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Everybody knows my favorite part of Christmas is Christmas eve. I love all of the excitement leading into the big day. In years past, we have had family over on Christmas eve, but this year we decided to keep it quiet. We had our very close friends over for oyster stew in the afternoon, and that evening we went to Middleburg to walk around and look at lights.
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This year, my aunt suggested we take a family photo by the fireplace. I decided that was a good idea to do with all our friends and family who came to our house, and now that I have seen all the photos, I think it will be a yearly tradition! After a nice lunch of oyster stew and the cheeseball of the day, we kicked our quiet Christmas eve into high gear and headed to Middleburg. |
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With all the shops closed, we entertained ourselves with our own reenactment of the Christmas story, and by looking in all the shop windows along the quiet streets. After a bathroom break at Safeway and a gallon of milk pick up, we were headed for home. Everyone was so hungry the cheeseball got a little reform and was out again! |
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Mom, trying to keep some Christmas eve traditions alive got some spiced shrimp for dinner. However, most of the kids dug around in the cabinets and there was a wild assortment of ‘dinner’ items going around. Malena and Audrey had peas and Vienna sausages, while Spencer ate a bbq sandwich, and Cade let his finer side show by gobbling up the shrimp! Harbour just looked hopeful, after a little snack of those gingerbread houses the kids made...oops! I left them too low! |
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With full bellies we kicked our activities into high gear, and the quiet day fell to the wayside. Mom ran downstairs to finish packing gifts, Uncle Jon and the kids checked for Santa and set about to the decorate the cookies for Santa ...then, we all gathered to watch “The Homecoming” my mom’s favorite Christmas movie ...remember the Waltons? |
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Then it was time for the nightly reading, which was supposed to be “An Orange for Frankie” but turned into “Twas the night before Christmas” when we realized it was already ten pm! |
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Every year my children get one gift on Christmas eve to open from Mommie and Papa. Every year, it is the SAME thing...Christmas PJ’s. Every year, there is some child in my house who doesn’t remember. Every year, there is someone who is thinking they are really getting something great...and find out they got PJ’s. This year, was Cade’s year. You see, being 5, he doesn’t think anything is a present without it being a toy. Here you see his joy and excitement. Notice the gift is still wrapped! LOL! |
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Realizing this, I try to tell him it is PJ’s. He didn’t take it well. The others try to play up the fun, rather unsuccessfully I might add. But, by just humming a few bars of ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’, his mood changes—quickly!
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