Christmas Eve

Holy smokes, it's Christmas Eve!  How does the time fly so quickly!?  This morning I made the girls a special Christmas Eve breakfast in honor of the great trip being made this evening!  The Santa pancakes actually turned out really cute.

On our way up to Grandmere's house, we delivered our cookies to their designated recipients.

When we woke up this morning, Snowbell was nowhere to be found...Well.  We found her up at Grandmere's house!  She snuck up there to give the girls a little Christmas Eve surprise!

We wiled away the day, then headed down to Temple Square for the annual jaunt through the lights.  The weather was absolutely perfect...not too cold, and dry.  

We wandered around with Bapa and Uncle Mad and Aunt Joni.  Grandmere stayed home this year, for the first time in pretty much ever, because she has a hurt knee.  We are praying for her, and hoping it gets better soon.  Mimi loved hanging out on Bapa's shoulders.

As usual, Mac hammed it up, and I managed to get some good ones of her...even in the bad light.

Love this little girl.

Leiden is a little less into hamming it up in pictures these days, but she is such a sweetheart.

Mimi has taken to using her first fingers to make herself smile these days.  But here we are, the Macdonald girls!

And another take!  Look at Leiden and Mac...they are thrilled with the prospect, clearly.

Bryn and her little ones were there, so the annual Christmas Eve program was the nativity acted out.  Mine were an angel, Mary, Joseph.  Yes, Mimi was Joseph.  It is what it is.

They did a really good job staying on task...although when Mac was handed a real baby to hold, she looked a little alarmed.  But she recovered nicely, and I would count it a success that Mimi didn't accidentally smack the baby or the tree as she wielded her little horse on a stick.

Claire and Leiden, our angels, were a little less than impressed...

until it came time for them to bring tidings of great joy!  Then they perked right up!

After the program, it was time for Snowbell's gifts, Christmas jammies!  The girls were so excited to receive 'zippy-ups' for their jammies this year, per their request.

One last picture in front of the Christmas fire before leaving Grandmere's house...

And a couple outtakes from that series...because this is what they usually look like, anyway.  :)

After we got home, quite late, the girls placed the cookies on Santa's plate and got him a glass of milk.

And then they went to bed.  The evening was quiet, and after they went to sleep, there was time to reflect on the holiday, and the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Tomorrow will be a fun day, but it is good to spend time thinking about the important things.