our books in the living room to find and open. As always, dad stumped even most of us adults in finding our books hidden in the little living room.

Bennett hitting the pinata, then 3 of Stacey’s pics of the penguin and the contraption used to hold him up. We went about 3 rounds through the kids before they were able to break it open. Each kid got up and hit the pinata 3 times and Bennett was hilarious – he would run up there and do 3 really quick (but hard) hits, drop the bat, and run back to his seat. This was serious business – no messing around for him!

Bryce, Camille & Ryan in their party hats, the Birthday Girl in her new coat, and the table all set for Christmas Eve Dinner

Nate helping the kids play some sort of game on someone’s iPhone, and Kallie, Davis & Landon playing the chimes

The cute shepherd (b&w photos by Stacey)

and although he didn’t participate in the nativity, someone took a couple cute pictures of Ryan on Jess’s fancy new Bday camera. I just noticed the snaps on his onesie aren’t done up – Nate must have dressed him :)

And finally…Stacey’s shot of the kids all gathered around watching the Santa tracker on the computer (Ethan standing, then Bennett, Davis, Kallie & Landon).