Twas the Night Before Christmas

This year, everyone got in on the Christmas meal preparations. Maddie dried and wrapped the potatoes. Jon tore bread for the breakfast casserole. Ben made the salad dressing. Will helped with the dishes.

We had an enjoyable day as a family and we finished it just as we've finished every Christmas Eve since Will was born: reading the Christmas story in Luke. We tucked the kids in (more than once), finished wrapping a few little gifts, put out the family gifts, and went to bed early enough that Santa could make his rounds. I took a nighttime picture of the tree, and, as always, it brought to mind the Christmas song we used to sing when I was a kid:

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.

Merry Christmas to all,
And to all a good night!