Christmas Eve Trina11:59 PM 0 comments

While I understand that Christmas Day is, for most of us, a celebration of the birth of Jesus...Christmas Eve in the Almeda household is all about some Santa Claus. 

Mr. Almeda had to go to work this morning, so Fallon and I began, and spent the entire day, in our pajamas.  After all, we weren't going anywhere and what could possibly be more comfortable?

Around mid-afternoon, we began the holiday preparations. 

First, we baked my amazing oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for Santa.  This was a fairly touchy task, as we had only 1 3/4 cups of flour left in my ridiculously expensive but worth it gluten-free flour blend.  As luck would have it, that's exactly what the recipe called for.  I'm pretty sure that's Jesus saying He wants us to eat them tomorrow in honor of Him.

Next, I began preparing our Christmas Eve dinner. 

I baked a loaf of bread (for the first time ever) to munch on for starters.  I haven't had bread since August.  I just cannot tell you how wonderful it was to eat bread.  It was like I was taking little bites of heaven every time I bit into my slice.  Ahem, slices.  I'm pretty sure I devoured half the loaf by myself.  Jules Gluten Free Bread Mix.  Highly recommended.

For the main course, I made a beef tenderloin roast over potatoes and carrots, and mashed cauliflower.

There was no dessert.  I couldn't even fit in a single cookie.  I was even more stuffed than I was on Thanksgiving.  Blame the bread.  The delicious, heavenly, soft, moist, chewy bread.

After dinner, we set out milk and cookies for Santa, left him a note, and began our bedtime routine.  Tonight's story was, of course, The Night Before Christmas.  Just before I finished tucking her in, Fallon asked if she could check for Santa's sleigh in the sky.

I put myself to bed, and pretended to be asleep while Santa worked in the living room, setting up Fallon's dearest wish (a princess castle with princess dolls) and stuffing the stockings. 

He also finished off the milk and cookies and left Fallon a letter for her to read in the morning (I guess he carries a typewriter along with some special stationary when he visits our home).

But now it is midnight.  We have an exciting day that awaits us tomorrow! 

"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"