OUR FIRST CHRISTMAS EVE

For the first time since we'd been married, it was just going to be our little family for Christmas Eve. Though we were sad to not be with family, we were excited to carry on some traditions we grew up with, as well as begin some new ones for our kids.

The day started off with a yummy breakfast of french toast. Afterwards, the kids had baths - we had to be nice and clean to celebrate Christmas! CJ reminded us of how he may just be a little anal when it comes to organization...everything in lines! :)

Then we headed out to Leavenworth where we got some yummy danishes and this:

An angel chime! 

Paige's family had one growing up that they got out every Christmas. We really wanted to incorporate some traditions that were tied to our heritage, and since Paige's side of the family is Swedish (Forsgren), we thought that this Swedish angel chime was perfect!

After lunch and naps, we headed over to East Wenatchee to go bowling. The kids, especially CJ, had been looking forward to it all day!

click on the grid to enlarge our bowling fun

After bowling we went to eat at Olive Garden (that's big-time in Wenatchee :). Paige's family always went to a Chinese restaurant on Christmas Eve, so we had planned on carrying on the tradition and going to a yummy Asian restaurant in Wenatchee called Spring Lotus. Unfortunately, the bowling alley and the restaurant closed at the same time, so we had to pick one. I think we all know which one Bryce and Paige would have chosen, but we couldn't not go bowling, so it wasn't much of a choice anyway. Olive Garden wasn't busy at all, and the kids ate - which we're always grateful for - so it turned out great.  

By the way, that Mickey Mouse that Mattie is holding, which she is still carrying around with her everywhere and even sleeps with, was won by a stranger at the bowling alley. After winning his girlfriend a Mickey and a Minnie, he gave this Mickey to Mattie (it was one of those toy crane machines and he was winning every time!). He wanted to win CJ a toy too, but the best one to grab was a Maggie Simpson doll. CJ took it and was happy about it, but it is now sitting in the Goodwill pile in our garage (Paige isn't a huge Simpson's fan and doesn't really want their paraphernalia at our house...esp a Maggie doll for CJ).

After dinner, we drove the long way home, driving through Fancher Heights in East Wenatchee, in hopes to see some great lights. The kids liked it - they were excited about a single strand of lights thrown on anything - but it was pretty much a disappointment for the adults. That's ok though, because we had fun just singing Christmas songs (it's amazing how many we forgot! :) and seeing our kids enjoy it.

Once we got home, we made some cookies for Santa.

And while the cookies cooled, we had a special Christmas Eve Family Home Evening. After a Christmas song and a prayer, Paige read from Luke 2 (just a few verses), while Bryce helped the kids follow along in a picture book. Each time a character from our nativity (Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, and the shepherd) was talked about, we would stop and have the kids point to that person. Then we had a family prayer thanking Heavenly Father for the Savior, and of course, closed with some more Christmas songs.

For dessert, we had a traditional Christmas Swedish dish - rice porridge. The tradition is to have rice porridge after the Christmas feast and whomever gets the almond in their dish is predicted to get married the following year, though many adapt it to getting to make a wish instead. To suit our young family, we actually made rice pudding and put a raisin in one of the dishes, and whomever got the raisin got to open the family gift. 

Paige grew up opening one gift on Christmas Eve, and Bryce's family started the tradition of getting Christmas jammies, so we combined the two, and had the kids open one gift on Christmas Eve...Christmas jammies (boring, I know, but they didn't mind). Then we thought we'd start the tradition of opening a family gift on Christmas Eve, one that we could all enjoy, and since CJ was the one who got the raisin in his pudding, he got to open the family gift: accessories for the wii!

After playing the wii for a little bit...

...it was time to frost and decorate Santa's cookies.

After a Christmas movie, Once Upon a Christmas, it was time for bed, so Daddy gathered the kids in front of the Christmas tree and read the traditional Twas the Night Before Christmas...

...cookies and a homemade card for Santa were lovingly placed by the fireplace

...and to honor our Scottish heritage (Mackay), the kids placed candles in the window to welcome visitors, aka Santa.

Then it was off to bed.

Our first Christmas Eve was a success!

With 12 months to recoup, I think we'll do it all again next year!