Our Christmas with the Denisons took place all day today, and was really fun. There were tons of gifts, great Italian food and lots of family. My kind of day. And I actually gave a gift that someone liked during the gift exchange — or at least she led me to believe that she might have wanted it! Bree, did you really want those tweezers? Unfortunately, I forgot my good camera and only video taped during the whole day.
After our day of fun, we headed home to Christmas Eve festivites.
This is literally my favorite part of Christmas. We exchange gifts and get PJ’s, and then do the present thing while the boys head off to Harbor House. Although it is still my favorite part, it was a little modified this year. We had a late start. Then as soon as it was time to exchange gifts, Jake was trying to Skype. The connection was awful, so after quite a bit of time trying, we decided to make a phone call the next day, with hopes of hearing one another. Then we finally got to the gifts.
This year, we put all of the names in the hat, and Bella chose Dash.
(Yeah right — like that wasn’t rigged!)
She made him close his eyes.
She first gave him his very own Panda Bear — according to him lately, it is his favorite.
When she first gave it to him, he was totally scared, and it was hilarious. It wasn’t for about 5 minutes that he finally warmed up to his new pet.
And then she surprised him with this awesome dinosaur outfit!
He went around scaring everyone like this.
And she ended it with quite possibly — his favorite thing on earth!
His very own Thomas the Train.
So he grabbed his Thomas chair and sat in his Thomas train while wearing his new dino outfit.
Nice work Bella!
Scout and Navy got a group gift from the Brockbanks.
They got a bunch of animals as clues.
It took them a while, and a lot of clues, but they finally caught on that they were getting zoo passes!!!
The whole family was excited over this one — especially the cousins who get to skip school to use a few of the “guest passes” it comes with!
My poor mom had Micah this year. Remember his amazing gift to her last year? The robe? The best gift ever given on earth!?!
She had to top that.
Well, she didn’t.
But she came pretty close by giving him a hotel stay in San Diego with money for the Chef’s tasting menu for him and me!
Not bad!
And, to boot — B, who had my name gave me full babysitting at our house the whole time we are gone for part of my gift!
Best Gift Ever!
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Speaking of Micah — and him giving the best gifts — my gift this year was one simple blue book.
But let me tell you, that blue book had more than you can imagine in it!
I had the next 24 hours to open it slowly..a few pages at a time.
In it he told me things he loves about me, and then gave me a whole slew of amazing coupons.
This is for a “game night”.
And one of my favorite things about this book is that every single coupon has an amazing picture that goes with it.
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After gift time, we opened PJ’s.
Then put the kids down.
Then the girls went to organize the gifts (check out my masterpiece!) while the boys assembled gifts.
And then complained that they were too tired to go to Harbor House.
The girls were all so mad that they were trying to break tradition.
Not necessarily because they weren’t going, but more so because we like our alone time.
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It was a little different this year, but no less great!
Merry Christmas Eve.
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