No matter how old we are, we still get excited about Christmas morning and this holiday was no exception.  We were up bright and early at 7:30 and by 8:00 everyone was gathered around the tree.  My step father brought out his Bible and asked the CPA to read from Luke 2.  It was a special moment as we thought about the reason we were there celebrating – the birth of the Savior.  Sometimes it’s so easy to get caught up the details of the holidays that we quickly forget about what started it all.  I’m glad that we read those verses as it was the perfect way to begin the day.

Then it was time for the gifts.  Because there were so many of us there, we had a lot of presents under the tree.  As I may have mentioned before, the holidays were a big deal for us while growing up so they continue to be a big deal now.  As such, we really get into the gift-giving part.  It’s not necessarily so that we can get lots of goodies, but it’s so that we can see the look on our loved one’s face as they open something we have picked out just for them.  It doesn’t have to be anything store-bought either.  I remember one year my sister painted a box with my name on it and inside the box she had written on little pieces of paper all the reasons she was glad we’re sisters.  See, it’s not so much the gift, but the giving that we enjoy. 

So I want to share a few of the gifts that people received this year and the stories behind them.

The Most Creative:

This is a tough one because several items could have fit into this category.  I’d have to say that the gift my mother gave to each of the kids won the title though.

She had purchased a large keepsake box and filled it with sentamental items.  She included a stack of love letters written between my mom and my dad before they got married, the corsage that my mother had placed on her bible during her wedding ceremony, and various pictures and souvenirs from when we were kids.  The box also came with a photo album filled with my parent’s report cards (I won’t tell who was the better student as I want my parents to continue to talk to me), cards and letters we had written as children, and even bills that my parents paid during the seventies and eighties.  It’s really amazing to see how much electricity was twenty years ago!  I love this gift – it is absolutely priceless and so creative.

The Most “Unique”

Don’t you love when people say that something’s not different, it’s unique?  Well, unique definitely applies here.  My sweet brother-in-law had requested a pair of “monkey” shoes for Christmas and was excited beyond belief when he received them.

So excited that he put them on immediately and proceeded to wear them throughout the rest of the week.  I don’t know if you can tell by the pictures, but they look like socks.  Socks with toes. 

Apparently they’re great for sports and according to him, they make you run faster, jump higher, and play better.

After watching him play games on the Wii while wearing his shoes, I believe it.

The Most Touching

We always say that you can tell how good a gift is if it makes my mother cry.  Well, this gift definitely fit into that category.  My mother was so touched when she opened an envelope from her sister and found a picture of their parents (our grandparents).  What made it especially memorable was that it was a picture that she had never seen before. 

She also received pictures of their mother and grandmother, all of whom have passed on, making the photos even more special.

Sometimes the simplest gifts can be the most loved.

The Sweetest Gift

As you may have realized, this was the first official Christmas together for the newlyweds.  So it was cute watching them enjoy the morning.  I got lots of great shots like these:

I especially enjoyed watching our brother-in-law open the gift my sister had made him.  She had previously asked everyone to write a little something about why they loved her husband.  She then compiled everything, along with pictures, into an adorable scrapbook. 

Aww… how sweet is that?

Too cute for words, I tell ya!

Most Anticipated

Since many of you have asked and I don’t want to be cruel by keeping you in suspense, I will go ahead and tell you about the most anticipated gift.  And let me first say that the reason it was the most anticipated is because I gave the CPA everything related to the gift (controls, games, etc.) but led him to believe that I wasn’t able to get the gift itself.  Cruel of me, I know.  But worth it because he was totally surprised when he finally opened this:

BTW, thank you for all of your suggestions on where to find it.  I ended up lucking out and purchasing one at Circuit City.  Shew – it was a relief to find one because I didn’t want to miss out on seeing a happy face like this. 

Most Crafty

I had been telling my mother for months that I wanted her to teach me how to knit during the Christmas break.  Thanks to her never-ending patience with me as a child, I already know how to crochet and cross-stich.  But I had never tried knitting.

Until now.

Thanks Mom!  Be sure to check your mail for that new hat I’m making… it should arrive any day now.

Most Collaborative

Last, but not least, another tear-jerker (those are definitely the best).  My sister had suggested that we all get together and make a book for my mother.  This book included pictures of us as kids and as adults as well as answers to various questions.  Questions like “What is your favorite color” and “What would you do with a million dollars?” 

We had a fun time putting it together and she seemed to like it, so it was definitely worth the effort. 

So that’s it – After two hours of sitting on the floor oohing and ahhing, we were finally done with the gift portion of the celebration.  It was so much fun – taking our time and making a mess.  In fact, it was so much fun that we didn’t even mind cleaning up.

Then it was time for the next tradition of the day – a nap!

What was your favorite gift this year? 

Popularity: 13% [?]