Coombs Christmas Part 2.

Christmas Eve.

My kids anticipated Christmas Eve ALMOST as much as they did the actual day of Christmas.

{I myself remember the butterflies of excitement I’d get on Christmas Eve day.}

The day started off with a family bike ride.

The weather was PERFECT. Cool and crisp out but not cold enough to have to wear a jacket.

And yes…we go for bike rides in our jammies.

It’s just how we roll.

We came home and carried on our tradition of making

Gingerbread houses on Christmas Eve.

And by ‘making’…I mean….really…just decorating. Because we don’t actually make the gingerbread.

{Does anyone still do that?}

We buy the Wilton box of premade houses.

Greatest. Holiday Invention. Ever.

Our gingerbread houses NEVER turn out exquisite. And they will never be featured on the cover of a magazine. BUT…the laughs and giggles heard while the kids load on the frosting to candies that don’t match….is really quite priceless. I seem to let my OCD slide when it comes time to decorate gingerbread houses and I’m glad that I do…because it’s not really about the actual gingerbread houses…it’s about the memories and feelings inside of us

that are made and felt that day.

We celebrated the evening with my side of the family at my parent’s house.

My parents have always been the perfect definition of HOSTING with GRACE.

Growing up, my parents would ALWAYS invite other families who didn’t have anywhere else to spend the holidays, to eat dinner with us. We’d sometimes have 40 people packed into our home in Virginia and the feeling of love during those times…is something that I always hope to resonate in my own home.

We dined on homemade lasagna made by my brother.

It. Was. Amazing.

The recipe was a Barefoot Contessa one and I will definitely be sharing it once I get my hands on it.

Garlic bread, salad and a slew of appetizers were served as well.

The kids each got their own piece of chocolate at their place settings and you’d have thought they’d died and gone to heaven!

After dinner, the kids kept their eyes on Santa via the internet….

…so fun to watch their eyes get big as they see his sleigh head closer and closer to the U.S.

There were plenty of teases, tickeles and giggles….

…..which is pretty much a given when my brother and sister get ahold of the kids.

We exchanged our cousin presents and had yet another talent show.

{Each year on Thanksgiving, the kids draw a name of one of their cousins and then we take them to Target or somewhere else and give them $20 to purchase something for them. They LOVE it!}

We headed home….sprinkled reindeer food on the grass, left out our magical key for Santa on our door knob {we don’t have chimney’s in AZ} and left out cookies and milk for the big man.

Once the kidlets were tucked into bed, Joe and I carried on our own tradition of exchanging OUR presents and watching “A Christmas Story”.

{It’s become one of my VERY favorite things about Christmas eve}.

We were even in bed and asleep by midnight. Not too shabby!!

Up Next: Coombs Christmas Part 3.
Christmas Day festivities.