Christmas Eve

Today I thought I'd share our Christmas Eve tradition - you know, in case you were wondering.  LOL 

On Christmas Eve morning we'll have homemade donut holes.  I'll make the dough and cut them, Bryant will fry them (seriously - I have no business being anywhere near 400 degree oil) and I'll roll them in powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar after they've cooled a bit.  We'll eat them while we chat, watch a movie or play a game. 

Lunch will be something light and easy; this year it's pierogies (Pibb's suggestion). 

On Christmas Eve we have a special dinner, one that we've developed into a tradition we take very seriously. Everything else is negotiable - even Christmas dinner, but never, ever, Christmas Eve dinner. When I asked the kids what they were looking forward to during the winter, the (very loud and often repeated) response was, "Christmas Eve dinner!"

Bryant will bring our rickety old card table into the living room and set it up near the wood stove.  Then we'll all help set up a buffet that would cripple most tables...

We'll bring out purchased fruit and veggie trays, letting the kids peel off the protective plastics and open the tubs of dip.  Bryant will sit at the dining room table, slicing a Log-o-Beef (what a weird name!) into thin disks, then cutting them into quarters.  We'll put the beef pieces with some Old Wisconsin snack sticks (kind of like a Slim Jim, but worlds better) and a selection of crackers and cheeses.  Next we'll bring out the Chex Mix (original, but not homemade) and several kinds of pop.  Disposable plates, silverware, cups and napkins will take up space on the wood stove, the food on the card table and the pop on the hearth.  Somewhere in the mix, there will be a cheesecake sampler - you know, in case we're still hungry after dinner...

After a moment of reflection and thanksgiving, we'll load up our plates and snuggle in on the couches to enjoy our dinner and movie.  The movie is just as important to me as the food, as far as tradition goes.  Every single year we watch the same movie - Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas. 

If you know me, you know that while I enjoy a lot of Disney movies, I'm not a huge Mickey and Minnie fan.  I don't have anything against them, I just don't love them.  But this movie...oh, this movie kills me.  It's a collection of three stories - one with Goofy and Max, one with Donald and his nephews and, my favorite, the one with Mickey and Minnie.  It's called, "The Gift of the Magi" and if you're familiar with that story, I'm sure you can see where this is going. 

Mickey wants to give Minnie a chain for her beautiful watch.  Minnie wants to give Mickey a case for his prized harmonica.  After struggling and scrimping, saving and trying, they both end up selling their most special possession to buy the perfect give for the other. 

I don't want to give away too much, but my favorite part is at the end.  Minnie and Mickey have each opened their gift and Minnie is sad that Mickey gave up his harmonica for her. Bryant will hold me just a little tighter and kiss my hair just as Mickey puts his hand on Minnie's, looks her in the eye and says, "You're all the music I'll ever need."

I'm getting misty-eyed just typing this.

When the movie is over and we've all eaten our fill, we clean up, tuck the little guys into bed and generally move on with whatever needs to be done. 

But I'll carry that moment in my heart all year long.