Christmas Eve Night

     Last year, Riley and I started a few traditions with our family on Christmas Eve.  It starts with the Christmas Eve Candlight Communion service at church that night.  I sent both girls to the nursery so we could enjoy it (and actually they were the only ones since we have 3 times you can go...everyone with young kids went to the first service, but we couldn't do that this year).  I love this service and I usually find myself crying through most of it!  I feel like with all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, you sometimes loose track off what the real meaning of it all is.  And of course the music gets me everytime!  I also think about Riley's mom and how much she loved the Christmas eve service, too and how we wish she were here with us all the time but especially during the holidays.  I just remind myelf she is having the best Christmas in heaven celebrating Jesus' birth!

       When we got home from church, we got baths and got in our pjs. I get the girls a new ornament each year and then we have a new family ornament each year that we hang on the tree on Christmas eve. Riley reads Luke 2 and then I read The Night Before Christmas. We get cookies and milk ready for Santa and then its off to bed for the girls! After the girls are in bed, Riley and I always watch the movie Christmas Vacation (our favorite) on Christmas eve and get things ready for Christmas morning!

All ready for church

Of course we had to have the sippy cup in the picture! :)

Pop Pop, Riley, Anna Riley and Ava Kate before leaving
for church (and the sippy cup yet again!)

Christmas Eve 2011
(AND my child is smiling for the camera!! YAY!)



Anna Riley and Daddy hanging her ornament on the tree



Hanging the family ornanament on the tree





Leaving cookies and milk for
Santa or "HoHo" as Anna Riley says

Sorry Santa...Anna Riley couldn't resist taking a bite of
your cookie!!