Christmas Eve

We started a fun, new tradition this year. Aaron's family has done shrimp gumbo for Christmas Eve forever, but this year we changed it up. We had a traditional feast as in Jesus' time. We had pita bread, steak, cucumber salad, rice, Mediterranean olives, radishes, Greek yogurt. We put it together as little sandwiches and ate up. We ate on the floor, circling these beautiful dishes. These dishes are from Turkey when his family was stationed their in the Air Force 30 years ago, along with many of the rugs in the picture.

 Delicious

 After our feast, we performed a little nativity skit. The shepherds sure mess around a lot! :-)

 Alicia (angel), Ashliegh, Nate and Travis (wisemen), Aaron and I (Joseph and Mary), Tilly and Maddox (shepherds)

Shepherds so peaceful admiring our baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling cloths!

It was such a fun way to remember our Savior, Jesus Christ's birth and the importance of his life. Tilly and Maddox have finally picked up on the true reason we celebrate Christmas. Tilly performed in a Christmas program for preschool and they practiced at school for about a month before the performance. She would come home from school after each practice and say that all they sing about is Santa and reindeer and presents and NOT Jesus! She was very upset. She doesn't quite get the fact that school can't talk about religious things, but it made me happy to know that she knows Christmas is really about Jesus.

 Christmas Eve jammies! Even I got a pair of zebra jammies this year!