Merry Christmas Eve!

We had a lovely Christmas Eve. It was just the way we prefer it to be ...... quiet and all about family.  We turned down invitations to spend Christmas Eve with some friends because the kids felt like they wanted to do our own traditions and just be together.

So that's how we did it, and it was wonderful. 

After the kids got up on Christmas Eve morning they started tracking Santa on Norad.  And, within a few minutes we saw that Santa was delivering gifts in Donetsk, Ukraine (where Brandon is serving his mission)!  We trust that he left Brandon lots of fun surprises.  
The kids continued to track Santa's progress with the ipad, even when they climbed into their beds in the bonus room at the end of the day.

During the day we delivered treats to some of Bailey's friends (she drove the car) and we worked together to make our traditional Cafe Rio Christmas Eve dinner. Yum, yum, triple yum.  Not as good as the real thing, but almost. (We also had rosemary garlic mashed red potatoes and corn on the table to accommodate different palates, as everyone should have something they like to eat on Christmas Eve).

 
I thought I had missed getting an individual picture of Bailey, but there is her head on the left side of Aubrey's picture below.  Bailey is a pro photobomber!  Oh wait, here is an individual picture of Bailey . . .

During dinner we focused on the Savior and what we want to do to be more like Him. Everyone shared what they are most looking forward to about this next year (Brandon coming home tops the list for all of us) and one thing that we plan to do to be more Christlike.  

Then we performed our Nativity play, complete with very non-professional costumes and lots of giggles.

After six straight years of playing Mary, Bailey debuted in a new role as the heavenly angel.  Aubrey played the role of Mary, Joseph was . . . Joseph, of course, and Dan was the shepherd(s).  I was the narrator and camerawoman.

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Next the kids opened sibling gifts and they gave their gifts to Dan and me.  Below, Joseph stopped to read his letter from Bailey - she had written very thoughtful cards to each family member to go along with our gifts.

Joseph picked out a Spiderman DVD for Dan for Christmas. He was sure that his Dad would love it, but if  

 he didn't, Joseph knew that HE would love it!

 

Then the kids opened their new pjs and their Christmas Eve book (The Christmas Train, which we read before bed).

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  After plenty of giggling and a crazy Christmas photo shoot,

they hustled upstairs to have a sleepover in the bonus room, as is tradition.  Bailey slept on the couch and Aubrey and Joseph slept on mattresses on the ground.

Dan and I heard giggling coming from the bonus room for hours. The kids kept each other honest in regards to not going downstairs to see if Santa had come.  Apparently, at one point they all needed to use the bathroom so they all entered the room together and then two waited in the bathtub (with the shower curtain closed) while the other one used the toilet.  After they had all had their turn, they headed back to watch Christmas shows and to dream about the morning . . .

These are the notes that the kids left for Santa, as well as Santa's replies:

 

 

 And these are a few of the sweet letters Bailey gave to each of us on Christmas Eve. I 'll have to look around to find the other letters.  Bailey has a real gift for writing uplifting and kind words.