Christmas Eve Traditions

For the last few years, Brayden has taken charge on our Christmas Eve Program.  I always look back...bummed, that I didn't capture the night sufficiently with pictures.  This year was no different... I'm bummed... didn't capture it. I'll learn.  I'll learn.  And that's also bad flash.

Brayden has not had violin lessons in over a year now, but practiced and performed a number especially for us... a treat for me.

McKenzie & Monson both played the piano...

And Alexandra, Isabella, & Viviana performed their 'Gift to You' number from kid karolers for Ama. 

kisses for Ama b

We all contributed... Curt told the story of the Christmas 

Orange... something we traditionally receive in our stockings year after year.  And we all did our Christmas Eve puppets as we read Luke 2 and sang lots of beautiful Christmas melodies.  Again, no photos.  But there's plenty of cute little Vivs fully enjoying our Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve I usually let the kids open their handmade gift from me...

and it usually ends up being their most treasured fave.  Just saying.... 

happiness is homemade

2010 was the year of the magnet boards... all personalized for the boys, and spiffed out to their personalities, for the girls.  These took HOURS.  Especially Brayden & Monson's.  The best part about them was the cost.  Taipan practically paid me to take these off their hands last spring.  

The boys is not only magnetic, but a chalkboard too... that made them even more giddy.

One day, I laid out a whole bunch of different fabrics and had the girls each choose their absolute fave.  That's what they got, so no bad guessing here.  I wanted to do a monogram of their initials on the wood... may still do it later.  Time was running out.

My boys each have like a gazillion teams.  They had no idea what I was doing... but I asked them to rank their teams so I could at least narrow it down to something do-able.  Did I say these took forever?  Cause they did.  

My mom hates cameras.  can you tell?  She'll rarely look at the lense.  But I take the photos anyway.  
I added detail to her corners... and it's polished and just so Ama..

and I couldn't resist making one for me... a bird's egg blue toile.  Lovey.

And another favorite tradition... Christmas Eve Jammies.
We have some pretty great family that watched out for us this year and even down to the PJ's...made that tradition still possible.F  Thank you dearly, you know who you are.  See.. yet again, a picture of all of them would have been nice.  Oh, ya... they were too giddy to even obey long enough to group together for a picture.  Except for these three cuties.