A Concise Glance at Our Family Christmas Eve
I love our family Christmas Eve – charged with Christmas spirit, love for one another, and anticipation for the surprises that are ahead.
Christmas Eve at our house are sweet, and intimate (not that we haven’t opened our door to others on a few occasions), and one of our big occasions where we all try to clear our schedule to be there right after the service at church.
This year we had a few changes. Christmas Day was on a Sunday, and some of the Christmas Eve services would be held earlier in the week. We thought that would be good to start our evening early, great for the children we wouldn’t have to keep them up so late. Except, CVS had another idea, and Miquel was kept out late. Also, even though I had brought the video camera from Australia to record our night as usual, I had forgotten the bring the charger for the camera, and so, we didn’t get a video this year around. John wasn’t with us this year, so we were even minus a camera – making Christmas Eve 2016 likely the most un-photographed event in our family in years.
Hence, the title. Here is a brief look into our Christmas Eve:
Laura got the celebrations started with a favorite of ours. I was so thankful. 
Enric is never late to our holiday meals. He calls the start of the birthdays in October through Thanksgiving and up to New Years “The Eating Season.”
Mireia is kept busy, so the rest of us could eat, with a wipes bag – often worked well for my three when they were small.
So we get our party started without Miquel and Jenny, but console ourselves that they will be there as soon as they can.
Ezra rushes to entertain Mireia, wipes only satisfy for a short while.
Laura dazzles with sparkles and a new watch.
Time to get the unwrapping started, littlest starts first.
Ezra loves his dinosaurs from Nana and Pop Pop.
Rubi unwraps a big present, a new and big bed cover!
I showed Silas some chess game online, and he quickly understood the game. He gets his own chess set for Christmas!
Miquel and Jenny arrive! Miquel shows off his gift to Ezra, and as an old Thomas fan from way back, is sure that this is the best pajama ever.
Rubi gets a flower garden kit. PERFECT for our little gardener.
Star Wars and Lego combo, is never wrong.
Laura loves her mermaid blanket. When she was starting to swim she always looked like a mermaid to me. (A natural in the water).
Cartoon Network tee shirt for Miquel.
We have all kinds of coffee mugs in the house. Some are expensive made of ceramic, and they sometimes get broken, some are cheaper, but the lids have been lost, others are really not to be taken out of the house. So, when I saw Starbucks had these rather cheap coffee cups to take with you on the run. I bought two. One for Enric and one for Miranda, as they would often fly down to the kitchen, a big blur to me searching for SOMETHING to put their coffee in. So I got them each one. But then I decided we all could use one. Each of us got one. So they were not surprised when it was their turn to open them, no matter how hard Enric tried to look like he didn’t know.
First Cartoon Network, now Marvel. My boys are kids. I think we all are just big kids.
Jenny and Miquel make a statement for Christmas together.
And here I will end with likely the only video taken by me this night, Rubi opening her Lego Elves (and you can see Ezra playing with his dinosaurs too!)
