Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was a busy day for the White House. We spent the day running last minute errands and tidying up the house for company in the evening. Cici and David went to the Christmas Eve service at our church (Santa Don was out performing his seasonal duties - it is his biggest night of the year, you know!). Emily had never done communion "rip and dip" style and had a large bread snack at the altar after she tore off half the loaf of bread for herself. Good thing they had plenty to go around! We traveled back home to meet Nanny, Mimi, Papa, Abby, and Amy for Chinese takeout at the White House and to open a few gifts together. Too quickly, we had to bundle everyone off home in the cold so that we could sprinkle some reindeer food (two years running in the rain!) and put out a snack for Santa. Emily chose her favorite - Yoohoo - for his drink. She thought he might enjoy something different when he stopped at our house. Then we ran upstairs to snuggle down for a long's night sleep so that the big guy could make a stop by our house. Donald and I then watched Ralphie's Christmas Story two and a half times (thanks TBS!) before we could go to bed ourselves. I hope everyone ended up on the good list this year!

Sparkly shoes!

Making snow angels - minus the snow.

Lost the shoes the minute she walked in the door from church!

What could it be?

This leopard cub caused much dissent at bedtime on Christmas night. We accidentally left him at Mimi and Papa's and she swore she couldn't sleep without him. It took lots of persuading to convince her that she indeed could sleep without him and that I was not going to drive to Palmetto to get him at 11:00. She was overjoyed when he was returned to us the next day!

Watching Dad sprinkle the reindeer food. She's wearing matching pajamas only because I made her wear them.

Hope Santa remembers to shake his Yoohoo!