And The Fun Never Ends...

This year we all tried something new.  We hit the five o'clock Christmas Eve service at church instead of the eleven o'clock one.  It was a hard decision but I kept an open mind.  There was no difference other than it felt different.  I think I can get over it since we actually headed home around ten this year and didn't need to feel guilty about our decision.

We arrived home and I took care of some of the night's gifts.  Andrew wrote his letter to Santa and fixed his usual plate of cookies with milk and, thanks to grandma, he had carrots for the reindeer.  The boys headed to bed and Keith and I finished up a movie on the television and then we headed to bed as well. {Keith has never seen Peggy Sue Got Married}

I heard Andrew get up in the middle of the night to use the facilities and I knew he was heading for the couch. He was on alert.  Thank goodness he's old enough to sleep through the anticipation of needing to get up before the roosters.  Kyle on the other hand...not so much.

There was a little excitement in our home Christmas morning.  I,for one, would prefer a little less excitement over this gift.  It's a funny show, but there's lots of sexual innuendos that I am not comfy with.

I think Kyle liked his 3-D sports book...

I was maybe hoping for a little more excitement on this one since the kid didn't have much on his wish list.  Maybe I was more excited because the gift card Grandma Stratton got him {in the future at the time} for gloves could now be used for something else at the sporting goods store. {sorry, Brenda...I didn't make this purchase!}

Gifting was hard for the eldest so I packaged up a mac-daddy gift card assortment for him...and what you do for one, you do for two. {teens} But in my case, I had to at least attempt to make it look like I tried being fair. {seven year olds don't get it}  Kyle was thrilled to get an MC's card...baseball shoes or a new helmet for sure.

Based on the gift wrap and the smile on Caleb's face, I suppose Santa brought him just what he asked for.

And based on the face alone, Andrew clearly hit the red suit jackpot!!

Thankfully, the third time's a charm...Kyle loved him some Santa too!

Funny story.  When Andrew filled out his annual report to Santa, he asked us all what we wanted from the Jolly Elf.  Everyone asked for something specific and I just asked for something we could do together as a family.  Imagine the looks on my boys' faces and the under-the-radar comments when they did the quick count and noticed four presents from Santa under the tree...four presents for our family of five!  Yep, I guess I was naughty this year after all.  At our home, the boys all open their presents from us first, then each other, then from Santa.  After all that, Keith and I open ours from each other.  After all the kids' presents were opened, we took a look at the envelopes on the tree.  One addressed to each of us.  Oh thank goodness...Santa put me on the nice list after all!  It took a minute for any of the boys in my house to pick up on it {ahem} but in the end we all realized my gift I asked for was granted...{see below}

These gifts my boys picked out on their own.  In the past I have given them money for doing extra chores and we would get to the store and split up and the boys would shop for each other and for us.  This year Kyle stacked wood and Keith took him shopping on his own.  And the bigs used their own money {no work...no surprise} and we headed to Target. {after stopping at Sephora in JCP, where Andrew snagged up a lovely gift ahead of time}  Caleb bought me the message board.  It totally looks like me.  Andrew picked out the necklace and earring set before he was ever psyched to go on a hunt. {he leans toward jewelry...last year I got 3 pair of gold hoop earrings}  Kyle bought me the hammer.  I love it!  He kills me.  I totally said I needed a new hammer.  He listened.  Sweet boy.  But if I had to choose which boy would get me a hammer versus the other two gifts, I would totally choose Kyle!

Here is a quick peak at my gifts from the hubs.  He's really good at shopping for me, especially when he's armed with digital pics I send him on his phone!  I know, I know...I am a total spoiler alert! {and spoiled}  I like stuff.  I also like specific stuff.  I would just hate to have someone waste money for no reason.  Is this justifiable?  {yes, the old crate in the background IS a gift and it IS what I asked for}

Here is a treasured gift from Kyle.  it will be added to the handmade tree next year.

To make this make sense from earlier, this is what we each found in our envelopes on the tree from Santa...this is my gift from Santa...something to do together as a family!!  We all received passes to the Winter Sports Complex.  Now we just need it to snow! {yes, I said it...and I dislike snow so much!  Santa has a strange sense of humor!}

I knew a favorite gift under the tree this year would be these beauties.  Kyle has begged me for two years to get him a pass to use at daycare.  Nope.  He wasn't seven yet. {it is also the magic age for the occasional Coke and Pepsi}  This year I am entrusting his care to Tami. {no pressure}  To be fair, Andrew was seven when I allowed him to go with daycare...but his older brother was nine at the time and it somehow seemed very different then.  Having so many years between the bigs and Kyle has felt like me starting over so many times.  I have to go through the paranoia all over again.  Andrew is thrilled as well...now to find a school friend who also possesses a pass...

I received two gifts from the twin TenBrinkmans.  Shoreline opted out of a school store this year but Ealy opened one and I was blessed with this sparkling frame and equally sparkling pair of earrings.

And what would Christmas spirit be without our very own Secret Santa?  We went out Elfing earlier in the season and were very delighted to have our own surprise lingering outside one night before Christmas.  The excitement grew when i walked out two mornings later to find another gift.  The little elf did not knock this time.  I think it is because his older and wiser brother fell off our icy porch the night before and he wasn't taking any chances on being rushed.  When we found a third and final gift on our doorstep in the middle of the day on Christmas Eve, we couldn't stand it any longer.  Thankfully a card was attached to the gifts this time.  Our Pastor and his family are awesome.  And I said that before the surprises!  Merry Christmas, Beeghly Family!!
We never did guess...a few times I thought I was sure...but I was totally off the mark!  Sneaky little peeps!

I don't know the relevance of this photo op.  I guess I just love my middle.

I wonder if this is what it's like to have college kids home for break?  This is a portion of what I found downstairs after one weekend of the boys being home during break.  I didn't realize until after taking this picture that there was a trash bag next to it that was also full of trash from the basement.  Yowza.  I'd say bring on school but I really kind of like them home. ♥