Christmas Eve//Day 24🎄🎄

Wowwww! It's officially the day before Christmas! How is that possible?? This month has flown by like none other! Today is Christmas Eve, and as I am typing this around 7:30 pm on December 23, I am super excited for the next two days. Christmas Eve for me consists of going to my grandparents' house in Virginia. It's about 2 hours away, and we just make a day trip out of it. By the time this post is, well, posted at 9:00 am, the Carter family will either be on the road headed to the rolling hills of VA, or, more likely, rushing around, making last minute preparations for the upcoming trip. Last night (I will type this as if I am writing this right before I post it, rather than the night before Christmas Eve😉), we made four (yes four) different types of Christmas cookies! Cydney and I both had our favorites that we wanted to make, and so Mom graciously went to the store on Tuesday to make that possible. Mom also made spaghetti casserole (known better to us as "spaghetti pie," even though the "crust" consists only of butter noodles😋) to take for lunch today. Christmas Eve at Grandma's is so much fun! We always have finger foods, such as Chick-fil-A chicken nuggets, a veggie and fruit tray, and desserts. We also open presents from my grandparents, and we play games (you can see some of the games we have played here). We also have a tradition of all the grandkids holding a birthday cake and singing happy birthday to Jesus. The rest of the day is spent hanging out and playing with our new presents. Somewhere between 6 and 8 pm, we will get in the car and drive home. I always try to fall asleep in the car, but even at 16 years old, it's still hard for me to fall asleep the night before Christmas, lol. I hope y'all have a very merry Christmas!! I will not be posting at normal time tomorrow, so it will most likely be tomorrow afternoon, but still look forward to a post tomorrow :). P.S. We made the rudolph cookies, so I have attached pictures to the rudolph cookie's post. Here are a few posts from Christmas Eve over the span of several years:

2005 in front of my Grandma's Christmas tree

Christmas Eve 2006, me being a nut lol

Christmas 2007, as I didn't have any pictures from Christmas Eve that year

Christmas Eve 2008

Christmas Eve 2009, the first Christmas with my sister (on the right)

From there, we skip a few years to 2012, and then to 2015.

I was very excited about the food, lol (2012)

Christmas Eve 2015

    

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;

And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, DASHER! now, DANCER! now, PRANCER and VIXEN!

On, COMET! on CUPID! on, DONNER and BLITZEN!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,

With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!