christmas eve. it’s such a special evening. i get so excited leading up to this day. the magic, the love, the merriment. there is something so wonderful about spending this evening together as a family. maybe it’s the hustle and bustle that envelopes you. maybe it’s because everyone is in a good mood. maybe it’s the sound of christmas music and strangers saying merry christmas to you. maybe it’s the joy and smiles that exude from your children filled with anticipation of candy, toys, and a visit from santa. maybe it’s the smell of a delicious dinner waiting to be served. maybe it’s the wine kicking in. hahaha!
whatever it is, it’s truly the most wonderful time of the year. we spend christmas eve at my parent’s house annually and i love the coziness of it all. the kids have fun darting all around and playing. our family members ebb and flow to different parts of the house to socialize and immerse themselves in random conversations and activities.
once dinner is ready, we all take our seats and my dad says grace. this year, we had mom’s crab soup, tenderloin, sautéed mushrooms, corn, mashed potatoes, {i’m sure i am forgetting something} and agata brought her homemade cabbage pirogies sprinkled with chopped bacon!!! her dish was the highlight and hit of the night! it was sooooooo flippin’ good!
after dinner and clean up, we served desserts and then we all changed into our christmas pj’s and posed for our family photo. a tradition running, maybe, ten years strong…or close to that! once that was done, the kids became super excited because we started our gift exchange. it’s soooo delightful to watch their excitement and joy!
oh gosh, the girls are so fortunate to get so much!!!! the gifts kept rolling in for the kids. ellie was a bit fussy and was not into opening gifts but olive on the other hand – she was a pro! oh my, it was such a long and lovely night. after each gift was opened and desserts were consumed, we had to get home. it was almost midnight!!! so late for the little buggers. plus, santa was coming soon!
what a perfect and wonderful christmas eve. we are feeling so grateful for everything – life, love, health, family, and friends.
[bûche de nöel]
[tashina and huy]
[olive is sooooooo extraaaaaaa. aren’t they the cutest cousins?!]
[she’s so sassy, sweet, and thugalicious]
[ellie loves dogs]
[how sweet is nutmeg and ellie?]
[our sweet family]
[christmas is for chillin’ with the fam]
[kim’s table centerpiece]
[kids table]
[plaid anyone?]
[hamming it up]
[ellieeeeee, she was hugging reagan so tight and making the funniest faces!]
[thuy and mom]
[how sweet is this?!]
[y’all. i can’t even with olive’s faces. hahhaa!]
[i had to post them all because she’s so cute!]
[christmas pj’s]
[the doan zone]
[there goes olive again with the cute expressions]
xoxo
