Christmas 2012

The girls and I along with Dave celebrated our family Christmas a day late because Jade wasn't arriving home from a visit with her boyfriend until late Christmas night.

I decided to do a different way of opening presents

which I was informed by the girls that they want to add this on our

list of tradition.

We gave the girls each 5 gifts.  They had to look for them based on the clues that were given to them.

The clues were in a bowl.

Each girl had their own bowl with their clues in them along with paper that states they could pick one of the 7 family presents under the tree (these were games, movies and Wii games).

Also some of the paper had sayings pretaining to them or descriptive words.

Monika had 3 items on her Christmas list....Money to Virginia to see her good friend (another post), pickles and a crankflashlight.

Erin wanted gift cards from Best B*y for a camera that she has been eyeing.

Jenny didn't have anything specific on her list, but since switching school, she has become fastinated by the N*tcracker.  Katie wanted electric scooter and anything from Justice and Claires.  Jade wanted Rice cooker, non dairy flavor creamers and right before Christmas she sent out an email wanted money donated to the Ole Face AIDS program that she is involved with. 

That made it easy for us. 

For the items that weren't gift cards for Erin or Money for Monika or Jade.  Dave and I watched for sales and scored big on the gifts (and saved a lot of money)

 

Jenny got a nutcracker doll from Monika, she was pretty excited about it but was saddend that she couldn't use it to crack real nuts.

My color printer book just before Thanksgiving.  Dave and the 3 younger girls gave me a new one.

Jade getting different flavor creamers from each of her sisters,  she was very happy with this as she said she will be using these for her all nighters at college.

Jenny getting the N*tcracker movie which she already watched and said it was great.

Jade gave me these fancy boots.  Erin tried them on and like them.  Good thing my feet are bigger then hers. 

Zebra lover 

Erin was surprised that she got different color maserca

Erin took this picture of us.  The top I have on, she gave me that for Christmas

Jade requested that we donate to the Ole Face of AIDS, an organization that she is part of at College that helps people with AIDS she was pretty excited about that.

 

Katie with her Electric scooter.  Dave found it on clearance the weekend before Christmas and well within our budget.

 

This Christmas was scale down moneywise, but a lot more meaningful.

And most importantly, Jesus our Savior was born.