Christmas Eve Fun

We started Christmas Eve by making Christmas cookies, which we gave to our neighbors (though we did keep a few for Santa Claus). Bryson had a lesson in Primary about how the greatest gift we can give is to follow Jesus' example and to try to be like him. We give gifts because the wise men brought them to Christ child, not to see how much cool stuff we can get. I was impressed that he really thought about the "true meaning of Christmas" even if he is obsessing about what Santa Claus will bring him tomorrow). For his "gifts for Jesus," he choose to give cookies to people, help me make dinner, put Daddy's shoes away, and to make his bed. Those gifts of service were pretty small, but I like that, in his own small way, he understood that Christ is the center of Christmas.  And a shout out of thanks to Allie for the new attachment for my mixer!

We went ice skating in the afternoon.  Jarom's family bowed out of Christmas Eve activities, so it was just our family, but it ended up being fine.  Bryson might be a born skier, but he didn't catch on to ice skating nearly as easily. Thankfully, Daddy was there to catch him (almost) every time he fell and there was a bar for him to hold on to so he could walk on the ice. He did end up being able to glide a little bit with Jarom and I on either side of him and walked on the ice a bit too. It did take awhile, however, to give up the notion that "you pick up one foot and lift it up to ice skate like Rabbit on Winnie the Pooh."  We had fun, though Bryson got a few bruises and got cold by the end of our time on the ice.  After that, we watched the movie Brave, ate a wonderful prime rib dinner (a Christmas Eve tradition from Melissa's family), and got ready for Christmas morning.  Bryson even put out the magic reindeer food he got from his preschool teachers to guide Santa to our house.  It must have worked because he had tons of presents come Christmas morning.

(In case you can't make out Bryson's letter to Santa, it says:  Dear Santa, I've been good all year.  I want blocks, Legos, and a ship.  Love Bryson"  So cute!

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