Christmas Eve

Continuing some of our Christmas Tree traditions, we prepared for Christmas to come with crossing off a few ornaments. (See previous post for explanation HERE).  

Here's our Christmas Eve events.  

First, a nice Christmas picture for mom before church.  

We like to go to the mall on Christmas Eve to see Santa before he goes back to the Northpole.  It's empty and they can go right up and talk to him.  

Plus we checked out a few stores, also empty which is nice.  

I got to pick a present and enjoy a treat while the kids looked around.  Now that is what I call fun!

A few more minutes to spy on Santa before we go...

I just love Christmas socks.  Max always crosses his feet like this in the car.  I love it!

Frosting cookies to leave for Santa that night.

Then...the traditional 7-course dinner made by mom.  

First course:  purple cow slushies

Second course:  cheese and cracker tray

Third course:  soup

Fourth course:  apples and caramel

Fifth course:  salad

Sixth course:  the entree which was steak and potatoes this year

Seventh course:  dessert which was hot chocolate chip cookies and milk this year.

Haleigh full after eating all seven courses.  

The tree when we went to bed on Christmas Eve.  Not a lot of presents.  I hope Santa comes.  

The Christmas Eve show begins put on by the kids... You can tell Dad is already ready for bed.  

A picture with our stockings and new PJ's we opened.  Then they choose their spot for the next day.  

Miles performed The Twelve Days of Christmas.  

Louis read us a book, Frosty the Snowman.

I've got videos of the rest of the show.  Haleigh played piano, Carter directed and narrated the Nativity skit.  Wyatt and Max did a dance and sang Jingle Bells and Doug showed the big kids where santa was on the computer.  Miles was an angel for the Nativity story which Carter narrated.  

Before he went up to bed, I spied Carter quietly making sure the cookies and milk were just perfect.  

Enough notes to Santa?  The kids wrote letters to him with what they'd like and decided to not mail them but instead leave them out with the cookies this year.  

I just love that all my kids are still...kids and that our holiday is spent at our own house with our own traditions that they love and look forward to.  Now on to Christmas Day!