Christmas Eve preparations ...

I spent the entirety of Christmas Eve in preparation for … Christmas Day! I had started baking goodies the week before, but I had a whole bunch that needed finishing ...

My Nativity Calendar …
see baby Jesus just waiting?

 Plus, I had to put three little gift bags together for Emma, Chris and Matthew to take with me to their house Christmas day, since they had already opened their main gifts over at my house a few days earlier. I didn't want to show up at their door on Christmas without anything at all to give to them! I just filled this little bag with tiny things: a small (really bright) flashlight, some back-up cars, chapstick, gum, candy … the usual stuff!

 My little kitchen is a wonderful place to bake, and I have everything that I need!

This puppy chow recipe is always a favorite ...

 And banana nut bread is SO yummy too ...

I baked these sugar-cookies with my new cookie stamp! It comes with three stamps and one base. This one says, "Made with Love" except it I have to get better at stamping, so that it can be read a little easier!

 My grandmother's Russian Tea Cake recipe is my absolute favorite (and Emma's too) … so I made a nice batch of those (last week actually) ...

And no-bake peanut-butter fudge is simple to make … so why not? 

 And then I packed them all up nice and neatly … and was ready to bring them Christmas Day.

 Jesus was all ready and waiting in pocket #24 … 

 After all my preparation was finished, I was really looking forward to our candlelight Christmas Eve service over at Calvary Church--it is one of my favorite things about Christmas every year. I planned to leave the house at about 9:20 in order to arrive in plenty of time to get a good seat for the 10:00 service. I grabbed my purse and my camera, locked the front door and closed it … and as soon as I closed that door, I realized my KEYS were still inside on the hook! 

Yikes.

I could NOT believe it. I do not have any extra house keys, nor have I given anyone any key just in case … because my keys are ALWAYS on the hook right smack next to the front door where I never ever forget them.

It was pouring rain. Cold. Dark.

I walked across the road to my neighbor, an elderly veteran, and rang his doorbell. "Can you help me break into my house?" I asked him. He turned me down. He said he just didn't make a habit of breaking into people's houses … especially nice neighbors! I only had one hope … by some odd chance … could the park managers possibly be at their house (and not out of town like every other year), and would they be willing to go to the park office and get that key that is in the file cabinet marked with my lot number and … RESCUE ME?

Well -- the story ends happily! I prayed and prayed the entire time my neighbor was slowly driving (his car headlights are not working, and his car is as ancient as he is) 2 mph to the back of the park where I live. Their house looked really dark. And very empty. It was, after all, Christmas Eve and by this time, it was 9:30. But they were home … and they did retrieve my spare key … and I did arrive at the service at 10:01 and get a seat next to some dear friends! And then the Christmas story was read from start to finish while, in-between, we sang our most beloved Christmas carols, ending with all of us holding a single candle and singing "Silent Night." AH … now that is how Christmas Eve ought to turn out, don't you think? :)