Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Christmas Eve 2014

This year Christmas Eve I really implemented all the traditions that I want to continue with Shelby throughout the years.
We started out with making breakfast and Shelby helped out with the muffins.
 Everyone jokes about me having her in the kitchen all the time, but honestly, I enjoy and she does too.
She LOVES to help out and it keeps her busy and I'm hoping she grows up enjoying to cook just as much as we do.
My parents came in the night before so they joined in on the fun!
 After breakfast we started on cookies for Santa Claus or 'Ho-Ho Claus' as Shelby likes to refer to him.
First cookies were gingerbread men.
We used the Better Crocker pouch mix and it was great and made it pretty easy.
 Look at that excitement!
HAHA!
 While we got everything ready to decorate them, Shelby was the official 'cookie tester'.
 About the time that we started our sugar cookies and decorating the gingerbread men, my MIL and FIL stopped by.
So great to have both grandmas there.
 Shelby got to show Grammy her skills.
 Such a fun morning making memories and creating traditions.
Can't wait to do it again!
 After a long nap for Shelby we went to the 3pm candlelight service at our church.
The weather was terrible, but the service inside was beautiful.
 After church we headed home and let Shelby open a couple of gifts.
One from her friend Dylan in San Francisco and one from us.
This too, was a tradition I grew up with.
 Gorgeous cashmere hat and gloves!
 In trying to keep with Shelby's 7pm bedtime, she didn't do dinner with us.
We knew our timing was going to be off, so we spent time together watching Charlie Brown, tracking Santa and putting out Cheerwine and cookies for the big man in the red suit!
 I love setting a formal table and having a 'dinner party'.
I prepared a potato gratin with rosemary crust that I want to try again, but remember to thaw the pie crust a bit more. 
Oh, what I would do for a double oven too.
I had to cook it in our toaster oven because Brad had ours tied up with the roast.
 Roast, asparagus with mushrooms and bacon, and the gratin all out of the Southern Living Christmas Cookbook.
 After dinner, to the basement we all went to prep for Santa!!
Deets on that tomorrow!
Hope you all had a great holiday!

2 comments:

starnes family said...

I love how much Shelby gets to do in the kitchen. Such awesome memories!

Allena said...

My dad is going to make Drew the learning tower - so excited! I can't wait to have her help more in the kitchen. Help me out here - where do your parents and Brad's parents live and how far away are they from y'all?