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This year my in-laws graciously let us host Christmas at our house. What a treat to have them come and stay with us! We started our holiday by volunteering at church. We got to be candle lighters and ushers and it was fun to see the kids helping out in those roles.
Christmas morning started at a respectable 7:30am. (Although I was awake earlier and could hardly wait for the creatures to stir!) This year I did a horrible job at taking pictures. So bad that you don’t get to see most of the Santa gifts. The big guy brought Ellie some sheets for her new bed, Jill got a bunch of Dr. Who items and Kate got a quadcopter.
We had a fun time opening all of the creative gifts. The girls, in particular, were so thoughtful with their choices. For example, Jill got me a blanket to keep me cozy after my knee surgery, Ellie got me a YOU ROCK mug and Kate got me a new water bottle. I love them all!
Allen and I were not as creative as we thought. Apparently great minds think alike as we got each other the same thing. This new thermostat is awesome. Allen loves the new gadget and I love that I can change the thermostat from my phone.
For the second year in a row Jill and Ellie gave each other ALMOST the same thing. This year it was geeky T-shirts they bot love.
One of the most fun gifts the girls received was a bluetooth disco speaker from Dubs and Grandpa. It was a party in a box!
The last gift under the tree was addressed to everybody and elicited the best reaction. Allen and I bought tickets to see Straight No Chaser on the 26th. There was dancing and smiling and that was only just after they opened the box!
The concert was fantastic and a highlight for all of us.
Here is the lame part. On the 27th we celebrated Christmas with my family and I did not take a single picture. Not one. And nobody else did either. I think that this year we all wanted to be present and relish the moment. Appreciating all of the moments we have together is really the greatest gift of all.
Whew, despite a broken computer and severe lack of pictures I managed to slip this post in at the last second. Happy New Year all. Stay safe and I’ll see you in 2015.