Christmas Eve

It was a gloriously warm day on Christmas Eve this year, as you can see from the pictures.  Bryan took the kids hiking while I wrapped and cooked, and they had a great time.  I do feel sad about missing out on some of these dad/kid activities so that I can cook or clean, but the peace and quiet is pretty nice too!  :)  We were spending Christmas at home by ourselves this year, with no family or friends coming over, so although it wasn't a big event it still required the same amount of cooking.  We enjoyed our traditional soup-in-a-bun meal, along with the beloved Jello, followed by the opening of gifts from each other.  The kids had all done their shopping earlier in the month, and they were all so excited to give (and receive!) their presents.  Lots of happy kids abound on Christmas Eve!  We fed the reindeer, set treats out for Santa, and then Bryan read the Christmas story to the kids.  They all slept together in the boys room this year, with Ruby pleading her case to be included.  They all slept great (I mean, as good as kids can ever sleep on Christmas Eve), and they were up and ready to get going the next morning!  It was a great night - one of the best of the year, for sure.