Christmas Eve day started with a work out. I was SHOCKED to see the gym PACKED! The machines were full and so I just made up my own work out for the day. I quickly went home to finish up some final recipes to prepare for the evening.
This was our second year of our new family tradition of having Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day. So many Christmas were spent rushing through everything and everywhere, and cooking all day, we didn't really get a chance to enjoy the day. It was nice and relaxing last year, so we decided to continue it on.
This year we had Matt, Nicole and their kids, Craig, Billy, Joe and my Mom, of course. We missed not having my Dad here this year, but he was recouping from surgery and a move to Colorado.
I tried some new recipes this year. One included this red velvet cake.
The icing was good, but the cake was a little dry. The dinner menu was a honey ham, a really rich scalloped potato recipe, mashed potatoes, two green bean casseroles, jello salad and Nicole made the yummy 7 layered salad and brought Texas Road House rolls....YUM!
After dinner the adults sat around the fire pit and chatted, while the kids came in and out from watching TV, playing video games, toys,etc. They had a GREAT time!
We then had some dessert, and opened gifts.
It was fun watching the cousins open their gifts!
The older kids were happy with their Tilly gift cards
and Sophia with her Little Ponies. After gifts, everyone went home and then we got ready for Santa.
We made reindeer food and spread it out on the back lawn and put out celery. We then put out egg nog, cookies and fudge for Santa.
The kids thought they would try some.
We then got the kids in bed. Boston fell fast asleep, Ethan asked for Benadryl, and Aubrie was up for awhile worrying if Tilly was going to come home. (She went outside and didn't come back in). Luckily Ben found her in the shed and then Aubrie was able to fall asleep.
We quickly got their presents out, stockings stuffed, and wrapped a few remaining gifts and after a month of preparing we were finally ready for Christmas!
I was tired and was in bed before midnight! It was a great day and evening with family!
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