Christmas Eve at Nena and Papa's 2015

Man, people!!  It is hard to do, but I am trying hard to weed pics on these family events so that your not looking through 30 pics.  Here goes trying!!!  I'm shooting for under 20 during each of my next few posts!

Our crew, and Sherry & David showed up early at Mom and Paul's Christmas Eve morning.  After we all gushed over Lucy almost being 14!!!!, gave each other hugs and kisses, and were served drinks from Mom, we let the kids start dividing presents.  Traditionally, the youngest opens first working up to oldest.

I am NOT including all the present opening this year...just some highlights :)

The kids opened their gifts from Sherry and David first.  A seahorse that swims in water and nice embroidery scissors for Iris, ant farm for Clyde, and TONS of artsy pencils and embroidery scissors for Lucy!  They loved!  Most knowing aunt and uncle ever!

The adults drew names to give gifts to each other, but we all get the kids stuff and for some reason, they always get every adult something.

I actually drew my own husband's name.  He got a hatchet :)

I thought Iris's gift for Sherry was cute :)  Eyeshadow.

Clyde gave David altoids.  David is like Stephen and likes to reuse the tins.

Sherry gave Nana a sweater and African violet.  Both were beautiful!

Iris gave Nena cute tweezers with hearts.  (This girl loves love!)

 Lucy gave Papa a framed drawing of a bald eagle :)  So neat watching her draw it for him :)

Stephen gave Nena a purse.  He did pay for it of course, and drew her name, but I MAY have helped pick it out ;)  Can't tell here, but it's BLUE!!  So proud of Mom's ever expanding tastes!

Mom or Paul gave Sherry season 2 of Last Man Standing :) and a pretty sweater. We all love...SO FUNNY!!

Nana gave David a wolf belt buckle, 'Dances with Wolves', and a devotional she wrote. :)

This was just cute of Papa opening Sherry's present :)

Sherry gave Papa a cool box and the 1st season of Last Man standing.  Ha!  Now they can share ;)

 Lucy's gifts from Nena and Papa!!  So excited!!  So grown up, yet still a little girl!

Iris's cute gifts from Nena and Papa!!  The parrot mimics and moves, he has brought us many laughs.

And Clydie's fun gifts from Nena and Papa!!  Skylanders was the winner of the day!

Then we had a wonderful Nena-and-Papa-cooked dinner, hung out, and played!!

PS- I received a pretty shower curtain and a KOREAN HANGUL WORKBOOK!!! from Mom and Paul!  So excited!! (but don't have a pic)   I've already learned to write most of my family's names in Hangul!!  Yay!!  Christmas excitement spilling into February here!

Good times!!

Christmas At Home 2015

The kids have requested, nearly every year since they've been old enough, to have Christmas at home with just us so that it's like they get to celebrate three times :)

And so we do.

This year we had 'Christmas at home' a few days early.  Part of the reason we decided to do this was because Stephen and I had kept these tiny guys hidden in our room for a week...

and we figured either the kids had already figured it out, or would soon!

The morning of, Stephen and I slept in.  When I finally yawned and stretched my way out of bed, I went upstairs to the sound of Christmas carols.  I followed the music and found Iris cuddled up in Clyde arms while he looked through a photo album with her.   The music was coming from a radio that he assembled out of snap circuits.

We spent the morning playing, and early in the afternoon we gathered to open gifts.  After the kids sorted them into piles, Stephen very emphatically insisted that I was to open my present from him before anyone else opened ANYTHING!!

So I did.

I was SO excited ya'll!  I've always wanted a video camera!!

So when the next present was opened..the big one of the day, I got to take THIS

 If you haven't figured it out, if you click on my bold "THIS", it will take you to a video ;)

The kids were in heaven!  And we just let the babies play and cuddle in our laps as we opened the rest of the presents.

We, once again, gave the kids gold (something they really wanted), frankincense (something they could enjoy by sharing it with the whole family), and myrrh (something to help them grow spiritually.)  The ferrets were their frankincense.

But it's always most fun to see what they pick out for each other.

Iris opened nesting dolls from Lucy and was most excited!

Clyde opened his myrrh, didn't get a good pic, but it was Don't Check Your Brains At The Door and an encyclopedia of Biblical battles.

Lucy received some charms to put in her glass locket from Iris.

I gave Stephen his carry permit, but since he already new about it (since he had to take the class and apply for it) I had to throw a tiny bit of extra in there :)

Nana received peanut M&M's from Iris.

Clyde gave Iris a mustache pencil :)

Nana gave each of the kids a box of fun things along with a personalized letter and a devotional she wrote.

Clyde gave Lucy some neat scrolls that she had been eyeing at World Market.

He gave his Mommy some of her FAVORITE hand sanitizers.  AND the coupon that came with...cause he's thoughtful like that ;)

He gave Daddy some altoids.  (Daddy loves to collect Altoid tins)

And he gave Nana Jolly Ranchers.

Iris gave Clyde a Skylander to have for when he finally got himself the game.  He was pretty pumped..that's what he wanted most.

Lu gave me an cute apron!

Iris gave her Daddy a holster.

Lucy gave Nana a coloring book, which she loves and has been coloring in.

Iris opened her gold.  Her choice of dance or archery lessons.  I later took her to visit both and she will be starting archery in February :) and Bibles for children through Compassion.

Lucy surprised Clyde with an exercise ball.

Daddy looking through Lucy's myrrh with her and explaining it...

Iris surprised me BIG TIME with a stuffed Toothless!!  He resides on my bed now.  This is one cheerful giver!

 Lucy gave Daddy a storage box for bullets.

Iris opened her myrrh.

Clyde's gold... clean water and a portion of a water well through Compassion and a couple of Skylanders.

Lucy's gold was a gift card to get a lesson on how to apply make-up and to buy some actual make-up.  Was MUCH fun!!

Cuddles with new babies Soot and Ash!!!  (oddly, they named the black one Ash and the sable one Soot)

Had a wonderful time loving on each other and celebrating Christ's birth!!