Merry CHRISTmas!

 

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.

Matthew 1:21

On CHRISTmas Eve, Mom, Tyler and Molli came and spent the night with us.  We snacked, talked, and watched TV too late, then got up at 5am to open our gifts to each other.  I always feel so very blessed on CHRISTmas morning to have our children here in the house with us. 

We each open our gifts one at a time beginning with the youngest to the oldest.  We like to see what each person got, and who got the gift for them.  I love to watch our kids expressions as they open their gifts.

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tyler had one more gift in the garage from Molli.

After everyone had opened their gifts, Fred and Barb came by.  Jim fixed breakfast of eggs and sausage and Molli fixed cinnamon rolls.

Maci started filling up her days in her new planner.

 And, Tyler was worn out.

Molli and Tyler then left to go home and get ready for church.  Mom, Fred and Barb left to go to my Grandma Hall's, and we started getting ready for church.

What a wonderful blessing to be able to worship the Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty King, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace on this CHRISTmas morning with my loved ones and church family.

 

 After church, the girls and I went to my Aunt Janice's for CHRISTmas dinner and to visit with the cousins.  I didn't take any pictures while there, just visited and talked.  Alex and TL were there, and it's always nice to have a "little one" around at CHRISTmas time.

Jim didn't go with us because we had a couple of appliance problems......on CHRISTmas Eve our new washer quit spinning and then on CHRISTmas morning the refrigerator wasn't cooling.  Jim stayed home from Janice's and fixed the fridge and is calling the repairman for the washer on Monday.  Oh well.

After the fridge was cold again, we went to Jim's sister's house in Millwood.  Since both of Jim's parents passed away this year, it was the first CHRISTmas without them.  We visited, reminisced, and played with Riley and Graci. 

Once back at home Tyler and Molli came back to the house.  Also, DJ came over and we watched movies and went through some things that Jim's sisters had given him of his Dad's.

DJ's parents got DJ and Maci these Underarmour Ripley Viking t-shirts.

 

When Tyler came back over, he brought a toy that he had gotten from his parents for CHRISTmas.  He and DJ had a good time with it, but Maci and Gidget were scared.

 

Jim enjoyed going through all of his Dad's things that he was given.  He spent lots of time on the computer researching....

 

Tomorrow, I plan on spending lots of time "playing" with my new things....

 

I'm exhausted, but in a good way, it has been a wonderful, blessed CHRISTmas 2011!