Christmas Eve 2010

I love Christmas. I spend months getting ready for this season and it all crescendos on Christmas Eve, when we have our special Christmas Eve dinner. I love planning the meal, shopping for it, cooking it, and most especially, enjoying it with my family and friends. We had the Burdicks over again this year and enjoyed an Italian feast of minestrone, garlic bread, Olive Garden style salad, individual lasagnas, baked green zuccini and red potatoes, and 12 Layers of Christmas Red and Green Jello. We also enjoyed Herbed Feta Cheesecake for our appetizer and Triple Layer Chocolate Mousse Cake for dessert. The kids really loved the jello, breadsticks, and dessert. The grown-ups enjoyed everything.
This year, we also rearranged the living room so we could eat by the tree and it was AWESOME! We set up the yule log on the tv, set the stage with candle light and Christmas carols, and basically wrapped ourselves in Christmas cheer. I loved the warmth of the tree, food and love in the room. Christmas eve is so magical that way!
After dinner, we hurried the kids through the family traditions of new pj's, leaving food for Santa's reindeer, setting out cookies, and the nativity story. Grant kept disappearing to bed, he was so excited for Santa to come! Finally, around 9:30, the kids rushed upstairs to fall asleep before Santa came (we were watching him on the Santa tracker). Travis and I spent the next few hours getting presents ready, cleaning up the house, and wrapping a few last minute gifts. We fell into bed at 3am on our latest Christmas Eve ever! Oh and it was the best Christmas Eve ever, because every year is better than the year before of course! And here's the slide show to prove it: