Christmas Eve

I am sleepy. I am happy. I am full. What a fun day full of food, conversations, food, visitors, food, and oh, did I say food! Things are winding down at our house as the kids and my dad are all in bed, the presents are under the tree, the dishwasher is running, my two sisters and their husbands are getting ready for bed, and I am soon to go to upstairs too. Christmas Eve dinner, or should I say feast, was prepared by Ethan. We had chicken, lamb, steak, and duck, Persian beef shanks as our meats. We had a savory tajine, a sweet tajine, some bbq'd meat, couscous, hummus, tabouli, a fancy salad with star fruit and two kinds of fresh roasted beets and argula, two kinds of olives, lavash bread, raita, pomegranate seeds (thanks Sarah!), rolls, and a variety of sparking juices. To say I am stuffed would be an understatement. Now, off to bed for me!

Christmas Video

No Christmas cards this year, but we do want to send a video along of our kids. It expires January 15, just in case you are reading this late.

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/5RVeng5bEViLdoUQ

Christmas Quiz

Today is Christmas Eve Eve! My husband arranged to have house cleaners come today, so I took off and did some shopping and errands with the kids. When we got back, I felt like I was entering a brand new house. I am so thankful for my awesome husband!

And now, get your thinking caps on and get ready for a pop quiz! And, don't forget to stop by on Christmas Eve for some cookies (and crackers and cheese and salami and grapes and sparking cinder and....)!

Christmas Scripture Quiz
Take this short quiz to test how well you know the Nativity stories in Luke and Matthew. How much of our traditional celebrations of Christmas is actually found in the scripture text and how much is tradition built up over the centuries? Answers will be published tomorrow.

1. How many wise men were there? a. 3 b. 4 c. The Bible does not say.
2. Did Joseph meet the wise men? a. Yes b. No c. The Bible does not say.
3. What animal did Mary ride to Bethlehem? a. Donkey b. Small horse c. Llama d. The Bible does not say.
4. The Holy Family named the child "Jesus" because: a. An Angel told Mary to use the name. b. An Angel told Joseph to use the name. c. All of the above. d. None of the above.
5. What type of building was Jesus born in? a. Stable b. Cave c. Inn d. The Bible does not say.
6. What animals were present at the Nativity? a. Cattle b. Sheep c. Doves d. All of the above e. The Bible does not say.
7. Who besides the wise men saw the star? a. The shepherds b. King Herod's astrologers c. The Bible does not say.
8. How did the star compare in brightness with the other stars? a. Brighter b. Equivalent c. A faint glow over the horizon. d. The Bible does not say.
9. How soon after Joseph and Mary reached Bethlehem was Jesus born? a. Within minutes. b. That night c. The Bible does not say.

Christmas Decorations

Tonight we finally got around to putting up Christmas decorations. I figured if we didn't do it soon, it would be too late. It is apparent as the decorations are going up that I am more interested in the sentimentiality of things than having a theme or certain style. Colorful, fun, whimsical...those would be some potential words to describe our decorations. That, and nativity sets....I have around 25-30 of them so far. Listening to Christmas music via the internet, watching the kids decorate the tree, it is indeed a very nice time of the year!