Christmas Eve was a very busy one at our house. We started out with our annual Jesus dinner. We lit candles and ate meat pies, pistachios, sparkling cider, pomegranates, olives, sugared raisins, naan with oils, and watched a beautiful nativity video. It was a physically and spiritually filling feast.
The kids acted out the nativity and each one dutifully carried out their roles as angel, Mary, Joseph, a wise man, and Laney was a little lamb. 
We tossed reindeer food out onto the front lawn,
and tossed carrots out onto the back lawn, just to be sure Santa and his reindeer could find us out here in the country.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, along with a plate of cookies and a cup of eggnog for Santa. 
And finally, after a long day and a whole season of waiting, it was finally time to open a present. The kids insisting on all buying presents for each of their siblings this year, rather than drawing the name of just one like we have done in the past. That meant one on one time for me with each of them as they shopped, selected, wrapped, and then placed each present under the tree, and Christmas Eve was extra special as they all exchanged their thoughtful and fun gifts. These kids definitely know how to make Christmas magical.
And then it was off to bed! With visions of sugar plums and hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be here and lots of questions about whether he would really find us and how would he not get stuck in the fireplace and do we even have a chimney in this new house?! And before long, the house was quiet and Christmas morning was finally here.
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