Christmas Eve & Brother Gifts

I'm not really sure when this tradition started.  But I love it!  On Christmas eve the boys give gifts to each other.  They shop, they buy, they wrap them.  They usually come from Five Below or the Dollar Tree ... but the sentiment is there!

Jacob gave his gifts first - he got Blaine a mini skateboard and Jarrett a 'merica neck pillow. (that neck pillow has been used A LOT!)

Next up Jarrett gave his gifts - he got Jacob and Blaine both some nice BIG headphones.  They loved them!

And last but not least, Blaine gave his gifts.  Jacob got a nerf gun and Jarrett some 'flow' bands ... 

Love these boys!  Merry almost-Christmas!

Disney!!

One of the many things I've learned as an adult - peer pressure never goes away.  I thought once I got out of the teenage years and the college years, peer pressure would just fade away.  Nope.  It doesn't.  As an adult and a parent, I sometimes feel like peer pressure is even more rampant.  Case in point:  Disney World.  Seriously.  I mean, nearly all the families we know have gone.  Usually multiple times.  Everyone raves about it.  Talks about how magical it is.  Makes it seem like it HAS to be a bucket list item for every family.  Or at least that's the way my brain heard it! (and that's not a bust on all our friends that love disney!! I promise!)

Well, if you know us, you know we love our beach vacations.  And by vacation, we mean heading out to the ocean at about 10 a.m. with lunch and all snacks in tow and not returning inside until 7 or so.  Vacation = vegging out completely.  So walking miles and miles around a theme park with thousands of other families just wasn't an even trade for vacation time.  But still I felt the pressure to take the boys and go as a family before we hit the high school years.

So last year on my New Year's goals, I listed Disney as a place I wanted to visit.  I talked to Bowdie about it.  We decided we needed to pull the trigger.  Our friends Chris and Kelly go every other year, so we talked to them about tagging along.  They were all for it.  And I was all for going with a family that knew their way around what was probably one of the most intimidating locations I've ever been to!

So we kept it a surprise from the boys.  We booked our lodging, ordered our magic bands, made our restaurant reservations and reserved our fast passes.  We decided to let them boys know on Christmas eve when they do their brother gifts.  I got each of them a $20 disney gift card and wrapped it up.  I printed out 'Are you ready to go somewhere magical?' on a piece of cardstock and cut it apart like a puzzle.  They opened the box, put the puzzle together, and then opened their gift cards.  They were happy enough ... but when they realized we were going with the Stricklands AND they got to miss 3 days of school to boot - well that's when the magic really happened!!!  The video reaction is completely priceless.  (but because we print out our blog into a book, i'm not adding it here)

So Mickey ... here we come! :)

          

Jones Christmas

The day after Christmas is one of my favorite days of the year.

Not only do we get to have breakfast with some of our dearest friends

(both near & far),

but we also get to celebrate with my family!

This year was no different.

We enjoyed a yummy late lunch/early dinner

and the the present opening commenced!

Per tradition, stockings first!

How much do I love that Mom gave Blaine homemade pimiento cheese?

In his stocking?  It's truly his favorite.  With scoops of course!

And she included some of Uncle Bidd's BBQ Sauce in Jarrett's.

This is his favorite on top of some of Bowdie's dad's BBQ.

I think he could literally drink the stuff!

Then it was on to opening gifts. 

I love how we all take turns.

There's no mad rush of everyone opening at the same time.

Oh no … we have to watch each member get their gift.

I love that!!

Mom got a new cell phone case ...

Jess got a toaster oven (a true college student's best friend)

Dad got new … toothbrushes??!  Gotta keep those pearly whites pearly white!

Jordan & Lena Raechel both got vinyl monograms and a phone charger.

T got some new jewelry and a jewelry holder (that I made!).

Mom got a pair of boots … that she picked out but we still wrapped!

Don'tcha just love her expression??!!

And then there's this kid … Aunt T knew just what to do for him.

One large box with a bunch of smaller boxes wrapped inside …

until he got to the last one, which was the Earth documentary.

Right up his alley all the way!

But my favorite gifts by far were the ones given to the kids by Mom & Dad.

Mom started off by telling the kids that one thing that she knows to be true:

great people read great books.

So in an effort to make her grandkids great, she challenged them to read a great book.

And not just any great book, but the one that she had specifically picked for them.

They had to answer some questions, talk with her about it, and once complete,

there was a monetary reward.

Here they are with their books:

Jesse - The Insanity of God

Jordan - The Hiding Place

Micah - God's Smuggler

Lena Raechel - Kisses from Katie

Jarrett - Pilgrim's Progress (in modern language!)

Blaine - The White Knight (a Lamplighter Publishing book)

Jacob - Little Sir Galad (another Lamplighter book)

Look at Jacob - already reading.  That kid totally inherited his aunt's gift for speed reading!

In fact, he finished his book before we left Mom and Dad's that night!

Seriously!

Last up for gifts was from Dad to the son-in-law's.

We had to move outside for this one.

GREEN EGGS!!

Rob has been wanting one of these for quite some time.

It's truly the most excited I've seen him!

He was like a kid in a candy shop!!

So generous!!  What a perfect gift!

Some other fun candids, just hanging with the family ...

Jacob, still reading his book!

The fam

No … seriously ...

Seriously … the goofiest picture ever!

MERRY CHRISTMAS Y'ALL!

Day-After-Christmas-Breakfast 2014

Love this tradition so much.

Love the fact that I get emails and texts from the ladies 

in early December asking if we're doing it again.

Love that each of the families make it a priority to come.

Love to hear the encouragement and laughter that happens in the span of a few short hours.

Love that time and distance don't change these relationships ...

they really just seem to get deeper and stronger.

Blessed to call these dear friends ...

challenged by their walks of faith in different arenas.

They really do spur Bowdie and I on!

From left to right:

Russ and Kristy Masterson

church planters in Marietta, GA

Hugh and Hollie Carson

church planters in Greenville, SC

Larry and Stephanie Lyon

church planters in Raleigh, NC

& part of SEBTS admissions staff

George and Catherine Robinson

professor at SEBTS

Becky Turner

serving awesome ministries in FLA, GA, & TX with KBT Consulting

as well as being a speaker with Bruce Wilkinson's Great Turnaround Ministry

Chad and Mandy Henderson

blessing, encouraging, teaching young couples in Dacula, GA

Dustin and Erin Mattox

serving in chaplaincy ministry at Grayson High School in Grayson, GA

and missing from our crew due to illness:

Josh and Jacelyn Reed

church planters in Raleigh, NC

We are so blessed and love each of these!

Christmas at the Jenkins'

After a fun morning at home, we headed to Bowdie's parents to celebrate.

We enjoyed a yummy late lunch/early dinner and then commenced to the gifts!

Papa is more than happy to buy this one UGA spiritwear ... 

Walkie talkies ... much needed!

Legos = happiness for this kid

Riley got a nice pair of cowboy boots

Grandmama loved her new tote.

And Papa always gets jelly beans to refill his dispenser ...

and his 9 year old twin is already salivating!

So glad to have Cindy and Robert with us again!

Love Lisa's face on this one!

Blaine got his long board ...

and this was just a sampling of the generosity.

There was much, much more!

Sweet thank you's were given ...

We look like a nice, normal family here ...

But don't be fooled!! ;)

Wonderful way to cap off a wonderful day!