Christmas Eve traditions.

Eugene & I merged family traditions on Christmas Eve once we got married.

Eugene’s family has a tradition of a family Christmas Eve breakfast every year. It’s a full-out morning feast, and once they’re officially stuffed, the siblings open gifts from each other {saving the gifts from their parents for Christmas Day.} I brought some Cranberry Orange Bread I had frozen along with the much requested Monkey Bread {recipe to come.}

I’m knitting Dillan a Griffindor scarf – idea from our recent trip to Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Eugene got a bag of his favorites – Reds, Mt. Dew, Skittles, Doritos, the list goes on…

I think his sisters liked their girly gifts {make up bags, nail polish, eye shadows…

Even the pup joined in the festivities at his parents’ place.

Then in the evening, they do a {highly competitive and intense} $5.00 gift exchange with his mom’s family. Some gifts are serious, some are, well, not so serious. But either way, the exchange always gets cut-throat. Here’s the gift Heidi fought over…

 

Every Christmas Eve in my house growing up, we went to the candlelight evening church service, then that night we unwrapped a special gift that was always new pajamas, and my dad would read Twas the Night Before Christmas to us as a family before bed. I loved this evening of tradition as a kid {and still do.}

So after church, Eugene & I enjoyed opening our p.j.’s together at my parents’ place. I got an awesome Victoria’s Secret flannel pajama set…

For some {weird} reason, my mom always buys the STRANGEST pajama bottoms for Eugene & my brother-in-law. Seriously – it’s amazing! I have no clue where she finds these things! These molded by my handsome hubby are cotton p.j.s designed to look like jeans {from the 80’s?} And my brother-in-law got some that look like chaps {I don’t have a picture of those…you can thank me later!}

 

How bout that button fly. Oh boy.

Christmas Eve is always busy for us. But that makes me appreciate the silence and reverence every time the lights go dim and the candles are lit in the church service. I love all our family traditions, but even more than those, I love the purpose for the celebrations. One quiet night years and years ago, our Savoir was born, and oh how thankful I am for Him.