This might have been one of the more relaxed Christmas Eves we've ever had: no rushing out for last-minute shopping and no huge piles of wrapping to do. We woke up late, and did some limited wrapping of a few items that we got for each other, listening to Christmas music and just pretty much getting ready for the big night. Christmas Eve is just as wonderful as Christmas, really. Our night started out with the Christmas Eve Service at Free Chapel.
Despite the fact that we have several campuses now, and two services here in Gainesville, the entire sanctuary was filled and we had many people sit in overflow. We got there early for the first service, and found our seats easily. It was a wonderful service, of course, a special one with such warmth. And of course the candlelight portion of the service was beautiful.
It was nice, and we even had time to go back home afterwards and get ready to head to Aunt Shain's house for a nice evening there with the family. This of course is a big tradition, to spend time with family on Christmas Eve.
We picked up Nana and Ye-Ye, and drove down to Buford for the night, and it was very nice. We had the usual Christmas Eve snacks and desserts. "The Man Who Invented Christmas" was playing on the television, and David Austen was giving us samples of some unique cheeses, including one with espresso in it. He's a cheesemeister now, which is actually a pretty unique profession. He actually did a lot of studying to get to this position, and enjoys selling all sorts of different cheeses, some from unique places or made in unique ways. Some expensive, some ordinary, but all a unique experience.
Afterwards, we had our annual white elephant gift exchange. We had some great items, lots of laughs! Daddy wound up with a Statue of Liberty Chia Pet here, and someone else got the old VHS copy of "Gone with the Wind" that we've been exchanging since the 90's. There was a terrible copy of LEGO blocks that made a set to build the Burj Khalifa, which is in essence one small cylinder on top of the other. There was the dancing gorilla that plays the "Macarena," and an awful clown doll that will haunt someone's house for a while. Oh, and the model of the Sphinx was genuinely really bad. Anyway, it was fun to do that, and Ye-Ye had an idea for a game where we pass candy canes left and right based on a Christmas story he was reading. We all sat in a circle and passed candy canes left and right whenever we heard the words "left" or "right." It had everyone cracking up.
It was a nice evening together, and we'll all get to see each other again tomorrow for Christmas as well. We rode home with Nana and Ye-Ye, and said Merry Christmas to one another once again. We got home and checked on NORAD to see where Santa was. He's getting closer! It's Christmas time again, here before we knew it. We set out the cookies and milk, and read a few Christmas stories, including "The Night Before Christmas" once again, and tucked ourselves in for one more long winter's night. Merry Christmas!
Despite the fact that we have several campuses now, and two services here in Gainesville, the entire sanctuary was filled and we had many people sit in overflow. We got there early for the first service, and found our seats easily. It was a wonderful service, of course, a special one with such warmth. And of course the candlelight portion of the service was beautiful.
It was nice, and we even had time to go back home afterwards and get ready to head to Aunt Shain's house for a nice evening there with the family. This of course is a big tradition, to spend time with family on Christmas Eve.
We picked up Nana and Ye-Ye, and drove down to Buford for the night, and it was very nice. We had the usual Christmas Eve snacks and desserts. "The Man Who Invented Christmas" was playing on the television, and David Austen was giving us samples of some unique cheeses, including one with espresso in it. He's a cheesemeister now, which is actually a pretty unique profession. He actually did a lot of studying to get to this position, and enjoys selling all sorts of different cheeses, some from unique places or made in unique ways. Some expensive, some ordinary, but all a unique experience.
Afterwards, we had our annual white elephant gift exchange. We had some great items, lots of laughs! Daddy wound up with a Statue of Liberty Chia Pet here, and someone else got the old VHS copy of "Gone with the Wind" that we've been exchanging since the 90's. There was a terrible copy of LEGO blocks that made a set to build the Burj Khalifa, which is in essence one small cylinder on top of the other. There was the dancing gorilla that plays the "Macarena," and an awful clown doll that will haunt someone's house for a while. Oh, and the model of the Sphinx was genuinely really bad. Anyway, it was fun to do that, and Ye-Ye had an idea for a game where we pass candy canes left and right based on a Christmas story he was reading. We all sat in a circle and passed candy canes left and right whenever we heard the words "left" or "right." It had everyone cracking up.
It was a nice evening together, and we'll all get to see each other again tomorrow for Christmas as well. We rode home with Nana and Ye-Ye, and said Merry Christmas to one another once again. We got home and checked on NORAD to see where Santa was. He's getting closer! It's Christmas time again, here before we knew it. We set out the cookies and milk, and read a few Christmas stories, including "The Night Before Christmas" once again, and tucked ourselves in for one more long winter's night. Merry Christmas!
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