Keeping the traditions in my sister's home

"Yay! It's Christmas Eve!" My girls yelled excitedly today as I woke them up. We had a photographer come this morning, so we needed to be up and dressed earlier than we had been this week. It had been at least 5 years since the last time the whole family was together for a family photo, so we took advantage. This is also the first Christmas that we Radin kids can remember spending all together ON Christmas in probably a good ten years at LEAST, so it certainly was a special occasion. (I may have only been a Radin for 16 years now, but I swear if they did a DNA test it would match.) Throw on top the fact that our parents just celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary this week, and you've got enough of momentous occasions to warrant having it documented professionally.

Afterwards all 11 of us took Mom and Dad out for a luncheon to commemorate their anniversary, then everyone disappeared to finished their prospective wrapping of gifts.

This evening was our turn to make dinner, and Bret and I kept with our usual tradition of chili on Christmas Eve. The girls were holding their own very well and being very patient, but unfortunately their cousins are still a bit young to keep up with the festivities, and needed to get to bed.

So, "The Night Before Christmas" in hand, the girls sat on their Uncle Brett's lap while Allison read the story to everyone. Looking over at my husband, I saw him get a little welled-up at the whole thing, the big mush. After, we got a plate together of cookies, hot cocoa, and a carrot for Santa and the reindeer, and they wrote a note with a few pointed questions for Old St. Nick:

1) Does Rudolph really have a red and glowing nose?
2) Is Rudolph a girl or a boy?
3) Is Frosty the Snowman real?

...along with space for him to write his answers. Then we went outside with our reindeer dust, to sprinkle along the walk so they knew where to land. (consists of a mixture of oats and glitter). We went inside, and without my saying a word they were up the stairs to brush their teeth, and poof in bed.

I just love Christmas Eve. :-)

So now we're finishing up the wrapping, some are crashed out in front of the TV watching a movie, Dad's doing his crossword, and I sit blogging. Feeling rather sentimental, which this time of year tends to do to most I imagine.

No computer tomorrow, so to all who read this- Merry Christmas!