Christmas Re-run

All was quiet around the tree as the kids slept in. While this scene lay undisturbed, Mom C. & I were fixin' breakfast. She wrapped the piggies (cocktail sausages) in their blankets (whap biscuits)- a tradition at her house, while I whipped up some Smokey Mountain Cinnamon rolls - a tradition here.

While breakfast baked, I took the traditional kids-with-the-tree photo then we emptied our stockings. The grandparents even had surprises stuffed into Santa hats since we had no extra stockings. New tradition: hang your caps by the fireplace?

Then we had breakfast & Stan read the Christmas story to us.
Afterwards was presents time: Stan chooses a gift, the recipient opens it then chooses & presents the next gift to the next gift-ee.
It works for us!

The grandparents were pleased with their digital clock/photo frame. I had fun loading it up with pictures later in the week.

See Stan's stocking haul? Chocolate syrup & sardines. uh, yum?

Rachel was thrilled with her gift. It brings new meaning to the term "horse blanket" :-)

An early Christmas gift for her was getting her ears pierced. She's able to change out the earrings now.

Jacob goes with peanut butter like mormons & bicycles. Can you guess who was just at MY door?

A funny note: Caleb & Rachel actually argued over who would get to give the large jar of PB to Jacob. Rachel won so Caleb got him 2 6-packs of single servings instead. And Jacob was thrilled. LOL!


For the uninitiated, this is a binder to hold Boy Scout cards completed in the line of duty to obtain merit badges. Now I can get them off my fridge. He got the merit badge sash too. Can't you just picture him all decked out?

Oh, yes! Andrew & the Spurs! They go together like Jacob & peanut butter!









What do you get any guy who has a car? Car parts!! I read somewhere that it really doesn't matter WHAT kinds of parts they are but Stan did a great job (plus had a blast) digging around in a pick-n-pull auto junk yard in search of exactly what Andrew needed. In the plastic in front of him - wrapped in bubble wrap no less - are about a dozen different little bits, picked & pulled just for him. How special.

Jacob was also blessed with an electric razor. But it only works out of the box, Buddy.






Maryn came by a little later for lunch (ham, Mom C.'s mac & cheese, sweet potatoes & apples, broccoli salad, rolls, pumpkin pie) & to open & pass around her gifts.

I told her that I had to do some hoodie diving & wrestle another mom for the pink Tinkerbell hoodie in her lap. And I wasn't even yet a MIL to be.

Recognize what Jacob's holding? A bagpipe chanter. He's wanted one of these for years. Guess we'll be seeing more of him in that kilt.

Christmas for me? Company!!
Oh, the stuff part? Off the top of my head I remember lights for under the kitchen cabinets, Fiddler on the Roof DVD (2 actually so the library gets blessed as well), monogrammed bath towels - never had those before, an under-the-counter CD radio, & 12 coupons from Caleb & Rachel = a car wash each month plus all that cool stuff from Mom when she was here Thanksgiving. Woohoo! Blessed indeed.

Best gift? That baby in the manger. My Savior on the Cross. The empty tomb. Grace greater than all my sins. No gift bags or bows required.