Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and that is when we will be opening gifts as a family. On Christmas day we will go to Jeff's parents' home and will spend time with them and then we will be going to church. So we thought we'd stay in on Christmas Eve, open gifts, have our turkey, etc.
The kids are all tucked in bed and are very excited for tomorrow! They are also excited for Santa to come. Jeff and I did tell the kids there was a Santa but we are really trying to get the emphasis off Santa and gifts and onto the real meaning of Christmas- the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Santa brings them a stocking with a few little things inside and this year they got a book from "Santa". But that is all. And we have told the kids Santa gave them the gift of a stocking to remind them that Jesus is the greatest gift. Jeff and I know a lot of people might not agree with us telling the kids there is a Santa but we will take it year by year and decide as we go. But this year the kids left Santa cookies and a note, carrots for the reindeer, and I got a picture of them tossing a bunch of oats on the front step. ;) On Sunday Baby Jesus will appear in the Nativity set (He hasn't been born yet) and Mary and Joseph will stop their travel to Bethlehem (the kids have been finding them hidden around the house each morning) and they are excited for that too. And they are very excited to bake Jesus' birthday cake. :) The emphasis can't be just on Santa because that isn't what Christmas is about. But the kids are small and we feel it's OK for them to think there's a Santa right now and to get excited about it. Jeff started teaching them about Saint Nicholas and as they get older they will understand more. So we hope we don't get judged for the whole Santa thing and the pictures that follow. ;)
The rest of our pictures will be on facebook. Little Liana wasn't in this post because she wanted to go to bed. ;)
