Mr. & Mrs. Santa have been visiting us at Gary's house for years and years. Here's baby Emmett sleeping in Santa's lap.
And here's Winston telling about how good he's been this year.
And then we shift gears and read and sing about the birth of baby Jesus. As Mary and Joseph, Becky and Pitt were lucky to have a real baby in their arms this year.
The whole cast - with Jennifer on the piano, not pictured and the rest of the family reading the narration and singing the Christmas carols.
Little baby Emmett was quiet and calm during the nativity play - a true Christmas miracle.....................................................................................................
Christmas party for my extended family at my sister's house.
Grandpa took the kids on a "lion hunt" (however he called it a reindeer hunt for this season and party). This is a tradition of his that I remember from my own childhood. Pretty exciting even for the older kids like Becky.
A few of us in the story teller's seat: Gary told about some experiences in Japan, Brookelyn, Jaden, and Triston told Christmas stories, Merilee shared an Italian Christmas folktale, and Val read from Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. Val had participated in A Christmas Carol stage play during Nov. and Dec. (fun!) and expressed his feelings about the story.
Focusing on a game of Bingo with M&M's markers and lots of fun prizes.
Me, brother Gary and sister Merilee. Looks like we waited until Doug left to take this pic.
Mer put together a wonderful service project for us, and we all contributed to the gift boxes. The kids decorated them to make them nice to give to a special family.
Aimee and Becky focused on helping get everything wrapped.
Suzie and Winston arrived and we were all so excited to have them home for Christmas! Here Suzie hugs Bailee and Tristan.
Meanwhile I was out taking pictures and videos of Bailee and Tristan doing the dishes. These two five-year-olds love to do dishes. Notice my rubber gloves on Bailee. She's a rubber glove girl too.
It's an hour later, I'm not kidding, and Bailee was still doing dishes. She had taken off her sweater, shed the rubber gloves, and used a fourth of Merilee's Joy dish soap. It was all joy for me when she showed me the pile of washed dished and her pruny little hands.
Pitt and Derek snuggled up on the big chair...
...while Derek's and Nikki's little baby Avrie was nestled all snug in her car seat.........................................................................................................
And now we shift to Christmas Day dinner at our house with some of Scott's family. This is Scott's sister Mary explaining a word during our favorite game, Catch Phrase.
Mike, Brookie, Suzie and Corey loving the game.
And here's Suzie teaching the younger kids how to play another fun game called Snorta. Aunt Patty looks on as her grandkids gather cards.
