A TRADITIONal Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is the day for excitement and joy and for imagining the special day ahead. It's a footstep before Christmas day, but all the built up wishing and hoping for the following day makes it a little bit more magical. It's as if Christmas Eve is a snow globe that gets shook up and all the glitter and snow and happiness are twirling around, excited, high in spirits and watching and anxiously waiting for everything to fall down  . . . waiting for the real thing, Christmas Day.

But I've always loved Christmas Eve. I've never wanted it to speed by and become the following day. I've always loved waking up on Christmas Eve morning, feeling the magic curl around me like a warm quilt, knowing I have a full day of Christmas time memory making ahead of me, with also the notion that it's only one more sleep until Christmas.

Having a Christmas Eve-y P.F. Chang's Dinner.

Bundled up for the Christmas Eve cold.

Smiling under the Christmas Tree.

Growing up all my Christmas Eves were centered around traditions. From where we ate to what we did to what we opened from under the tree that night. But our new little family hasn't quite got our traditions down yet. Meaning, we don't really know what we want them to be just yet. We want them to be special, memorable, something to look forward to and heartfelt. And one Christmas Eve from now, we'll have it all figured out, but for now we just know we want to have traditions.

I chose a few this year, ones that were passed down from my childhood, such as going out to eat at P.F. Changs and then coming home and opening two gifts: a new pair of pj's and a Christmas book. But I want to add more. Maybe a family Christmas movie, or baking something together, or looking at Christmas lights or doing something extra Christmassy.

And one day it'll all be perfect.

Playing with the Christmas Tree. And of course the
 ornaments. A Christmas favorite for Reece.

But for now, we'll take it one Christmas Eve at a time, one new tradition at a time, and just enjoy every second of everything. I still think though, the best tradition on Christmas Eve is being surrounded by family. And I know in my heart, we got that tradition down perfectly.

PRESENTS! PRESENTS!

Reece and Rumpa on that very merry Christmas Eve.

I spy a jingle bell?

Yes, eat the spoon. A little safer than the bell
from the Polar Express, I think.

The best family Christmas photo. Ever.

Reece in his new Christmas pajamas! So snuggly and soft.

Staring at Christmas lights . . .

Reading Reece's new Christmas book,"Biscuit's Christmas Eve."

Christmas tears. Or a Tiny Tim tantrum, perhaps.

Twas the night before Christmas . . . and it's about to begin.
After one more sleep.:)