Christmas Eve

12/24/11

 For most of the 11 years we've lived in Utah we have spent Christmas Eve with Aunt Michele and her family.

There are a few exceptions, like the year we had Christmas in Oregon, just before Parker was born.

Hmmmm....maybe that was the only exception.

The evening usually includes dinner, a program of some sort (music, the Nativity or poems - like the year Parker was preparing for his 2nd grade Poem Play), and in later years a pinata, games and always gifts.

This year the party was early, and actually Paul & I let Lincoln & Michelle take the kids to Aunt Michele's while we went out on a long-ago-planned-for birthday date.

(Thank you)

Since it wasn't held on Christmas Eve, we were left with creating our own.

We did a few chores in the morning hours - Momma can't relax on Christmas in clutter!

Then we went to see Hugo at the movie theater.

{What did we think?  We all thought it slow compared to the fast-moving modern movies but I was intrigued by so many other things that there was only one place I remember thinking, "keep going, keep going."  I loved so many things about it:  the theatrical elements (like the detail that was put into the train station & the camera angles), the info about the origins of movies & the effects that real happenings have on the way movies are made (world war 1, etc), the message that a machine has no extra parts - every part has a purpose & that if the world were a machine each of us is not an extra - we each have a purpose, and finally the message that we may not discover our purpose until after we've set the stage for its discovery...and that our purpose may not be some grand & glorious thing but something as simple (yet everlasting) as bringing joy to one person.}

And speaking of moving on....

I really can't remember the hours after the movie but before bedtime...

I'm sure we ate dinner...

Oh, yeah!

We did have our taco salad, & even with taco meat.

It was delicious.

Except for the egg nog.

I don't even bother with it anymore...yuck!

But Paul likes it and is hoping that even just one of his kids will follow suit.

Maybe it will be Parker?

Always up for a good adventure, even in food.

After clean up and showers and I'm sure some extra play time, we settled in for the evening.

Paul read the Bible account of Christ's birth.

The kids listened attentively.

Kyralyn helped with the visual aids.

Maybe next year they will get to (have to) act it all out - that would get them engaged!

Ha - Ha

We read our story, The Miracle of the Wooden Shoes.

Kyralyn created a heartfelt note for Santa and his reindeer, along with a healthful plate of goodies (each item selected very carefully by her).

And of course one can't go to bed on Christmas Eve in anything but brand new pajamas!

Dallin was thrilled with his.

Parker got to feel like the kid he sometimes forgets he is (of course so do we all) in his SpiderMans.

And Kyralyn loves her soft & cuddly jamies.

Some Christmas tunes playing in their bedrooms and off to dreamland they went.

Oh, wait!

Before that happened, Dallin & Parker got to be Santa's helpers and do some "filling."

This was Parker's inaugural year for this honorable position.

He had spent a great deal of time in the weeks leading up to this night asking questions and wondering what was "really" going on.

So rather than merely telling him, he got to help.

He loved it.

Now, with all the kids tucked in bed, Paul & I set a few things out by the tree & put on a movie to watch.

Instead we started to fall asleep.

So we unplugged the Christmas tree lights and went off to dreamland ourselves.