Christmas Eve 2013

Christmas Eve is by far my favorite part of the holiday season.  The excitement is so thick you can practically trip over it.  We had a great day.

We started a 750 piece puzzle sometime right before Thanksgiving and we finished up just in time for Christmas.  When we bought the puzzle, Colt campaigned hard for us to purchase a 100 piece Batman puzzle instead.  We decided against it, but he didn't let us off easy.  Every time we complained about our puzzle's difficulty, he made a snarky comment about how easily we could have completed the Batman puzzle.

 Christmas Eve afternoon we decorated cookies to take to a widow in our ward.
Funny sidenote: While in SLC the day before, Dash heard several people speaking Spanish in downtown.  Well, that is unique around our parts, so he took notice.  This particular Sister we visited on Christmas Eve has gone on several Spanish speaking missions, and she bore her testimony to us in Spanish before we left.  As we were walking out to the car, I commented to Dash about how cool it was that she learned Spanish in Mexico.  He replied - "Yay, I didn't know they spoke Spanish in Mexico.  I knew they did in Utah, but not Mexico".

Decorating the cookies...and sneaky some licks.

Somebody left the frosting can within Sissy's reach.

 After our visits, we let the kids open one family present.  We got the boys an indoor/over-the-door basketball hoop and we spent most of the afternoon shooting hoops.  Then we had our annual candlelight pizza dinner.

The camera's flash is pretty effective.  You can't tell, but it's really dark around the table.

This year a wonderful family chose us as the recipients of The 12 Days of Christmas.  Every night, for 12 nights, we would answer a knock at our door and find a piece of a Fisher-Price Nativity.  We were so grateful for this kindness and I learned something, too.  So many times I want to do special Christmas service, but I keep waiting to find the family that is "just right".  A family that is in humble need; someone that will really appreciate what we do.  Well, what a waste.  Our family isn't humble, or needy, and this kindness taught us how to give freely.  In fact, because I was having trouble coming up with families to deliver Secret Santa gifts to, I turned the task over to Dash and he immediately named off several people.  We sneaked up to a few of their doors and dropped off treats and when it was all said and done, it was perfect because we all appreciate knowing that someone is thinking of us.

Before going to bed, we asked the kids to use our new nativity and tell us the story of Christ's birth.  Colt and Dash did such a sweet job.  And Sport, well, just take a look...

Dash was bringing the Christmas animals into the barn.  Sport added in Lightening McQueen.

Several times throughout the story, Sport hurdled himself over the stable.  I think he was going for Heralding Angel, but I'm not sure.

The cast.  

Right as Mary brings forth her newborn son, Sport introduced a basketball into the narration.

 The boys were religiously watching Santa Tracker throughout the night and were anxious to be asleep in their beds before he arrived.  In their beds they were, but all sound asleep, they were not.  Dash was still trying to drop off when he heard bells outside his window.  He even heard Santa going up and down the hall between the bedrooms!  Hmmmm....

We didn't put out Santa's milk and cookies until right before bedtime, but the boys were in a panic because Sissy would not leave them alone and they were just sure she would destroy their chances of getting their Christmas wishes.