Christmas Eve

Back around Thanksgiving I began thinking about how I wanted to spend Christmas Eve.  It was going to be our first Christmas in our new house, somewhere we really have space that we could "host" some kind of event and have it work out well.  I didn't think I wanted to do a dinner but I decided I did want to have people over.  When I was growing up two traditions I really enjoyed were making and decorating sugar cookies and singing Christmas carols around the piano.  So that is what we did.  We had 2 families come over and had a really enjoyable evening.  We invited one other family but they ended up having family in town so we stuck with the other two and it worked out really well.  I made the cookies and frosting that afternoon and set it all out for when they arrived. They (The Lenox's and Ellsworth's) came over around 6:00 and we decorated our cookies then the kids went to play in our basement (we so love our basement!).  After the kids (poor Jared was so outnumbered there were 6 girls and just him but he had a great time) had played some we came upstairs and read the nativity and sang Christmas hymns. Then we opened it up for regular Christmas carols.  It was just what I hoped it would be. Not too much going on, not too many people but a fun activity and a nice way to have the Christmas spirit. I loved it and feel like it went well and everyone had a great time. I hope to make it a yearly tradition here in Charlottesville.

I meant to take a picture during but was busy helping Lydia decorate and decorating my own cookies. This cutting board was filled with cookies stacked like 4 high.  It was really fun. 

We decorated about 60 cookies. 

Mark was our narrator for Luke 2.

We love hanging out with the Lenox's. 

Christmas Eve.  It was really strange weather.  Totally un Christmas like in my mind.  It was rainy (normal) but like 65 degrees.  It was so humid.  So gross! Oh well.

After our friends left we let Jared and Lydia open up their gifts to each other.  They were super excited to get to open one gift before Christmas. We did it last year too so I am pretty sure it will also be a yearly thing. They were really excited with the gifts they got each other. We read Twas the Night Before Christmas and sent them off to bed.

Then Mark and I filled stockings and got the Christmas Scavenger hunt ready.

 

Scavenger hunt clues. 

Jared's was s big Nerf gun and it was under our bed so no picture.

It was a great day!