Christmas Fun - Part 3

Today is Christmas. There are 12 days left of Christmas, and we feel no rush to open gifts on the 25th. However, Michael and I couldn't resist giving the girls this gift tonight.  Allie read it first, followed by Stacia...their reaction was fantastic.  We shopped local for our household gifts. We wanted to support our town's businesses, but that meant we didn't have the selection we are used to having, we don't have a big box store in our town. I saw this sign and thought it would be perfect for the girls. I would have missed it if I was at the big box store. LOL 

Laughing hurts Allie - in hindsight should have waited

The backstory is Stacia runs around our home speaking Japanese and Allie runs around signing back.  They are teaching each other, and we are all learning a smattering of both Japanese and ASL. 

We originally thought we'd do a family gift exchange today. Stacia was shocked. This would have been the first time she could remember opening gifts on the 25th. BUT THEN....we couldn't all make it at the same time on the 25th. We shopped around for another day to host our family gift exchange - the one where we draw a name and share gifts. We "plan" to have the family gift exchange on January 8th.   We "think" our household gift exchange will be on the 10th day of Christmas. Our odd ball practices saved our bacon this year as the past week was simply not conducive to shopping. snort:: This year we filled kids' stockings and didn't fill the adults' stockings. We bought the adults a gift. 

Wood stove is off when grands visit so we could
hang the stockings

We also filled stockings for the who live at home: Nolan, Alex, Allie and Stacia. We need bigger stockings. 

There is so much fun and giggles over these little gifts. Danny loved his monkey....belly giggles. 

Danny & Arielle

BreZaak - Gideon, Bre & Jojo, Izaak and Annie. Bella sat over with  Carrie and Jamin. 

An Uncle win!

Jamin and Bella

Bre and Jojo

Annie got down to business.

Livie

Livie and Benny help Danny open his package. 

Back Story...Jamin had a Taz when he was younger. He loved the thing. Jared eventually loved it too and he gave it to Jared.  During one of our moves Taz disappeared. I promised them Taz would show up when we unpacked. He didn't. 

I've looked all these years to find a Taz and keep my word....it turns out Taz is now a "vintage toy".  I wonder how that makes them feel to know their toys are now vintage? Anyway, I bought the "boys" a Taz....

The girls got these wearable blankets. They're not wildly attractive but they are cozy and fun for Alaskan winters.  They even have a big pocket for snacks. 

Sometimes, for brief moments, I wish we were in a place to be able to wildly spoil every Gherkin and Grand-Gherkin. Watching the fun and laughter over simple stockings makes me realize simple may well be best. 

Happy Birthday, Jesus! - Part 2

Birthdays mean cake creations. Stacia did not disappoint for Jesus' birthday. Many things "flexed" this year, but this tradition carried through as planned. Well, sort of. 

Stacia baked a couple of yummy 8-inch chocolate cakes. She has a recipe that's moist and beats any boxed cake I've tasted. Millie must agree, as she ATE THE JESUS CAKE.  Stacia determinedly made another cake, cooled and froze it. She added a crumb coat and then began the decorating. 

This fondant stable is darling. 

She went simple and cute!

Livie put the sparkling candles on the cake when it was time. 

It was beautiful. 

We gathered around and sang Happy Birthday to Jesus - Gospel Service style... it was a sweet moment. 

Christmas Gathering - Part 1

 Everyone wanted to gather for Christmas - starting with these two. We were afraid they were going to take out the sledding platform. 

Christmas Morning!

Allie I bunked out another night and I kept her meds going every 3 hours. She is moving slowly but is up.  Her throat is sore from intubation. She was happy to exchange her scrub pants for her Christmas PJ pants.  Krista and Luke were due at 10:00 for breakfast. 

Millie sports her new "cookie tester" fashion statement. The other side says, "Every cookie you bake, I'll be watching you." 

The gift is even more appropriate after she ATE a whole plate of monkey bread last night. I got up early and got another one done. Michael built a cage around it and set about guarding it. 

Stacia squeezed orange juice. KrUke brought bacon and two pans of cinnamon rolls.  I helped Allie and Dad through morning routines while Krista made breakfast.  It was a fun way to begin the day. They left to pick up his children and go to his family's home. 

We relaxed after they left. Allie, Stacia and Nolan played Story Cubes. It was fun to compare the story they made up today with the ones which used to be created when the kids were little. 

Check out Jamin's Christmas sweater! Ye Gads! A unicorn...with tassels even. I purchased the Grinch PJs for Nolan and Alex. They humored me and wore them. 

Allie retreated to the recliner. She was ready to sit with some ice after being up a couple of hours. 

I think all the parents had talked to the grands about treating Allie carefully, honoring personal space and not jumping on her. Livie arrived first. She nearly tip toed in. They gave Allie some flowers and a stuffed panda. 

Benny walked in and asked, "Did it hurt when they cut your skin and took out your owie?"  Bella was really excited to see her "Auntie that got cut." ::snort:: 

We played games and visited. 

Well - most of us did. Josiah asked Michael if he needed help with snow or something...next thing I knew they were shoveling snow off the roof of and away from the sides of the greenhouse. Then they shoveled out a path to the fire ring and around it too. 

It's all ready now for a New Year's Eve bonfire and fireworks. 

Livie had brought a little nativity cut out for the kids to put together. It's really cute and they had fun working on it together. 

In the midst of the fun - THIS happened. Jamin was in my nook with the children.  He came out with the stool stuck around his neck. WHAT? "Annie did it." 

And now we have another Jamin story for the parenting workshop. ::snort:: We helped him extricate himself. 

Cory cooked all the taco meat for dinner.  Carrie brought a ton of toppings and dinner nearly made itself. Cory is great about putting Danny to sleep.