Christmas Eve

As much as I love all things Christmas, you have to know that Christmas Eve is probably my favorite day during the Christmas season. I think I enjoy it even more than Christmas morning. And this year’s Christmas eve definitely did not disappoint.
We started out the day with a not so healthy, but oh so delicious breakfast.

Crepes filled with vanilla pudding, strawberries, and blueberries topped with powdered sugar and chocolate sauce. Heavenly. Simply heavenly.

We also broke out all our favorite Christmas movies to watch: Miracle on 34th Street, Home Alone, It’s a Wonderful Life, Star Wars, and Empire Strikes Back. Oh wait, those last two aren’t exactly Christmas movies but Nathan said the ‘Force’ is kind of like Christmas magic so it’s all good, right?
We decorated a gingerbread house that we had made from scratch the day before.

We didn’t do any kind of elaborate design since this was the first one that we had ever tried.

I think it turned out pretty cute though.

Layton wanted to help out too, but somehow it seemed that every piece of candy that he picked up found it’s way into his mouth and not onto the house.

It was such a beautiful day that we couldn’t resist the opportunity to go for a bike ride so that Dallin could practice his awesome no training wheel skills. We even spent a little time in the back yard just playing.

We made cookies for Santa. Chocolate chip for him and cowboy for Mrs. Claus. We heard those are their favorites.

Mandy and Dallin made sure that the cookie dough tasted just right!

After some warm delicious minestrone soup, we all got to open a present. And as is tradition, we each received new pajamas.

We gave the kids a bath and we all changed into our new jammies and curled up on the couch to read The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey. We learned all about why the sheep in the lowly stable were so happy to be at the bedside of the Christ child, why the cow that stood beside the manger was so very proud, why the angel who delivered the news of the Savior’s birth felt he had the most important job in all the world, why the wise men wore their most magnificent robes to meet the King of All Kings, how serious Joseph took the task of being Jesus’ father during his mortal life, and how deeply Mary loved the babe she so sweetly wrapped in swaddling clothes.

Now that is Christmas magic.