Merry Christmas!

Christmas was wonderful this year. Mom decided to stuff us instead of the turkey. :) All of our favorite meals were carefully planned and shopped for before we came home. We made new traditions which included eating fondue instead of clam chowder on Christmas Eve. I love fondue! We had cheese fondue, heated peanut oil where we fried shrimp, scallops, steak, and chicken, and chocolate fondue. When the chocolate came out it was almost as if we had not eaten in weeks! Everyone rushed to the chocolate. We had sword fights with our fondue forks in the chocolate trying to knock everyone else's fruit and cake off their forks. It was great fun! The best part was when Nathaniel "accidentally" dropped a piece of pepper-jack cheese into the fondue for some lucky person to find and eat while it was covered in chocolate. When that lucky person finally did pick it up (thinking it was an apple!), Nathaniel started laughing and the person ran and spit it out. Pretty hilarious.. I'll tell you what! Also different this year was instead of acting out the nativity while Dad read it, the little kids put the nativity pieces in place while the story was read. On Christmas Eve we also went around the room saying what we were grateful for from the year before and also what gift we want to give Jesus this year. It was a really powerful night! I decided I like Christmas Eve even more than Christmas day. I love what we focus on on Christmas Eve.

On Christmas morning I was greeted by my excited 5-year-old nephew. "It's time for Christmas!" he exclaimed. We groggily walked down the stairs and found our stockings. The boys all got ping pong ball guns that didn't really work (we ended chucking them at each other with our hands instead!). The girls got bath stuff. Everyone got their favorite kind of cereal from Santa. Then the present fest began! The Manheim Steamroller Christmas CD was put on while we took turns opening presents. I think everyone got spoiled this year--especially the grandkids! Steve called from China and met Ted over the phone. We sang carols to him and laughed and talked. Mom put his picture at the top of the tree this year. :) I'm so glad we could talk to him. We called everyone in the family and wished them a merry Christmas.

Breakfast was the usual cold cereal with a swedish tea ring. Yum!!!!! And then we were back to the presents! :) My favorite gifts were gifts from the heart. I think everyone gave those. I really feel so blessed! As that little boy said, "love is the feeling you get at Christmas when you stop opening presents and just listen."