Christmas Eve 2009

Not a single picture on this night. The problem about posting so much after the fact is that I can't remember what we did that day. I know that it went really fast! Usually it's a long day, but not this year. I know I went to my mom's to get all the gifts and finish a little wrapping. I also had to venture to Wal mart for a few last minute batteries, etc. By the time I got home, it was almost time to start preparing for the evening. The house was cleaned and everyone was showered so things were going really smoothly. I had gotten a little $1 bingo game at walmart, so we sat around the table and played that while I started dinner. It was goofy, but the kids had a good time and it was easy enough that Katy could play by herself. Once I got dinner going and Glade got home, I had to take his truck and run to the nursery to pick up his trees. I was able to get 5 trees for just under $200. I was really excited, and they put them outside the gates so I could get them whenever it was convenient for me.

When I got home, dinner was done and just waiting. I had already set the table all pretty, so we were ready to go with our traditional candle light dinner. The dinner was not the best I had ever made, but the spirit of it was still there. After dinner, we cleaned up and got ready for our ornament exchange. We skipped jammies this year in an effort to save money. Originally when we discussed it as a family, they all agreed it would be fine, but now they were a little sad they chose that. Chelsey sighed that it was the first year in 17 years she hadn't gotten new Christmas jammies. Funny, I only started that tradition about 6 yrs ago, but she doesn't remember that.

After opening their ornaments and putting them on the tree, they all went and put their OLD jammies on and settled down for a book. This year we read The Christmas Light. Glade said it wasn't his favorite, but it told about giving of yourself is better than giving things. After, we watched a 5 minute video I got with the song O Holy Night done along with pictures by Liz Lemon Swindel. It was beautiful.

Then as tradition would have, we had to check the Santa Tracker to see where he was. They all ate cookies and settled down to watch Arthur's Perfect Christmas. I love that show. Last year, they seem to not stay with it so this year I wasn't planning on watching it, but they insisted. We ALWAYS watch it! So they did. Then off to bed and time for my work to commence. Lucky for me I was very prepared and was in bed by 10:30. Merry Christmas!