Christmas Morning

Chuck and I were awake by 8:00 am and waited until 9:30 to wake the babies.

The tall, long-legged adult babies.

Even Dixie was waiting for them to get up.

She found her yellow frisby and was waiting patiently for someone,

anyone to throw it.

Let's get this party started.

Santa left the gifts wrapped and under the tree this year.

That way he could go to bed early.

The "after." I think this is why my gift wrapping is getting uglier each year.

Why bother? I will say it does make the opening last just a titch longer.


Just like in the stable that first Christmas, there were animals everywhere.





Cameron, our very own Mechanical Engineer, made Chuck a flashlight.
MADE a flashlight. That makes my brain hurt just thinking about it.



She made me a star out of iron.
It is laying on the black & white toile ball...to the left.
How cute is that?
Again....she MADE it.

Will is giving Chuck a huge hug. He received an IPod early last week from Santa for the road trip to Mississippi. But today he was surprised with a digital camera. He gives the best hugs. Even if he is all arms and legs.

My gift from Will. All semester, Will has told me about the papers he has due, is working on, what grade he got, etc. A few calls have been from a very stressed out kid who has way too much to do and needed me to talk him down. A few days later, I would get the call that he had turned his paper in and got a good grade. I asked him if I would ever get to read any of his work.

His reply was NO.

Ouch.

Today?

I received 4 of his papers wrapped up with a bow on top.

I could feel the heat in my heart.

I suspected he is an incredible writer. Now I know for sure.

And a picture taken from my computer screen of Jordan and Chris. We watched them open their gifts from us via Skype. Maybe I do love modern technology.

Christmas isn't quite as magical as it was when the kids were little.

They don't get us up at 6:00 a.m. like they used to.

Their gifts aren't toys anymore.

It takes a lot longer to shop and wrap than it does to give and open.

They are eager to get back to their friends and their phones.

But it's still good.