A Peek Inside

"Are you ready for Santa?" My boys would be asked this question to which we responded with, "our poor kids are confused since they have already had 3 Christmases and it is STILL NOT the REAL Christmas Day!" You have it with your spouse's side of the family. You have it with your family. You have it with your spouse and kids. You have it at one of the grandparents house with relatives. Then, you might even have one with special friends that are just as close as real family. Whew! Kids could really have a major letdown after the holidays. (and us, too!) I will let you have peek at the gathering's we have had so far...

Clemens Family Christmas
Morgan's first experience at opening gifts

Chase (nephew)

Kuhn Family Christmas
My mom's beautiful table

My mother made a scrapbook for each of her girls.
The books are so special and beautiful!Ethan, who was getting impatient with his little sister who was grabbing his M&M's, said in a frustrated tone, "Mommy, get her out of here!"

Our Family Christmas

Morgan playing with daddy's new hat and her mommy's shoe box

Cessna Family Christmas

Grandad & Maddy

Grandma

Glen & Pam Jordan & KaylaUncle Craig & Aunt Becky

Emily & Jennifer (cousins)Jordan holding his boy, Daniel

Madeline Kate

Grandma painted this beautiful bowl for her daughter-in-lawHere a couple of the hats I crocheted for my cousin's girls...

And here is my Uncle Craig modeling one of the hats...
My cousin Andrew is opening his cd of the Allegheny Wesleyan College Trio who dedicated their cd to my Uncle Ray Satterfield.

Sarah Morgan was tired from getting up for Christmas at SIX A.M.

The wonderful, capable fathers took care of the 8 children so the gals could get up to start shopping at 6 a.m. --
This is Pam's look of appreciation for the GIRLS ONLY shopping trip!
Hmm...will there be more Christmases to share?! ..smile...

See Some Changes

Thanks to David A. for coming and working a week on the house...here he is with Shawn and Scott eating some peanut butter chocolate chip cookies I made for them...

From Our House

...To your house...

--- Merry Christmas! ---
Love,
Shawn, Melanie,
Ethan, Landon & Morgan

Presentation

I love gifts. If you have been around me even for a short period of time, you will find out that I love receiving gifts. I love a beautifully wrapped gift. My mother, along with her mother, create the most beautiful gifts. Not only is the gift unique and meaningful, the presentation is breathtaking. Although I have failed time and again to have my gifts turn out with as great of success as theirs, it is something that means a lot to me. I only hope the older I get the better I will be at achieving this.
Anyhow, my husband's family is NOT "all about the gift wrap" (some of them will read this and they will nod their heads in agreement). Don't get me wrong, they give nicely wrapped gifts, but I have a tendency to really enjoy going "all out". (see last years gifts in a Dec. post) I love to wrap gifts and try to make them beautiful, but not everyone is as into presentation as my family. So...this year I had an idea for my presentation. One little bonus - the wrapping paper didn't cost a thing!

I used GROCERY BAGS!

Yep. Cut them out and taped them up! It was fun! My mother-in-law DID enjoy hers this year...she said it was great I saved money.
Also, I came up with the idea to use pictures as "name" tags. The family knows how Steve is if a gift doesn't have a name, so, I solved that this year! :-) Steve loves golf so we gave him a PLASTIC golf ball. All he had to do was discover there was $$$$ inside that ball!

For my side of the family they looked something like this...



Our families laugh and share our opinions. And no matter what the package may be enveloped in or no matter what is underneath the wrapping, we really do believe it is the thought that counts!

Everyone is different. Everyone is special.

"Always remember you are unique, just like everyone else."