Year 2, Day 361: Christmas Part Deux

Yes! I can use French down here! Ever heard of the French Quarter?  Remember, the Acadians were forced out of Nova Scotia (Cape Brenton where we went two years ago for vacation), and a lot of them ended up in New Orleans because the French owned it at the time.  I didn't learn that until a) I lived in Canada and b) I think it was in our history book.  Anyway, Christmas Part 2 with the parents and cousins and in laws.

SMH, yes, Gary preached last weekend, and he said that in our family, he went over the top with buying gifts for the grandchildren and one of them told Grandpa, "It's too much, Grandpa!" (Everly said that.)  So, we now stick the 3 "present" rule, which was my idea and what we have done since we were married.  Well, I put "present" in quotes, because it's not 3 presents, it's 3 CATEGORIES of presents.  For example, Shauna got a hair straightener and shampoo, wrapped separately, given separately, and it counts as ONE gift/category.  Or, Nora got two Lego sets and they count as ONE category.  We love to tease Grandpa about how he bends the rule like this.  Unwrapping gifts did take 2 hrs, but there is 12 of us, and even the kids had made and given gifts to others this year (unprompted by adults) that they were quite excited for.  I won't list out every gift or post every picture, but it was fun all the same.  From unique wrapping to getting exactly what someone wanted, there's a bit of everything.  I loved how once Abishai had unwrapped his toy, he wanted to only play with it and didn't care about opening up any other gift or what anyone else was given.  (see below for pictures, but I bet you can guess what type of toy it is).

Then some of Aaron and Shauna's friends stopped by with their 3 kids, and they invited them along to do some open bounce time at the Gathering.  We ate lunch together and then the kids played there or 1 1/2 hrs. Abishai, especially, had a blast and kept talking about his TV show friend Blippi who loves going to bounce houses and indoor playgrounds.  In fact, there is a very special playground at The Gathering.  It was rehomed from the old preschool wing of Indian Creek!  Yes, the very playset my older 3 kids played on when they were Abishai's age, Abishai got to play on today!  I nearly shed a tear over that fact.  (I'm thankful I'm off of Zoloft so I can shed tears at the little things, seriously, I WANT to feel these things.)  There are times where I think and am sad that Abishai hasn't and won't do the same things the others did, like be known by my parents.  But most of the time, I can let it go and not dwell on it. So when the little things like this happen that I didn't plan, it truly is one of those happy moments for me.  After awhile, Shauna, the other mom, and I went around to the other side of the building to the coffee shop that rents space from the Gathering.  Lots of great flavors and options.  And what a chic coffee shop!  I think ti's just called "The Coffee House" and even has a drive through window.  We'll take a tour of the rest of the building another time, because it was Abishai's naptime.

We got home and split ways.  Abishai and Jared went for a nap at the Mustard Seed house.  The other kids played video games at Aaron's.  I typed the blog.  Aaron and Shauna ran some errands.  And Gary and Leah got groceries.  Some of us might go out to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens tonight. Or we'll watch a movie at home or play board games.  Or play Lego.  Right now their playing Minecraft together on our PS4 (yes, we never leave home without all our electronics we own, smh) using the 2 old controllers and the new gold one that Justin asked for and received.  I'm surprised the girls' Lego sets aren't built yet.  My kids did NOT receive Legos this year, per my request.  I just don't have anywhere to display them when they are built.  Keturah doesn't take care of hers, and Justin keeps his together.  We have supplies for shelving (on the wall, where they won't take up floor space) in the boys' room, but Jared and/or Benaiah need some time to put them up.

Star Wars was decent.  I can see why people have said what they have said.  It's definitely a movie that answers few questions and brings up more.  It's a bridge between Episodes 7 and 9 for sure.  But it kept me guessing!  I was looking for a handful of particular moments so I was on high alert.  Entertaining movie, but long.  Late bedtime for little man, 10:30 by the time he stopped crying for his Bible which we left at the other house.  He stayed behind with the girls, who watched a dance movie called Leap.  He came running up to us when we got home saying, "I bubble! I bubble!" and kept at it until we left Aaron's house.  He had a hard time settling down and wanted to sleep only on our bed, which he had done for his nap with Jared this afternoon.  I hope he's not upset when we transfer him later.

Christmas Part Deux! Not too overwhelming, but just enough to keep us busy for 2 hrs!  12 people, several gifts each, yup, that's enough.  The kids were up early of course.

Breakfast Part 2, because 4 of us are sleeping in another house, we don't wake up as early, and so we come in at the tail end of everyone else's breakfast making.

Waiting for us to be ready.  #Christmasreadingcousins

He's so happy to be reunited with "my Noree"!!

Watching something on Shauna's phone.  Baby creeping across the high table like he's done it every day of his life.

Prayer before opening.  Lots of love.

Keturah's present to Aaron was a letter A painted blue!  She thought about doing it a week before we left, and thankfully, I found a plain wooden "A" in the first store I was in.  Sweet!

Aw, one of the last Bulk Barn bags we own.  Who wants to bring us some?  Grandma got printed 4x6 pictures from us for her photo frames at her house.  The one for Jared and I hadn't been updated in 8 years and the rest were at least 2 years old.  And Abishai also finally has a frame (they have our names cut out of the wood, so custom made), so his needs a picture, too. Plus some candids she can use elsewhere.

A fancy coffee mug like his dad's so he can stop using the cheap resuable Starbucks travel cup that looks like their paper cups.

Aunt Shauna and the girls got little gifts from Keturah.  Keturah gave away her box she's had since she was really little.

ASEN gave Benaiah the 4 rubix cube set he wanted.  Aaron said that the link he gave them was for a video of an autistic kid solving them, so it hit right to their hearts.  They probably would have gotten them for him anyway.

Justin got the penny board he wanted! (A penny board is a type of skate board).  But Abishai was the first one to try it out and loved it!  And of course it's bright green, Justin's favorite color.

New pajama pants with anchors on them.  Yeah!  (Note to whoever takes my picture: please wait for a smile and please do not take pictures of my midsection. I couldn't use the rest of the pictures of me because it was a horribly bad angle.)

Christmas Yoda got a holiday edition of Scrabble with some special cards and bonuses for using holiday words.  But, he would rather just play it the way he has always played it, just like the instructions say to play it.

I am not including every single picture I took, because I did take at least one of each gift.  I'm trying to just make sure everyone was included in this post.  Keturah is opening her making pottery set here.  I can't wait to try it out myself!

Rip, rip, rip.

Abishai got a new trike!

More books for the read-a-holic!

Fire starters the girls made at their co op or something made with pinecones coated with some kind of fire starting waxy substance.

Pretty!  What an awesome idea!

Yeah, Tim's coffee!

EXACTLY what she asked Grandpa for.  Yes, the pony does some tricks, but it's not a programmable robot one I was thinking of.  For example, you put the apple under it's nose and it makes sounds like it's eating it and the eyes become smaller like an apple gets smaller.  It's hard to explain.  If you put the carrot under it's nose, it will follow you.  You have to be super close to it though.  And I think it will tell you when it's hungry.  It's like one of those Baby Alive dolls (sorry, that's an 80's or 90's doll) on steroids.

Jared wrapped Gary's gift in multiple layers.

Another layer.

And another layer.

There it is!  Final product!  "The (Executive) Director says, 'One More Thing, One More Thing, One More Thing!' " Gary likes to squeeze in one more thing, like an email, before he heads out the door someplace, a couple minutes late.  And then he makes it up with his lead foot.  He nearly squeezes every minute of every day to get as much as he can in.  That's why we've always said he works a 36 hr day in 24 hrs.  And for the record, JARED painted this, not me!  This is the art project I messed up using different materials.  Jared was literally my knight in shining armor and a paintbrush.  Who knew he had such talent?!

"Excadator?" (excavator?) "My cars?"

He somewhat knew what he was getting because this is what he had seen the other day at Leah's house.  But he also was told that maybe he was getting an excavator as well.  I'll be sure he'll get one of those for his birthday.  That's the advantage of having a birthday less than 2 months after Christmas.

And this is? His really, really expensive headset.  Hopefully it will last longer than 2 yrs.  Not his fault.  He used it a ton and tries really hard to take care of these more expensive electronics.  They just wear out quickly.  He already asked for us to put a hook on the wall near his computer for them.

Cars! Garage!

Aunt Shauna

ASEN's gift to Justin.  I knew this was coming because they asked me if he wanted this one or something else.  I excitedly said yes to this one because he loves to dress up as his favorite characters! This is a creeper from Minecraft.  Plus, it doubles has a facemask when it's cold.  Although, He would probably wear something heavier in the cold.  And he doesn't typically put a sweatshirt under his heavy jacket.  But, alas, he loves it! Plus it's his favorite green!

Aw, R2-D2! Bleep, bleep, bloop!

Putting together the parking garage with features like a carwash while we kept unwrapping gifts.  Everybody has now played with that garage!

Marble tracks!

The special "wrapping" for Aaron's present by Jared from us was painting the box shut with the extra paint from Dad's gift.  But just you wait, Aaron's "wrapping" most definitely take the cake this year.

A gymanstics outfit for her Joanna doll!

Everly and Nora got big Lego sets again this year.  They don't have as many Legos as we do, and they have more room for them.  We don't, and I don't feel bad not letting my kids ask for them.

History books for homeschooling from the practical Aunt Melinda and family.

A charging station for the PS4 controllers.

Nice wrapping job! Not on the list, but the folks heard me say that Jared doesn't have a lunch box.  I wasn't saying he needed one, but now he has one! Too funny!

Great laughs over the calendar this year from Shauna to Leah.  Shauna started the calendar on her phone app and when she brought it up on the computer later, it messed up royally.  There's a ton of birthdays/holidays/anniversaries, etc. on it that don't belong to our family.  At least the big pictures are all ours!

A beautiful leotard for gymanstics!  And I like that the scrolls almost look like a big "K."

Keturah painted this for Aunt Shauna.

New drumsticks.

Monster truck bus!  A bus with monster wheels!

Ah yes, the from Aaron to Jared gifts! Zip ties! It was vegan bacon mayonnaise.  That's right, it doesn't have any hint of bacon in it!  We'll wait to taste it until we get home.

And for the top of the cake: Aaron soft welded Jared's present into this box!

It took tin snips to get it open!  And Aaron wrapped the gift in tinfoil so it wouldn't catch on fire when he welded it.

Everly got a pogo it for Christmas, which is a remake of a toy from the 80's.  So Shauna got on it to bounce around!

Still working with the tin snips.

Ah, ratchet tie downs for the truck!  Jared has never had these, although he's owned a truck before.  And yes, the packaging did get a bit damaged.  Whoops!

And as per usual, a new T-shirt!

Keturah made this sign for ASEN that says Happy Birthday, Jesus. Merry Christmas. To Aaron, Shauna, Everly, and Nora.  It's marker and paper, but very creative!

Finally all done with making the garage!  Time to play!  Forget opening the rest of his gifts!

Destiny 2, just what he asked for for the PS4.

Zelda for his 2DS.

Bracelets Everly made for Justin and Keturah in their favorite colors.

Again, practical sister in law got Shauna some books on classical homeschooling.

Keturah's #1 asked for gift - a gymnastics mat!  She was jumping up and down with excitement and hugging her box!

Then we did stockings, and Keturah got a big bottle of her favorite condiment.  Lol!

When you get older, the presents get more practical.  We couldn't find any of Benaiah's undewear last week, so I bought a package and he got another package in his stocking.

Nora colored pictures for everyone!

She matched up characters from the Trolls movie with our personalities.  Doesn't this capture Abishai and Benaiah perfectly?  The little guy is Mr Dinkles and he doesn't say anything in the movie, but is like the little pet to Biggie.  Hilarious!  Great job Nora!

And that's the end of Christmas morning part deux! The rest of the pictures from that day will be on the next blog post since this one was super long.  See ya then!