christmas eve 2008...

This year Brad had to work on Christmas Eve...so it was pretty much "business as usual" around our house...except for the excited giggles of anticipation that sometimes escaped unexpectedly from the kids (okay, and maybe me too).  Actually, I knew there was still a lot of holiday prep to be done - so I settled in for a day of cleaning and cooking (after our sweet home teacher showed up and surprised us with a turkey for our Christmas Eve dinner)!

Brad was surprised when he came home in the evening to the smell of roasting turkey, along with all the good stuff - stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, and rolls.  (Much different than the frozen pizza he was likely expecting!)  The kids could barely wait to eat dinner and get ready for bed.  Unfortunately for them, I didn't let them get ready for bed at 6:00 pm...it was just way too early.

Meagan did her own shopping this year (thanks to Grandma for taking her out for a day of shopping and fun in November).  I honestly believe she was more excited about giving the gifts she had purchased for everyone than about the gifts she would be receiving.  It has been a very sweet experience to watch her for the last month or so - to see her light up when she talked about the gifts she had purchased and see her excitement and anticipation about how the recipient of her gifts might react when they unwrapped the present.  She didn't want to wait for Christmas morning...so she let everyone open their gifts from her right after dinner.  She had put much time and consideration into buying the perfect gift for each and every family member...it was amazing to watch her face as each gift was opened up - the perfect way to begin the celebrating for me...

After Meagan's gifts were opened and dinner was cleaned up, we let the kids open a gift from us.

I think they were excited to start ripping off the paper...even though they've all resigned themselves to the fact that all they get on Christmas Eve is a pair of Christmas PJ's.  (and they wouldn't hold still for 2 seconds for a photo together...not before OR after opening their PJ's...)

They were silly and giddy and oh so cute...

The night before Christmas Eve, the kids helped me make a batch of Rocky Road fudge (something we have to make EVERY year...my mom's recipe...and it just isn't Christmas without it).  They decided to leave a plate of fudge and milk for Santa this year, rather than the traditional cookies and milk - I bet Santa appreciated something a little different...after all, he'd probably already eaten thousands of cookies before he made it to our house.

Seth made reindeer food in preschool last week,

he let everyone help him sprinkle it outside our front door

...(and since they were already ready for bed and didn't have shoes on, they didn't throw it very far out, so we'll be tracking in oatmeal and glitter for months)

{love these little elves who actually picked out their OWN Christmas jammies because they were with me when I went shopping for them...I was so happy they chose these cute stripey ones from Gap Kids...very similar to Zach's pj's from last year - so fun and bright and happy!}

They also remembered the egg nog we made last year on Christmas Eve and requested it again as a bed-time treat.  (Off course, I don't actually put eggs in it...it's just milk, vanilla, and sugar...yummy).

It took a while for everyone to settle down and go to sleep.  Josh had a hard time staying away from the computer.  He was tracking Santa on Norad and felt he needed to check in on Santa every 2 or 3 minutes.  (Meagan told me later that Josh checked in and saw Santa in Cedar City...and the next time he checked, he'd completely skipped over Heber and gone further north.  He was a little bit worried at that point - hmmm...maybe Mom was right...if I'm awake, Santa won't come.  And he fell asleep shortly after that.) 

Lucky for us, Santa must have made a u-turn and returned to our home after everyone was soundly sleeping.  I always leave my camera sitting out so Santa can take a picture after he's dropped off our gifts - he always obliges me...such a considerate and kind guy, that Santa.  Here's this year's photo by Santa:

...and all was calm and peaceful...for a few more hours anyway...