Christmas-The Beginning

So here is how our Christmas goes.  Christmas Eve-candlelight service followed by food and a tree with our big kids and their kids.  Christmas morning-home with our younger kids.  Christmas afternoon-joining my enormous family.  Day after Christmas-food and a tree with G's family.  Here are some pictures of our preparations and celebrations (the first half):

Aidan, above, standing on a chair to reach the top.  Eventually he will be tall enough not to need the chair, whereas I will just get shorter and never reach the top!  Below is the tree, ready for the grandchildren to come.

The "big" gifts for the three grandsons were a "whirly wheel" at left for RB; a John Deere wheelbarrow for his brother MB, and a Melissa and Doug folding barn for BB.  All four grandchildren got a "Going to Grandma's House" bag with books, pjs, toys (diapers for CB).  Below, I managed to capture them all in just two shots.

There is always that one gift, right?  Well, this is it for me this year.  This is the gift that I will tell my kids and grandkids about because not only am I thrilled to finally have a cutting board, but also, I'm thrilled because my son in-law cut down a tree and then used his chainsaw to create this for me!  He is so special to us.  He spent weeks helping my husband go through all of the insides of Aidan's big gift, bought from a market in Texas that specializes in outdoor riding gear, both new and used.  A special guy and a special gift.

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