I have to say that we had a great Christmas. I really enjoyed it because I was able to surprise some of my adult children, that can be hard to do.
Warning, picture overload coming.....
We told all the adult children that we would be opening gifts at 9 and eating at 1. It was their choice to come at 9 for gift opening. They could open their gifts later if they wanted. It has been an adjustment for me not having all my kids at home. Kassi and her boyfriend chose to spent the night. Everyone made it home by 9 am except for Jason, he dawdled and made it in at 10.
Late Christmas Eve night the men put together Little Man's tricycle. Little Man got up at midnight for some bottle and noticed it right away, he loves it.
Along with the tricycle, Santa items were a baby doll (Larissa), Barbie camper (Emma), American Girl doll (Michelle) and remote control car(Anthony).
Early morning crowd.....
Larissa's main gifts were a sewing machine and Nintendo 3DS. Since she won't be doing related arts at school she will be learning to sew, among other things, at home.
Joselin had asked for a laptop so was surprised when I had gotten her a phone as well. I put her back on our phone plan because there are times when she can't pay her phone bill and I can't reach her. Now she has to answer my calls!
Personal protection for Tasha and Ethan.
Last week I had to break Kassi's dog out of doggie jail. It cost $260 so she wasn't expecting much. She said that she was going to cry when she got a phone. Later she told me that she didn't deserve the phone.
Anthony got his Nike shoes he wanted.
Sarah a Kindle Fire and all her favorite Hot Topic stuff.
Michelle asked for a Kindle Fire and refused to put anything else on her list.
Emma got her Frozen stuff.
The meal crowd....
Some wanted their pictures taken...
George came with Jason for a nice visit.
Our Christmas was big, perhaps too big. I talked with all of my younger kids on Christmas Eve and pointed out all the gifts. I asked them if they thought that they deserved all those gifts. They said that they hadn't. I told them that Christmas was about the huge gift that Jesus gave us. We didn't earn it, yet we received Grace. It is a time of great Joy. So therefore, the gifts that they receive from us are not earned, they are to bring joy. But our joy doesn't just come from gifts. It comes in many different ways. We discussed what else brings joy to our lives.
We had a very joyous Christmas spending time with our family and friends. I hope that everyone else was able to find some Joy this season.
You actually bought a GUN for Tasha and Ethan??????? Seriously????
ReplyDeleteI did and they were delighted. They had asked for one that Tasha could handle well. She has been deployed to Afghanistan and Kuwait, I believe that she knows how to handle one.
DeleteThat's disgusting! Did you not see the story just a couple of days ago about the 2 year old child who shot his mothers gun and killed her? Why would you buy anyone a gun? Why would they even want one? That's horrifying! What do they need protection from that they require a firearm? Wow.... you US people never cease to amaze me.
DeleteI am happy for you that you live in a country where you don't feel the need for personal protection. As someone who has had a gun pointed to my face at work, I feel the need. I will blog about this later in the week.
DeleteI am the dad who bought Tasha her pistol. She is trained to handle military weapons and can handle a pistol safely without a problem. I would rather have her armed versus being a victim or statistic. There are still many places in the United States where people can sleep with their doors unloked. However, most American cities are not that way after dark and the city where she lives certainly is not.
ReplyDeleteNo wonder your country has so many school shootings, gun crimes and accidental shootings when so many people think it's ok for the general public to carry weapons. Tasha might have been in the military and obviously weapon use in that situation is understandable but this weapon is not for military use - I just fail to see any reason why a member of the general public should own such a dangerous piece of equipment. No matter how well she thinks she knows how to use one or knows how to store it safely, how on earth is it worth the risk?
ReplyDeleteYou seem to be pretty ignorant on the subject, so I can slightly understand your confusion, but do some damn research because you sound like an idiot. That woman who let her kid shoot her is solely responsible and her lack of gun safety resulted in her death. Plain and simple. Never ever ever should you be walking a round with a weapon with a round in the chamber and the safety off. Especially when you shove it in your bag and ESPECIALLY around children. Neglecting gun safety will get you killed every time, which is why it's not a subject I take lightly. It's worth the risk because I live in an area where it's going to be me or the crackhead and I won't be taken down simply for being unprepared. And it will continue to be worth the risk every time. Great and fantastic for you that you live in some magical, nonviolent country, but that is not the case here. Take a little vaca to Chicago at night or Detroit and tell me you feel safe without a way to protect yourself :) You can bet your ass by the time my child is old enough to comprehend, she will know how to safely handle and respect a gun. That doesn't mean she's going to take it to school to show it off or shoot it up, it means that if a time comes and she is in danger, she knows how to react and won't panic. Hopefully we never have to use it out of self defense but I sleep much better at night knowing I can.
DeleteIt is obvious that you have a certain mind set about guns. That is your choice and I am not going to put down your beliefs. However, we think differently on this subject and you aren't going to convince me otherwise no matter how disgusting you think it is. What a nice way to try and get your point across. I actually have a problem when people think that their way is the only right way and feel free to talk in any way they please. This was a Christmas post....I wish you a Merry Christmas and pray that your family is never in the situation where they need to defend themselves.
DeleteMerry Christmas! All wonderful, excellent, thoughtful gifts. I am glad we live in a country where we can choose to own firearms or not. I do not but I also do not know how to properly handle one. I will always support responsible ownership. Go Tasha!
ReplyDelete