Christmas Eve Festivities

For over a year, we'd planned on spending this Christmas on the east coast with Dustinn's side of our family.  Not long before the holidays, we realized how difficult it would be for our family this year.  We were definitely caught between a rock and a hard place, fretting endlessly about disappointing/saddening Grandparents while wanting to do the right thing for our family.
Of course, everyone was very understanding but we MISS being able to see how baby Amelia has grown, acting out the nativity, and being able to spend quality time with everyone.  Most of all, we miss the opportunity for our kids to develop their relationships with their aunts, uncles; grandparents.

Thus, this is the first year we've celebrated Christmas as just our little family.  It was a sweet and tender experience for us.

In mid-December, Dustinn and I sat down and talked about the many wonderful Christmases we've shared with our families and realized, "this year it's up to us to make it magical. What should we do?"  We decided this year was a wonderful opportunity to gear all activities towards our little children.

On Christmas Eve, the kids watched the 1970's Santa Claus is Comin' to Town while Dustinn and I got the festivities ready.  Then:

• We had a Back-to-Bethlehem dinner and ate fish, grapes, olives and we were going to do unleavened bread but I made butter-flake rolls instead because we like them.
• We read and talked through the story of Christ's birth then the children acted it out.  

• Then we opened a package from my mom containing the traditional first gift of Christmas--matching pajamas! (Well, all the adults match.  Even Lindy in Montreal.)

 

(apparently, thats how Dustinn thinks I pose
for pictures.  lol)

• We sang The Friendly Beasts with paper bag puppets.  The kids were very animated with the puppets and requested encore after encore.  (Success!)  

Chubby fists began rubbing tired eyes and in record time both kids were fast asleep.