A Very Merry Christmas Present

This year Christmas was going to be a different experience for us. Spen had work on Christmas Eve and Christmas day so we kew time together would be a little scarce and he would probably be exhausted at work. Luckily things worked out fairly well. We had some time together opening presents on Christmas morning with my family and had a wonderful Christmas dinner and more presents with his family later in the afternoon.

For Christmas Eve we usually exchange pajamas, but this year the husband and I agreed to trade slippers instead because we both have Christmas PJs galore. We swapped before he headed into work and then I headed to my parents. We ate food, played games, and watched Christmas movies.

I love setting up for Santa's arrival at the house. Getting the stockings out and fixing up some last minute gifts. We dance and sing to some Christmas tunes and all of it is lovely. Things can get pretty fun with my crazy brother involved. We have missed him for the last two years and now that he is back we can be back to normal, or at least as normal as the Gygi clan can get.

Here is our beautiful Christmas tree trimmed with lights and glittering crystal ornaments. I really do love the tree my parents put up. It is always tall and slendor and wonderous on Christmas Eve all warm and glowing.

Here is Mum with some of the last minute fixings.

Here is the whole set up.

And here are Santa's not so little helpers.

Pepper Potts even got to come on the trip over the freeway and through neighborhood to Grandmother's house. She was thrilled to be involved in all the Christmas action and especially enjoyed the ham and her gift from Uncle L.

Next we see Spen's family Christmas gathering. We had a delicious dinner and I love watching all my little nieces and nephews running around with their dinner rolls. We eat and talk and keep eating. Then, when the plates are all cleaned up we take the party to the basement. We play a game called Seven Eleven and it is always a fun way to exchange gifts aside from the traditional method of handing out the ones that have names on them. The adults enjoy it just as much as the little kiddies.

There are two dice involved and if you roll a seven or an eleven then you get to pick a present from the pile. Once all the presents are gone you have a lightening round for five minutes, this time if you roll a seven or eleven you get to steal from someone. It can get a little crazy and presents can swap alot of hands, but in the end things always work out fairly even. It is a fun tradition.

We had a very merry Christmas, at least we did for the time we had together and hope the same for all of our friends and loved ones. The fog was a sight to see on the drive home and there is still much clean up to be done and even more junk food to burn off. Delightful, the whole lot of it.

Though I could list all of my favorite material gifts it would seem a waste of this precious space. So here are some of my most favorite gifts this year.

1. My loving family.

2. Time we can spend together.

3. Our Savior, the reason for the season.

4. Incredible neighbors and friends.

5. This wonderous earth and the place I have in it.