Christmas Eve

Mom baked and cooked all throughout Christmas Eve. We put on some Christmas music and went to town. I'm not really sure what I did, except for finding her the ingredients and cooking utensils she needed. Plus, I got the neighbor gifts ready to deliver. And discovered the pipe problem. And did some cleaning up and set the table. But really, Mom did all the work.

Friends and neighbors were dropping by throughout the day, delivering treats and tiny gifts -- it was so festive!

Eva tasting the fruits of her labors -- or doing a little "poison control", as we call it in our family.

We had a lovely dinner by candlelight -- beef tenderloin with blue cheese which was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. (I opted not to post a photo, however, because in the picture it came off as being distastefully carnivorous.)

spinach/raspberry/macadamia nut salad -- delicious, and the colors are so Christmasy!

crab-stuffed potatoes (normally we do twice-baked, but Mom discovered a shortcut that tastes just as good and is twice as easy!)

butternut squash with fresh sage, blue cheese, and bread crumbs (I will definitely be making this one again)

After dinner, we moved to the family room and sat around the Christmas tree. Max played Christmas songs on the cello and we sang along.

Marc read the story of the Nativity from Luke, and then we watched a Church DVD about Mary and Joseph and Christ's birth.

Eva watching with rapt attention

After the DVD, we talked about how the Savior has given us everything. The earth, and everything therein, our families, our very lives. What can we give to him? A changed heart, a desire to help others, compassion, love, obedience.

We got out our little boxes and wrote down our gifts to the Savior for the coming year. I am so excited about this tradition! Ever since we started two years ago, it has really made a positive impact on my life. I was telling my family that I have thought of the things I wrote down and put inside my box literally hundreds of times. It influences my actions for the better when I remember a specific way in which I am trying to be more like him. I hope eventually the same will happen for my children.


We had chocolate cheesecake with ganache topping, and then the children went to bed and we started working on stockings, one of my favorite parts of Christmas! Stockings are so fun.

mine, courtesy of Mom

Max's

Lucas's

Eva's

I guess I forgot to take pictures of Marc's and Mom and Dad's. I feel a bit magical being up when everyone else is in bed, making the magic happen and snapping photos. I was a little reluctant to go to bed! It was a very festive Christmas Eve.

I'm always amazed at how full the tree is when everything is finally wrapped! (not to mention sent by Grandma and other loved ones far away...)