Christmas Eve 2014

Christmas Eve found Tate and me home for the first time since he was born.  We have always spent Christmas at my parents', but this year my dad asked us to host Christmas dinner and my parents and Lindsey would come here on Christmas Eve and spend the night.  

First order of business was opening the last Advent Lego calendar piece...Santa Claus!!  Then we had to open the previous night's Advent book, since we had been out at the Christmas train in Alvin!

Tate and I spent the morning cooking, ok I cooked while he played.  I made the chicken spaghetti for that night's dinner and the broccoli/rice casserole for the next day's dinner.  Then we made some Christmas cookies!!  Yummy eggless sugar cookies.  Nativity sugar cookies :)  Complete with Mary, Jesus, Joseph, wise men, sheep, donkey, camel, star and train.  Yep a train!!

We had some lunch, hung out and then Grandmommy and Papa arrived and filled up the bottom of our tree!

Next thing you know it was time to head off to church!

All dressed and ready to go!

Of course we had to arrive 45 minutes early to get 'good seats'.  Our church doesn't put on a pageant per say, yet the priest tells the story of the first Christmas and invites the children to come up to the altar during the story.  Each child has the option of being an angel, shepherd, wise man, star or sheep, and when the priest mentions each of them in the story they are invited to come up.  The church provides costumes or you can make your own.  We definitely chose one of the church made ones :)  Tate opted to be a star this year!

The service was beautiful.

 Then our rector led them in singing Happy Birthday to Jesus!!

After the service we came home for dinner and family fun.  Then it was time for Tate to open his first gift of Christmas, said in the Polar Express voice :)

Scoping out the tree!

I wonder what's in the box!!!

Pajamas!!!

Then it was time for the last Advent book!

A little selfie familial love....

Oh how I love these two!!

Cookies left out for Santa as well as food for the reindeer...

In the hopes that St. Nick soon would be there...

The lit tree awaits Santa while a special
little boy sleeps away!

When up on the roof there arose such a clatter...

Santa Claus was here!!!

There are the two things Tate asked for....the yellow Lego train and Planes Fire and Rescue 'stuff'.
Well he also asked for the movie 'Cars 3,' but ummm that hasn't been made yet.  But according to Tate
Santa can do anything.  (I tried;  I called Owen Wilson even)

All we needed now was for Christmas morning to arrive...