Candlelight Christmas Eve 2024

I got movin’ in the kitchen early this morning, to make us a delicious ham, egg & cheese breakfast casserole. I made it a little differently than I normally do by adding a scoop of cottage cheese, and that just made it so much more moist and fluffy. Very yummy.

We had to make an early morning run to Walmart for a few last minute supplies for a homemade Christmas gift we were working on, and luckily we got in & out of there before the crowds got too crazy.

Then we came home and had a busy few hours, working on our secret project, plus wrapping gifts for all the family. I made us some turkey bacon club sandwiches for lunch at some point,and the girls pretty much just played together and watched some TV on and off the whole time for a couple of hours while we worked.

Emmie and I worked together to get Addie down for her nap after lunch. Then she helped me get some potatoes prepped to bake in the oven for our dinner tonight, but abandoned me when it was time to wash a few dishes! I did wash a ton though, but I put ear buds in and watched part of a Christmas movie while I worked.

We all got showered and dressed mid-afternoon, and then went to church for the family Christmas Eve service at 4pm. It was a beautiful, short & sweet service, with great music, a story for the kids, and of course carols by candlelight.

Megan and Ellie sang a special song together, and they did such a great job! Made me cry, of course, but it was just so sweet!

Emerson and I were chit-chatting with friends after the service, but Addison told Daddy she needed to get her wiggles out, so they took a quick journey to the stable at the front of the church for a visit and a photo op.

And then we snapped one more family photo before loading back up in the car to head home.

I had forgotten to take a sister pic before we left the house earlier, so I made sure to get one at home, especially since I really wanted to showcase their adorable dresses!

We had some simple pork loin, garlic Parmesan green beans, and loaded baked potatoes for dinner tonight. And I haven’t seen the girls eat a real meal like this as well as they did tonight in ages! They both loved everything – Emmie ate two baked potatoes, and Addie had two helpings of pork AND green beans! And then they both still had snacks later, and crackers and a piece of bread at bedtime!

I had to make a mad dash to Walgreens and the Dollar Tree after dinner tonight before they closed, for some last minute things. I realized Amazon didn’t send me the book set I ordered for Emmie, but I ended up finding a cute little Squishmalllow card game at Walgreens to make up for it. And I got some stocking stuffers at the Dollar Tree.

It was super easy to get Emerson to sleep right before 8:30, but then I spent about an hour working with Addison to get her to sleep by 9:30. Then Jeff and I had a 90-minute cram sesh to finish up our homemade gift, finish wrapping, and stuff the stockings, before Addison woke up again just after 11pm.

I’m actually sitting in bed with her again now writing this, trying to get her back to sleep again. Jeff is finishing up the last of the wrapping, and one more little project, and then we’ll have everything taken care of. My last task, if I can sneak away from addie long enough, is to put out the little cardboard stable for Sheppy to make his way back to in the morning.

Merry Christmas Eve, family & friends! 🌲🎀