Twas the night before Christmas...

Christmas Eve is such a fun day! Boy was it a busy one at the Bryce house. We planned to have a low key Christmas with just the four of us which was nice. After doing Merry Main Street on Christmas Eve Eve as Ashton called it...she was all set and ready for today!

Let me just put out a warning that there are a bazillion pictures in this post.

We started the day just like normal...and then right after breakfast we dressed the girls in their Christmas outfits that Mamo and Papo sent them in the box with all our gifts. I really wanted to take pictures of them in front of the tree, but a certain 23 month old really didn't want to leave her Sissy's room so.....we made due. I knew if I wanted pictures I was going to have settle for Ashton's bed.

Then Ashton was just sure it was going to snow....so the girls watched out the window waiting for the snowflakes to fall. After we put Landry down for a nap, Ashton and I had a date to go see the Princess and the Frog. It was such a great movie! It began to spit snow and rain on our way to the movies...

and by the time we left the movie, it was full on snowing!

Ashton could not wait to get home so she could play in the snow. I don't think she even took her coat off when we got home. Landry took a little convincing to get outside. She stood in the doorway saying, "I no go...it cold. I no go snow." But after watching her Big Sis for a few minutes, listening to her squeal and throw snowballs, she decided that might be fun.

It was fuh-REEZING and so incredibly windy that we only stayed outside for a few minutes. Long enough to get some pictures and "experience" it. We came in and got warmed up. We had our Christmas Eve dinner and watched the Polar Express per our tradition.


Then we put the girls in their matching Christmas Jammies to go look at the Christmas lights which is another tradition we have. The roads were pretty slick since it had rained and snowed so we stuck close to home and very slowly went around the neighborhood. Ashton enjoyed the lights even though she was a nervous wreck. Landry of course loved the lights and the fact that she was in the car with snow and her new nightgown.

This is the first nightgown she has ever had and she was LOVING it. She would twirl and dance and run around making sure we saw her new nightgown. I was unsure at first because I wanted her to be in footed jammies for one more year, but I do love the night gown and I know how much Ashton loves for them to match.

After the tour of lights, we took a few pictures by the tree just before we put Lan-Lan to bed...

This year as I was checking my email, there was a very special message for Ashton. A Personal Message from Santa Claus himself. Ashton was mesmerized and stunned and so excited. She was in awe standing in front of the computer watching this video message which was sent via Santa's PNP (Portable North Pole).

I took a few pictures of the parts of the video that just completely stunned Ashton...we had to pick her jaw up off the floor several times. I am pretty sure this is the BEST email she has ever recieved. I mean, Daddy and I have never gotten one of these. She said that was probably because they didn't have computers when we were little. Ha!

She couldn't believe he had a picture of her in his book, he knew how old she was, he knew where she lived... he even had it marked on his map! He also knew she asked for a scooter. Oh and that isn't all, he told her a secret of how it is possible for him to make it to all of the children in one night. He even told her that he was glad his elves stepped it up in the workshop so he could take a little more time to learn how to work the computer and send email. Ashton was sure the reason Landry didn't get one was because she was afraid of him and she didn't sit on his lap.

{click the pictures to view them larger}

After the excitement from the email subsided just a bit,we were able to continue on with some of our other Christmas Eve traditions. The girls tracked Santa using NORAD on the computer, Ashton decorated cookies especially for Santa, she made reindeer food and left Santa a sealed letter and of course a glass of milk.

It was a fun-filled day. Ashton gave us our instructions for the morning: wake up at 7:30, brush teeth, get the cameras ready. Mommy was in charge of the still camera and Daddy was in charge of the video camera. Then we were to come to her room and get the girls. She reminded us of our assignments a few times before she went to bed.

We love Christmas and we love all the traditions we have established over the years. We missed being with our families but we also enjoyed being with each other.