Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was filled with anticipation.  Evangeline said shortly after she woke up that she wanted to go to bed.  She then decided right after breakfast that she wanted to go ahead and put her Christmas Eve dress even though church wasn't until 5:00 in the evening.  This girl was excited.  We spent the morning watching the Christmas classics on TV.  The Hwangs stopped over to see or house since they hadn't seen it since August.  Later that afternoon we went to Peggy's house for our annual Christmas Eve get together with the Wilson and Burress families.  

 

A surprise visitor showed up at the door!  Santa himself.  Evangeline and all of the kids enjoyed his visit.  After he left Evangeline whispered, "that's my neighbor".  She was on to Joe Schroeder.  It was fun surprise.  

 

Evangeline was the acolyte at the Christmas Eve service.  It was her first time to acolyte.  She did a fantastic job.  It was cute, on her way back from lighting the candle the smoke was blowing in her face from her candelabra.  She walked back to the back of the church with a wrinkled nose the whole way.  Savannah went to the early church service with us.  I was so touched to look down and see Evangeline and Savannah sharing a hymnal and singing the Christmas hymns together.  Evangeline was belting each song out with her best vibrato.

 

After church we went back to Ammie's house for presents around the tree.  Such a blessed evening together.  

 

Evangeline was right in bed shortly after we got home.  We made sure to leave out the cookies and milk.  She wanted to sprinkle some oats in the lawn for the reindeer.  She had also made Santa a note and a pom pom which she explained in her note that she thought it looked like a snowball.  She slept in a Santa hat.  She said to me as I tucked her in, "this hat is hot, but I don't even care."  The moment she had waited for for weeks was finally here!