Did you know Christmas Eve is my favorite day of the year?

I enjoy anticipating and looking forward to things-

sometimes more than the actual event.

Today we had a nice day together.
The cutest kids in the world!
This was our cake topper at our wedding. It's fun to get it out every year!

• Chatting with family on the phone.
• Making raviolis together
• 
• Weston picking fresh basil for our ravioli sauce.
• 
• All of us working together
• 
• Having Sharon over for lunch to eat raviolis
• Lighting all the Christmas advent candles together- at breakfast, lunch and dinner!
• 
• Doing the last minute Christmas shopping and wrapping- which I love.
• I bought some funny gifts for our friends--- when you buy an ax handle, a box of cereal, and cashews for your adult friends for a Christmas gift and you are TOTALLY excited about your find (imported cereal=rare find!) - you KNOW you're in Mongolia.
• Gave the children the traditional Christmas Eve gift- pajamas! So they'll look cute in the morning gift opening pictures! :)
  
• I am cleaning the front room and waiting for Sierra to go to bed, to that I can do my favorite thing:

Put the presents under the tree! Yeah!

This ornament was from a boy, Richy, that was in my class in 2000-2001.
He came to me not knowing how to read in the third grade- he left reading.
It's funny to think he is 18 now! I hope he's doing well. :)

There was a "blizzard" yesterday. It only snowed about 5" but Mongolian schools are closed for the week.
It is supposed to be -55 tomorrow... that is COLD. the coldest we've ever seen here!
That means the country is closed down a bit.
Metal breaks at -50 so less cars drive-
we'll be snuggled up tight, opening up gifts, sipping hot coffee
and having lasagna for Christmas dinner.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Peter and I bought this ornament at the Mission Inn.
Beautiful!