Eve

A few Christmas Eve traditions in our house

We always read the night before Christmas

Sam has read this to me every year we have been married, and now reads it to me and the kids.

I love this tradition, his voice is {like butter} and it is such a beautiful end to the eve and beginning to Christmas day.

We have purchased a new version of the book every year, and have written the year, where we live and what gifts we received in the front cover.

A tradition I know we will someday look back on and be thankful we did it.

A spin on an old tradition of oats and glitter for the reindeer is adding some carrots to give the reindeer energy for the long flight. As the story goes in our house......Blitzen is a very picky little reindeer who does not like carrots. So, Christmas morning a few carrots were chewed up and spit out by silly old Blitzen. Ben suggested we leave some Ranch dressing out for Blitzen this year....ya know, to make the carrots more tolerable!

Watching "The Very First Noel"

This movie is an amazing addition to the Eve of Christmas, reminding us all what the holiday is really about. The narration in done by the Andy Griffith guy and the music is simply wonderful. I wish I could find an Mp3 version of the music to put in our Christmas mix....it is just toasty warm.

and speaking of toasty warm, we all get new pj's for our Christmas eve slumber and Christmas morning pictures.

We call this tradition "Santa Mouse", care of the Hamilton Family and I have no idea why. But we do it, and we love it, and we love telling the kids that Cate and Claire do it too.