Christmas Eve

I always enjoy Christmas Eve. The anticipation in the girls is so palpable. Grandma Mary and Papa Rick would be staying over as they have in the past when we have spent Christmas at our home. This year Grandma Heather and Papa Dave were able to join us for a few hours Christmas Eve along with Kerri and Darren. They were playing it safe and arriving before the freezing rain that was predicted for Christmas morning (which did in fact come). And they were planning to stay at Kerri and Darren's and spend Christmas morning with them.
After eating a potluck style supper, we had to get our cookies together and baked to leave out for Santa. Knowing that we are always in a pinch for time on Christmas Eve, and that I usually always forget until the last minute, Pillsbury snowmen cookies find there way to the oven nearly every year. Maybe when the kids get older it will be a bit more elaborate.



Once the cookies were finished, it was time to open our Christmas Eve gifts. My brother and his family have a wonderful tradition that Jacqui has continued in honour of her mother "Grandma Hilma". I love it so much that we have implemented the idea into our Christmas as well. Every Christmas Eve we can look forward to receiving new Christmas pajamas and a new family game. This year we received 2 games. Disney Rummikub and DVD Disney BINGO. We teamed up to play Rummikub and then Kris set up the Laptop to play BINGO, which both the girls really loved and Emily was surprisingly good at.




We were following Santa on the NORAD Santa tracker and as soon as he started crossing the Atlantic headed for Canada, Riley slightly panicked. So it was on with the PJ's and out with the cookies, celery and gifts for Santa and the Reindeer (we were out of carrots). A quick brush of the teeth and straight to bed. Santa doesn't come if you aren't sleeping don't you know. Too cute. And practical as 6:15comes pretty early.