Christmas Eve 2011

It was always the tradition in my family to drive around and look at lights and make cookies on Christmas Eve. This year we didn't get to do either of those things. We were kind of disappointed in the lights last year, and still need to find a really good place to go and look at a lot of lights. Maybe looking at lights is kind of boring, but I really enjoy it! We celebrated Christmas on Saturday. Therefore, Christmas Eve was on Friday, which means Clif worked until late, so we also never got around to finishing making my mom's Christmas cookies. We did make the dough and ate a lot of that throughout the week! There is always next year, right?

There are so many fun traditions and things to do with your kids that I am sure we will be changing them each year. This year is was really important that my kids understood the true meaning of Christmas and we talked about our Savior's birth lot. My mom got them Little People manger and Mortimer's Christmas Manager to open on Christmas Eve for their scavenger hunt (more on that later). We each gave Jesus a gift (something we would work on for the next year) and read the story before going to bed. I have read Mortimer's Christmas Manger before, but sitting there with my kids, thinking about that special night, I couldn't keep the tears from coming (even Clif had tears). It was a very special moment and one I plan to continue each year.

What we did do was take baths and lots of pictures!

 

We opened a gift, pj's of course!

Addelyn's candy cane hair.

We gave the reindeer their food. It was cold, so the food didn't go much father than the rug!

We attempted to get pictures with everyone in their pajamas. The girls aren't as cooperative as they were before they could crawl and walk!

Spencer never likes the noise.

Addy is trying so hard to bring them back.

Better make the most of it and laugh!

Almost forgot the cookies...

Santa came late...

Goodnight and Merry Christmas!