Shanghai Dixie: 12 Days of Christmas: Day 10

Happy Christmas Eve!

Christmas Eve is the true start of Christmas at our house.

I have a personal rule that all my gifts must be wrapped by Christmas Eve because I hate being locked in a room while every one is enjoying the peace and joy of the day.

For us it means hanging out and baking cookies and then going to Mass.

We usually got to the Christmas Eve Mass.

My kids are still too young for Midnight Mass.

The nativity this year was absolutely amazing.

I tried to get all three kids in the Nativity picture but it is so hard to get all three kids in the same picture... and getting everyone to look and smile is just out of the question.

The kids had lots fun running around after Mass and playing with their friends. They were all so cute. And we got to song JOY TO THE WORLD!

On our way home we had planned on stopping and caroling but we stayed at Church so long and the kids were hungry. Instead we just drove very very slowly past the lovely decorated houses.

These two houses are the best decorated in town.

The defiantly have the most decorations and they put a lot of work into it.

Awkward family Christmas picture!!

We have some amazing friends at church. They always give us such great Christmas gifts. We always enjoy opening them on Christmas Eve.

Margaret got this cute stacking snow man. She played with it all night. I haven't seen the whole thing put together since that night. She carries the pieces all over the house and treasures them.

Some other friends gave us these cute nativity crafts. They were a perfect craft for the kids to do while I made Santa some brownies.

Finally it was time to put out our goodies for Santa.

I totally forgot to buy carrots for Rudolf and the other reindeer so we decided they might like some oats.

We left Santa brownies and meringue drops and some nugget cookies we got at World Market.

We also left him a small candy cane and a cup of oats and a glass of Eggnog.

We left a book for him to look at too in case he wanted a break.

And yes, my kids are naked because it was 70 degrees outside!

Plus it's hard to keep clothes on my kids for some reason.

At the last minute before it was time to go to bed, Obi came running out of the bed room. He opened the pantry and said he wanted to leave something for Santa "that he will really really like."

Then he grabbed a can of black beans, "THIS!" he exclaimed.

It was the cutest thing ever.

He was feeling a lot of love and he wanted to show his love to Santa through a gift.

One thing William and I do on Christmas Eve is put gold on the Christmas tree to mark the beginning of Christmas. Leading up to Christmas Day is Advent and preparation. Christmas Eve marks the beginning of the Christmas Season.

(the 12 days that follow... or more)

Santa also hangs candy canes on the Christmas tree and of course adds gifts under the tree.