My sweet girls.  I’ve never had a baby this old for their first Christmas.  It’s neat to be baby number six and still offering Mommy and Daddy something “first.” 

Johanna was excited for Jesus’ birthday party.She got the hat the night before at Christmas Eve church time.  (Thanks, Pam!  I don’t know if you still stop by!)

Santa and his elf.  They visit every year.  They usually arrive before Stewart and Nigel wake up. 

They had gifts for everyone that they purchased with their own money, that they made in their workshop. 
They posed for a picture with our girls and handed out the presents they brought.

They had colored pencils and markers for Marie; a homemade coloring book for Johanna; a set of princess coloring sheets for Tabitha; socks for Ba; mints for Poppy; a homemade comic book for Nan and Nene; and tickets to their upcoming movie release for John and Stacy.

Once again they left before the boys woke up.  😦

Tabitha presented Daddy with a copy of a really long Psalm (forgot the number) broken into sections and illustrated.

We opened gifts for a while.

Ate a breakfast FEAST.

The boys opened a rocking, awesome green-screen and light set.

And myriad other items…

I have to say it was the BEST Christmas Day in my memory.  Really.  I think the keys for me were picking up the boxes, paper, etc., after each item was opened AND keeping dinner extremely simple.  We had pasta Alfredo with broccoli and shrimp and served it with chicken we grilled a few days before.  I was not in the kitchen all day peeling potatoes or manning a hunk of meat.   And of course there were desserts.  Two of them.

I’ll tell you some funny stories about MY gifts when I find the time.  you can expect that installment sometime in April?