One More Christmas Post

THIS is the most important thing about Christmas. Luke 2.

I mentioned earlier that food was the most important thing about Christmas. Well, obviously it's not the MOST important thing, (although it does have a very special place in my heart.) Our family recognizes that the true meaning of Christmas is the birth of Jesus. We say Merry CHRISTmas, not Happy Holidays, and we think if reading the Bible at public CHRISTmas functions offends you then take down your CHRISTmas tree and return all of your CHRISTmas gifts. It is a CHRISTian holiday and you may actually be exposed to some CHRISTian beliefs. ---Okay, I will step down from my soapbox.

On Christmas Day, for our last family gathering, we go to my mom's to have lunch with my parents, my brother, and his family.

Amongst their assortment of gifts the boys got these manuals to study before getting their learner's permit. They were a little bit surprised by this one cause it really looked like they were getting coloring books. Maybe we can get these manuals in coloring book format - they may get more out of that!

Papaw got the girls a necklace.


And the boys got yet another gun. My mom says she has bought guns for Christmas FOREVER! I don't think the end is in sight either...

This is Holly's last Christmas as a high school student - a lot will change for her in the next year.

Instead of exchanging gifts, we play the dirty Santa game. The very first gift opened was the lump of coal that Anthony brought back from his mission trip to Kentucky. He had been planning this one for six months.

I think when you get older your arms must get shorter...

We had a great Christmas this year and hope all of you did as well.

Forms of Torture - Christmas Style

Every year we spend Christmas Eve with Tony's family - usually at our house but this year we went to Tony's brother's house since we weren't sure if ours would be put back together. Since this is always our first stop of the Christmas season, the kids are VERY excited. This is what they have been waiting for! The very first thing they want to know is, "Can we open presents first?" Every year the answer is no. After dinner. Don't they know what Christmas is all about? The food? I think the waiting should be getting easier for them since they are getting older but it sure isn't. This year, though, I think we perfected the torture. And I am not talking about this tickle torture.

Or the forced hugs. (Brennan always gives Alex a little therapy 'cause Alex is a personal space kinda girl.) This really is a form of torture to her but this is not what I am talking about either.

The ultimate form of torture for a 14 and 12 year old on Christmas Eve, at the first gathering of the season would be... Watching old movies. Not old movies like Gone With the Wind or It's a Wonderful Life but old movies, like reel to reel, home videos with no sound old movies. Old movies that they will appreciate one day but not at 14 and 12. On Christmas Eve. When there are gifts to be opened.

I took some pictures of the screen just to see if they would turn out and they did surprisingly well.



There was a box with several movies in it. After we had watched two or three of them, Alex came around the corner to ask me if we were gonna watch ALL of those movies.

She finally gave up...

They did finally get to open their presents much to their relief. They look so forward to the
time when they can open their gifts and then it is over so QUICKLY! They waited ALL DAY for those few moments of joy.

Kind of like a junkie, that fix didn't last long and they were begging on the way home to "open just one tonight. PLEASE?"