The Eve

This year was our first year by ourselves for Christmas. 

It is always fun to be with family...

bu that wasn't an option this year, and it was really nice!

It was nice to not have to worry about getting stuff home or just traveling around the holidays in general is always a worry.

We had our friends over Christmas Eve.

We read our new Christmas book for the year, Too Many Tamales, and then we ate tamales homemade by someone else! She brought them to me, and I paid her. Perfect!

I made 7 layer dip, and our friends brought black beans, salsa, and the best Tres Leches trifle I have ever sunk my teeth into.

Dinner was good.

We read some other favorite Christmas books...

And of course did the most important... we acted out the nativity.

Tessa was Mary.

Merrick was Joseph.

Quincy was a sheep.

Berkleigh was the angel.

Emory was one of the wiseman.

Fischer was a Sheppard.

Tyson was every from the donkey, to a shepard to a wiseman.

(He is such a good sport and totally hilarious.)

it is so hard to take the perfect picture... and to then pick the one that works the best.

After the Maughans left to go finish off their family traditions... we got into our Christmas pajamas, got the cookies, carrots and egg nog out for Santa, finished off some of our scripture reading advents and called it a night. Well the kids called it a night.

We still had hours of work ahead of us. 

This little one was so excited to be wearing her Christmas jammies, for cookies to be outside the kitchen and for all the presents.

 We stayed up late wrapping presents. 

Disclaimer: There is not one present UNDER the tree. It was so big on the bottom, nothing could go under it... and most of those presents are from grandparents as well. We were well loved this year.

And I finally put up a Christmas chalkboard the day before Christmas. I just couldn't have a thanksgiving quote up on Christmas. Wish I had done it earlier, cause now it is time to take it down. :)

We had such a great Christmas Eve. It was very relaxing and simple.