Christmas Day

I feel like I could probably just cut and paste last year's 

Christmas post ... each year is much the same!

That's called a 'tradition' and I like it that way.

This year, we did have one new element.

Instead of Bowdie reading the Christmas story from Luke,

the boys took turns reading it.

A definite plus to them growing up.

And one of the few pluses of them growing up.  Sniff.

After reading, we opened stockings, one at a time.

Then gifts.

Then, because it was Sunday, we readied and headed to church.

Ready to come down ... Blaine-o wasn't quite awake.

We had to get the boys up at 7 ... they usually sleep 'til 8!

Jarrett reading from Luke.

Beck was the first to empty her stocking ...

... then me ...

... then Jake-ster ...

... then Blaine -o ...

... then J-man ...

This kid specifically asked for mouthwash this year.

Seriously, when we asked him to tell us some things he wanted,

his first response was mouthwash.

We were happy to oblige!

... then Bo ...

always happy to go last.

Oh yeah ... Captain America to go with Superman.

He's my superhero!

This year with gifts, we did something a little different.

Everyone got a want, a need, a wear & a read.

Each gift had a tag telling whose it was and which one of the 4 it was.

This was my want ...

a Vera Bradley duffle bag & 2 makeup cases!

Jarrett's want was a basketball goal to hang on the door upstairs.

**which is currently broken from too much slam dunking.

pretty sure we predicted that!**

Blaine-o opening his 'wear' gift - a pair of skinny jeans,

per request.

Question:  if skinny jeans are actually baggy on a child,

can they still be called skinny jeans??!

I'd give my right arm to have his metabolism.

On second thought, I'd be happy to just have his abs -

six-pack city!

Jacob's want:  Legos Star Wars Wii Game, 

which he later informed us was NOT on his very-detailed, magazine-pictures-included

Christmas list.

That kid.

J-man officially graduated from his little appliqué sports wallet

to a much more mature leather wallet.

Since Beck's fiasco with the thief Hector (long story),

she has no pictures.

I framed her up one of her with our whole family

and one of her with all the Jenkins/Strickland kids.

Take that Hector!

Blaine-o's a surprise kid ... just like his mama.

He kept closing his eyes as he opened each gift!

Finally got myself a pair of Tom's ... love them!

Bo got the John MacArthur biography.

He's thoroughly enjoyed it.

Shoes to go with the baggy skinny jeans ...

Beck opening her 'read' gift ...

Jacob got a lego book to go with ...

... a note to look up where his legos are kept ...

... where he found this lego-sorter-thingy to help organize all his pieces!

Gray boots ... I think I could live in boots during the winter.

Seriously.

Bo had to do a little hunting for his last gift ...

... which was a 'set of hand trucks'.

**can I just make a comment here?

why is it called a 'set' of hand trucks?

there is only 1, so the teacher in me would say it's 

a handtruck.

Right??!!!!

This was by far my favorite gift to give.

Bowdie is easy to buy for with little things, 

but big things like tools and such, 

I normally leave to his dad.

Bo didn't even ask for this.

I just saw one in an ad one day and thought

it would be super handy for him to have.

And it has been!

Score!

Sweet homemade ornament from Blaine ...

Snuggles from Aunt Beck

It was a great morning!