Christmas Day

We enjoyed our Christmas Eve dinner, and even had some friends drop by to visit for a couple of hours. As usual, we were up VERY late, so even my youngest didn't rouse until about 8:30 AM on Christmas morning! The rule is that no children can go out to the living room to see the gifts under the tree until everyone is up, so Jason and Amanda and I proceeded to pounce upon all the big kids ( yes, 18-22 yr olds, and DAD are definitely BIG KIDS ) With some good-natured grumbling and complaining, we got everyone on their feet and out to the living room, where Amanda took the job of passing out gifts, one at a time, to be opened while everyone watched and ooohed and aaaahhed. There were a LOT of DVDs received this year ~ but some other coveted items were a REAL bow and arrow set for Jason, a camo CamelBak hydration backpack for Alex, soft and comfy robes for the girls, a tripod for my photographer daughter, a Dick's Sporting Goods gift card for Eric, a fire & water-proof file box for Mark... and an IPod for me! That was a surprise, because I was expecting a frypan! The rest of the day was spent relaxing, playing games, and watching movies. We ended the day by watching The Nativity Story, and being reminded of the real people living in a real place known as Palestine, over 2000 years ago, and the miracle that was the birth of God's own son, Jesus Christ.

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