Christmas 2010

We had a great Christmas Day this year.  Head Honcho and I, as usual, were the first ones up and had to wake everyone else.  We started the morning with family prayer and a message about the Savior and His gift to us of the atonement.

Then came presents.  To stop peekers we started doing code names a few years ago.  This year we chose a few from the 12 days of Christmas.  There was French Hen, Turtle Dove, Calling Bird, Drummer Drumming, and Piper Piping.  They always have fun trying to guess their names and the big reveal on Christmas day when they find out who they are.  

Everyone was home and so thoughtful.  Brookie made Head Honcho and me an illustrated book at school, Conner made a shelf and a toolbox for us at scouts, Sam made me a sweatshirt from her sewing class, Kinsey and Kacey bought me a shirt and scarf and Terrence and I a signed book and Terrence some 4 wheeling goggles.  (I even got a great new lens from Terrence for my camera.  Yay!)  As they get older they get to be better and better gift givers as well as receivers.  

I've been collecting jeans for a few years with the goal that when I was released from Relief Society President I would make quilts out of them.  I got started in November and made 6 quilts all the way until the week of Christmas to finish.  It was my favorite thing to give and everyone seems to like and appreciate them.  

After gifts we had a big breakfast and Grandma Susan came over.  Everyone loved showing her their new gifts.  She was a great sport and even went a few rounds with Conner and his new boxing gloves!  We've had a few chipped teeth and tears from neighbors... the next purchase will be mouth guards.

There was a family gift of a ping pong table.  Conner has been wanting one for years!  After much convincing we talked Head Honcho into putting it in the basement instead of the garage.  Terrence and Conner spent a couple of hours that day building it.  It folds up to put away and late that night I saw a tearful Brooke at my bedroom door wanting to talk to me.  "We're really, really sorry.  We were getting the table out to play and it just kind of broke."  She wasn't tall enough to let her side down and dropped it, cracking one of the panels.  She and Conner offered to pay for the repairs.  Terrence and I spent the next morning at Home Depot buying mending plates and repairing the panel.  It's fine, but just has a surface crack along the panel.  

All in all it was a magical day and we have so much to be grateful for.