Tuesday, January 27, 2015

2014 Cozy Christmas Eve at home: HOLIDAY STORY PART ONE

THIS IS PART ONE OF A THREE PART BLOG SERIES.  PLEASE SEE HERE FOR PART TWO AND HERE FOR PART THREE



This is the night we work so hard for, wait for, and wish for!  Christmas is my very favorite!

 We started our evening off with a classic church service in a small country church with my parents, grandma, and brother.   Singing Christmas hymns on Christmas Eve is one of my oldest and most loved holiday memories.



After church, we headed home for Christmas Eve dinner with family.
We all could hardly wait to cozy up at home and start our festivities! 


Titus had the sweet idea to stand on our porch and play Christmas carols as family arrived.  It was truly heart-warming to watch and listen to him play while guests arrived.



All the girls on this 2014 Christmas Eve night!
 Three generations together for the holidays.


My mom and me


Us



This year, we scheduled our celebration different.  Usually, we pack up and head to my parent's home sweet home for the entire holiday.  This year, Chris and I hosted Christmas Eve dinner at our home. We also stayed home on Christmas morning, then went to my parent's for Christmas dinner in the afternoon.

Christmas Eve Dinner Table









Kids' Table





Dinner Menu


Christmas Eve is more "snacky" and lighter.  
Christmas Day is our FEAST!


Dinner was hot and cozy soups: 
Italian Meatball and Creamy Chicken & Rice



Lots of homemade rolls...


This salad was incredible!  
I want to eat it every day.  
I made maple roasted walnuts and a maple mustard vinaigrette.  
The greens were served with pomegranates and blue cheese.

Ohhhh emma geee this is good!!


I made fresh apple orchard punch 


...and homemade wassail too. 



Gathered 
together


We had a lineup of snacks and Christmas cookies 
made especially for the most exciting night of the year!


...including the boys' rolo ritz treats.


perfectly rich and delectable for the holidays.





So simple and so cute!




My favorite part of our dinner 
was a homemade dark chocolate brownie I made
 with the cuuuutest powdered sugar bow!
Thank you Martha Stewart for this adorable idea!


Brownie package
sighhhhh


This is JUST the sort of thing that makes me giddy, friends. 
I can't help it.



Traditions and Festivities 

We don't put any gifts under the tree until the boys go to bed on December 24th.  
That makes it more exciting on Christmas morning!

However, the boys do get to open one gift on Christmas Eve...
pajamas of course.

Waiting to open their PJ bags!
We started using these bags every year for pajama eve gifts.




I even got some cutie jammies this year!


Fresh clean pajamas on fresh clean boys! <3 font="">




My parents brought Basil, our new puppy, a wrapped present too!  
It was absolutely adorable watching him open it.  
A holiday highlight!


Every Christmas Eve we cozy up all together to read Luke 2,
The CHRISTMAS STORY.


 Another tradition is singing Christmas carols.
Titus played violin while Kotah played the bells.
It was beautiful and made me smile big inside.


The night closed by reading TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS. 

Then the kids giggled and bounced off to bed 
to attempt sleep on the longest night of the year.

After our guests left and the house was still,
Santa arrived.



Time to slumber before the best morning arrives!  I get excited just writing about this.  I am a lover of magic and wonder and anticipation.



I especially love the joy that overflows on December 25th: 
the gleam in my boys' eyes, 
the bounce in their steps, 
and the lingering thump of my heart that returns 
again and again 
each year around this season.  
It's who I am.  
The joy of this holiday was captured in my spirit long ago 
and it remains for always.  




THIS IS PART ONE OF A THREE PART BLOG SERIES.  

PLEASE SEE HERE FOR PART TWO 

AND HERE FOR PART THREE




 MOORE Christmases past:

2014 Cozy Christmas at Home

2013 Radiantly Grand Finale of the Year: Christmas Day

2012 Christmas Day, Abundant Joy











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2 comments:

Cara@HomespunKitchen said...

The way that you write is truly magical...:) You are raising some pretty amazing young men, can you live closer to us, we have three girls, haha!!!

b. said...

Another magical Christmas.. Nothing stops you! :) The food looked so good but I'm really wanting ALL of those rolls! And, I loved your tree.. It was so pretty! You look super cute in those pics with your grandma and your mom, too!