Christmas Eve

The morning of Christmas eve Ethan found a note with Dasher...
We read it and in it Dasher said that Santa said it would OK for the boys to hug him today...
Dasher said he loved them and will miss them but will be back next year...

Ethan was very surprised and excited about being able to touch Dasher, as the normal rule is no touching...He hugged and talked to Dasher all day and later that night said goodbye and wished him all the best until next year!

We headed over to Grampa and Grandma Hofstetter's in the early afternoon...

Ethan and Toddy were very excited to enjoy some family times together...

Not to mention the food, treats and presents...

 Colton enjoying some sweet potato and turkey

Looks like Ethan is enjoying the yummy Christmas dinner

I asked Toddy to smile and this was his pose...What a character

 Turkey has set in and daddy and Colton had a little nap upstairs

New markers

After having Christmas with the Hofstetters we came home and the kids 

opened their Christmas PJ's...

This year I picked up the PJ's at Value Village and washed them up...

They looked practically new and a grand total of $10 for the 3 pair!

We put cookies and milk out for Santa and added a carrot for rudolph...

Ethan and Toddy sprinkled reindeer food on the lawn (Ethan made this blend at school)

Ethan painted Santa a picture which he left as well...

Then the kids said bye to Dasher with plenty of kisses and hugs

The kids watched a couple Christmas cartoons...

With all the excitement that day Toddy soon became tired and was starting to meltdown
so I took him upstairs and we snuggled together on the top bunk bed
 as I read some Christmas stories to him...
I really enjoyed that alone time with Toddy that Christmas eve...

Soon after Todd fell asleep Nate and I got Ethan ready for bed with more stories and cuddles...

It was almost 10pm by the time Ethan fell asleep...

Colton had a cough/cold so I got him to sleep but I was up a few times with him that night!

After all the kids were down Nate and I put on a Christmas movie and cracked open a fruit sparkler in which we enjoyed in a wine glass with a cheers for our 2014 Christmas eve...

I felt like my mom arranging all the Christmas loot...

I just love the special feeling that comes with the Christmas season...

Nate and I both have very fond Christmas memories as children that we talked about that night...

Apparently my dear husband use to find and sneak a peak at all his gifts before Christmas...

His Santa use to wrap all the gifts...My Santa would just place them unwrapped around the stocking...His family was allowed to open their stocking once they woke up but would gather together to do all the wrapped gifts...My family use to wait for everybody to get up before we entered the living room where all the loot was...
Nate and I both remember some early Christmas mornings...Our poor parents!!

I found myself wondering that evening (like I did last year)
if keeping the magical secret about Santa was the "right thing" for my kids...

I never lie to them so I cringe a bit when we talk about Santa...

I need to put more thought into this because on one hand I want my kids to enjoy the childish magic of Christmas but on the other had I don't want to lie to them
or make them sad one day when they "find out"!

Can the child like magic still be there without Santa being real?