Christmas Eve

We waited until Katelyn and Zac arrived before making our gingerbread houses, so that was our Christmas Eve day activity.  We had a team competition this year.  I was the photographer, but didn't do a very good job I'm afraid.  Each team got to design their house however they wanted out of their pan of gingerbread.

Grandma was on Mason-duty.

Building out of real gingerbread was a lot harder than any of us expected.  It was pretty soft and heavy and all three of the regular houses collapsed minutes after they were finished! 

Team Marc and Lindsey

Dad and Michelle

Alan and Spencer.  It's going down!

Spencer and Michelle shed a few tears when their houses collapsed.  They worked so hard on them!  Luckily, Spencer's train stayed sturdy.

I guess Kate and Zac (the engineer!) were the winners.  They built an army tank and obstacle course.  Theirs was the only structure that remained standing.

We spent the rest of the day watching movies and playing horseshoes.  Marc and Spencer played some racing game on his phone.

Watching horseshoes.  The Arizona sun was rather bright for Mason.

One of Michelle's favorite past-times: fighting bad guys with two swords while listening to her ipod and wearing her vest.

I convinced everyone that we should have a "shepherd's dinner" for our Christmas Eve meal.  (Our little family did that last year.)  Aunt Susan and Uncle Bob live next door now, so they joined us, but I didn't get any pictures of them!  We spread a blanket on the floor and ate pita bread, hummus, grapes, olives, cucumbers, dates, and string cheese.  Not really authentic, but it was still fun.  Mom talked a little about what shepherd life might have been like during Jesus' time while we ate. 

After dinner, we had our traditional program where every family preformed some talent.  Spencer played Jingle Bells on the piano.  I think the highlight was a sock puppet show by Katelyn and Lindsey.  I didn't get a picture, but Alan got it on video! 

Most of us drove around town to look at Christmas lights after the program.  Alan offered to stay home with Mason since listening to a baby scream in the car wouldn't have been fun for anyone. :)  Then it was back home for fudge and the "kids" made name tags so Santa would know where to leave their presents.  Spencer made one for Mason.  Notice the pictures of Spencer holding Mason on Mason's tag!

Then, it was off to bed for Spencer and Mason.  As kids, my siblings and I tried to sneak out in the night to see what Santa brought every year.  That thought has never entered Spencer's mind.  He slept totally normally which was nice for Alan and I because Mason wasn't sleeping so well.