Christmas Eve

We spent Christmas Eve with my parents. This year both my Grammy and Pappy as well as us had the Christmas Ficus Tree and presents were put on the table {which makes them much easier to get too}.

Uncle Charlie and Aunt Jill brought over their latest toy: the Xbox kinect. When we were at Target, the gal in the electronics department tried to tell us that it wasn't very good {you know Microsoft, wink wink, nudge nudge} but she was quite wrong. It was pretty cool and didn't pick up our movements in the background.

Zella's Hello Kitty galoshes.

When I saw them, I knew I had chosen well because I had made her a Hello Kitty hat and bought a Hello Kitty stuffed animal to go along with a sleeping bag.

She is a shy little girl so even though she loved it, it took awhile before she could show her happiness. But, she loved her new hat.

We brought Leah's stocking over since she wasn't going to be with us on Christmas morning. It was nice to be able to spend Christmas Eve with her!

Justin loved his gift! It has already been used for another kill-the-bad-guy game that he'll spend hours playing.

Somehow I missed getting a picture of Emma opening her presents {probably because she hates her picture being taken} but I did manage to get this one...

I love seeing the girls together.

Zella and Jill.

A little story about the big picture frame that Jill helped Pappy pick out for Grammy that she told me while I was giving her a ride in our new car {NEW CAR!}. Pappy was worried last week that he didn't have a gift for Grammy and when Jill came over last week they went shopping. Jill likes to let Grammy do things on his own, including making decisions, which can take forever now that he has Alzheimer's but its good for him. After fretting over the frames for an hour {and Zella's been done shopping 30 minutes earlier}, he finally picked one and Jill purchased it pronto only later to find out that Pappy did in fact have a gift for Grammy, he just didn't remember.

Fast forward to Christmas Eve when Grammy is opening her present and Pappy says "Wow, that's big" like he has never seen it before.

{Oh, Pappy, you so silly}

And, like Thanksgiving, we sat around the table and talked. Justin joined us a little later after Leah, Emma and him had some fun with my camera which I always love because I get pictures like...

... this precious one of Zella, who always smiles bigger for Leah than for me...

... and goofy ones like these, which make me smile.

Peace, out.

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.
~ Burton Hillis