Christmas Eve

We began our Christmas Eve a little early--on December 23rd Rusty got stuck at the office and we decided to make treats galore while Christmas music was blaring in the background. Molly is unwrapping Rolos for a delish recipe that tastes like "Turtles."

First step, place square pretzels on a cookie sheet and position a Rolo in the middle of each pretzel. Bake for 4-5 minutes at 375 degrees. After the cookie sheet is removed from the oven, gently place a pecan half on top. Let harden for a couple of hours. Yum-meeeeeeee!!! This is a great project for kids 6 and under to work on.

My new "trick" for sugar cookies is to 1/2 the recipe. No, I didn't mean to type double the recipe, 1/2 it so that the are not two million cookies to frost, and worse, gulp, eat.

Can you say "Rug Rat?" I swear I did her hair at one time or another that day.

Sam's masterpiece.

Which one (s) for Santa?

Christmas Eve is about tradition in our family. Rusty's Aunt and Uncle have for years done the same thing on Christmas Eve. It begins in the early afternoon with going to a movie, (this year we saw "The Tales Of Desperaux" (I LOVED this movie). Then we all go to a Mexican restaurant. The reason for this: the last day (15 years ago) that they were with their 18-year-old son Mark, they spent the day doing just this. This year Uncle Mark even brought a picture of him to dinner and told my kids a little bit about him. He officially dubbed it the "The Mark Charles Blackwell, Jr. Annual Christmas Eve Mexican Restaurant Dinner." It was great.

BTW, although it's not a great picture of them, the girl to the left of Paul is his fiance, Lisa Jackson. We are so excited for the upcoming wedding in March. The reason this picture is so horrible is because Rusty thinks he's so funny when taking a picture to say, "One, two, three. . ." but takes the picture on "one" or "two" when NO ONE is ready. Ha, ha very funny, Rusty.

Aunt Valerie and Molly finishing up their tacos.

Should we call this the "Blackberry Club." NERDS!!!!

How many kids can say that they hang out with their GREAT grandmother better known at our house as Grammi.

I said, "Say Santa is coming in a few hours." I love their expressions in this picture. I also love that Sam ripped yet another knee out of another pair of jeans.

Gramma Kathy (I didn't misspell Grandma, that's the way she signs her name) came for Christmas this year. It was so fun, she stayed for four days.

After the movie and dinner we headed to the Blackwells' home for treats, wassail and caroling (my kids are almost to the point that we don't have to sing slow for them to accompany us). Afterwards, Rusty and the kids told the story of Luke 2 (Molly's assisting with the puppets) and then. . .

. . .Uncle Mark talked about Samuel the Lamanite and lit a lamp that stays lit for a day and a night and a day. If you aren't sure what I'm talking about read Helaman chapter 14. Ben got the privilege this year to light the lamp.

When I was preparing for Santa to come, I saw that Sam had put a sign up on the fireplace welcoming our guest.

To finish up the night we read "T'was the Night Before Christmas." A perfect day in my mind. Too many things to name to be grateful for. But you're looking at five of them.

The Christmas jammie tradition is also alive and well in the O'Brien home.