Oh, happy day!!! It's finally here! The Grand Finale...
The kids were up bright and early, ready to find out what fun gifts lie wrapped under the tree. As usual, we started with stockings and let them enjoy whatever was in it for a while. It gives a little reprieve so that I can get some breakfast ready. Then it's time for the fun part... The presents! We each bought/made one gift for each person in the family. 9 family members each giving a gift to the 8 other members. If my math is right, there should be about 72 presents under/around the tree! That's one crowded tree.
Again this year, we separated the gifts into the gifter's piles (instead of the reciever) and took turns handing one gift at a time to the recipient. I like it so much more that way. It seems so much more personal.
Normally, the kids shop at resale stores (or their own toy stock) for their gifts for others. Caleb did his shopping on Amazon (whoo-hoo for on-line shopping!). He knew how much we liked the Courageous movie, so he got the book for dad to go along with it.
Ellie had been BEGGING for this stuffed animal pillow for months. Literally, begging. Every time I'd ask her what she wanted for Christmas, it would be "a dolphin stuffed animal pillow". I needed more ideas so I'd say, "What if they don't have any more?" She'd be so dramatic and say, "...then I don't want anything else." Well, daddy came through for her and she was SO happy.
One of Selah's gifts was the traditional baby gift... A Precious Moments "Baby's First Christmas 2011" ornament. It's so odd that she celebrated her first Christmas the year after she was born. All the other ornaments are dated the year the baby was born. Later that day, I was reflecting back on Christmas the year before. Christmas day was my 13th day overdue, and I was incredibly frustrated to be still pregnant. I was starting to wonder if I was EVER going to have this baby (duh). Oh, what a difference a year makes...
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