2 Corinthians 9:15
But you know that snoring I have complained about in times past?
(no! Not MY snoring ... MR JONESES!!!)
Ah, well ... a quiet sleep I did not have.
By 5:45 I stopped trying to accomplish it and got up!
I had a million things that needed doing anyway ...
I made a yummy cinnaminny coffee cake first thing!
And very close to 6:30, everyone was up and about anyway --
good thing I couldn't sleep and got up early!
Once we had all gathered in the front room,we read the Christmas story to the little ones
from a nice book I had on the coffee table.
We did the abreviated version ...
for young Mr. Jackson and tiny Karis ...
but it was still special to recite the precious story
of the birth of Jesus once again ...
We ate a quick breakfast, and then it was time for
P R E S E N T S !!!
This is a nice picture of our Sabrina's family ...
Olivia got some nice practical stuff in her stocking, and she was very pleased ...
Jackson got some very cool animals (when he opened them he said, "I like these!" and said that over and over again!) Karis got two little Ponies!
Oh my! Look what Grandpa and Grandma Jones got! Isn't this the coolest gift?!!! A lighthouse for our train table!! It lights up and makes sounds of the surf and seagulls and I JUST LOVE IT!!
Here it is on our train table -- isn't it just perfect?
Karis also received two sweet baby dollsthat came with a stroller, a playpen and a swing ...
also bottles and blankets -- she never
played with anything else the rest of the day!
Oh! There is a story behind this gift from the grandparentsto Olivia ... this is a memory game --
I have had this game at my house for about two years.
Every time Olivia comes up from Texas,
she challenges me to several rounds of it ...
and she absolutely beats the tar out of me!
It completely cracks her up at how poor my memory skills are ...
but we have made good memories together
playing the game -- so when I saw it a few months ago,
the world -- so children can learn the countries
and the different ethnicities, etc.
for Sabrina and Andrew ...
Sabrina is kind of partial to lighthouses too,
so I took some of my photos
surrounded them with Scripture
and framed them with sale frames from Michael's
(where else?)
Grandpa and I also got her some nice stufffrom Bath & Body Works,
as well as a second frame of pictures
and a book (the 6th in the AD Chronicles series)
she was having a hard time finding in the stores ...
I have WAY too many pictures of all of us
opening gifts -- but this was just Round One of
gift giving ...
By then, it was 10:00 and the turkey
had to go in the oven right then!!!
The next few hours were spent in the kitchen
making sure all of the last two day's food preparation
was completed and ready for consumption!
This is how the cookies turned out --
aren't they just almost too pretty to eat?
These are the very cookies my Grandma Mary baked
every year and I always ate too much of ...
We had an appointment to go online and talk
with Jesse in Iraq
as well as Di and the children in El Paso ...
very sadly, however, our Webcam absolutely refused to work ...
thankfully, Jesse's was up and running so that we could see him
(all the way in Iraq! isn't that something?)
And Di's was working (Thank-you, Lord)
so I could see her and Emma, Christopher and Matthew!
They could not see us, but we could see them ...
I watched the kids open their gifts
and Emma waved and blew kisses to me ...
and I cried.
Everyone here took time to "talk"
to Jesse -- he seemed good and was coping
with this Christmas away from all of us (and his own) family ...
what a JOY to see him and connect with him!
And then ... several MIRACLES took place ...
I know that sounds a bit exaggerated -- but hear me out ...
I have never claimed to be a good cook (and I'm NOT)
and I was feeling a lot of pressure about this meal today ...
but it all came together at exactly the right time,
and tasted good!
Andrew carved up the turkey beautifully,
Sabrina was my right-hand person in the kitchen
doing my every bidding --
and our meal was a success! Thank you, Lord!
Karis enjoyed the meal very much ...
Nana and Roy arrived just in time for dinner!
And a meal that took essentially three days to prepare
was consumed in 18.5 minutes! A new record!
Isn't this a precious picture of my mother and her Roy?
After dinner, we received several phone calls:
My brother David called from Florida
(he and his family took a great walk on the
beach today and had ice-cream cones) --
I, of course, emphasized the beauty of a
WHITE CHRISTMAS here in the north ...
but he said the sand is WHITE down there ...
Hmm ... I don't think we can quite compete with that!
PLUS ~ I had such a nice phone conversation with Shane.
It was so nice to hear his voice today!
AND my sister, Ruthanne, called from Detroit
and I got to talk with everyone there!
Shari and Mark surprised everyone by coming "home"
for Christmas -- they are going to become parents!!!!
C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S ! !
I talked with Shari for awhile and Shelley too!
But then it was time for
ROUND TWO of presents ...
Dylan had been at church this morning
and missed opening his gifts,
plus Adam and Emily still had to
give and receive theirs!
Dylan got a bunch of beautiful books ...
I am not sure what is being opened up here, but
it's cute of these guys ...
Karis Danielle received a pretty hat and matching
fleece top ... isn't she too cute?
Dylan also got a CD, as well as Season Three of "House"
(for which he says his roomates will be thankful)
Nana and Roy got a couple of my framed Scripture pictures
(this was a special request from my mom).
And Adam showed them how to do cool
stuff on their cell phones ...
he is a really good teacher with complicated,
technical, hard-to-understand technology ...
Nana says -- "Adam is so cute AND so nice!"
They were very pleased to learn some functions
on their phones ...
There were more presents, but I'll show you those later ...
Nana and Roy had brought over a pumpkin pie
and an apple pie ... they couldn't stay with us very much longer,
so we returned to the table to further fatten ourselves ...
Roy entertained all of us by telling us
exciting stories about his childhood,
his folks, and ... about
shooting a racoon up in their attic last night!
Did I say shooting? Like with a real gun?!!
Yes! Roy is armed and dangerous!
I think Andrew found his conversation
highly interesting and amusing ...
well, we all did!
Roy is just one of those kind of people
who you love right away ...
Have you ever in all your life
seen a cooler old guy?
Here are some more of our presents!
Adam and Emily got us the wooden blocks --
I LOVE THEM -- they will be so much fun
to play with (grandparents NEED to play) ...
And see the little stuffed animals on top of the lighthouse box?
They play music, sing, and the penguine shivers in the cold
(very appropriate in this house! BRR!)
I also opened my box from Di and the kids ...
They sent such nice stuff ...
When I saw this picture of Emma I really got choked up --
how can she be this grown up?
And look at Christopher -- he looks like a wee man!
And it is especially sweet of Matthew. 
Diana made a beautiful memory calendar for me
and sent trivets and other pictures too ... how kind of her!
Would you like to see what I sent them?
OKAY!
This is the doll family I made for Emma ...
There are Polly Pockets, a bracelet making kit, a nice Princess
shirt and necklace, and Emma's very own name case with goodies inside ~
We sent Christopher an Army fort making kit
as well as a name case filled with very cool stuff
(like a mini-flashlight, a light-up frog ring,
tape measurer, a fuzzy worm that does tricks,
and I can't remember what else).
We also sent a Hot Wheels truck (not pictured)
We picked out some educational stuff for Matthew
that we hope he likes ... all of it is made really nice
and should give him lots of fun play and learning!
And we sent Diana a pretty shirt (because she is a pretty girl)
some of our homemade cookies and other snacks,
a nice devotional book for moms who have to "parent solo"
and some other stuff just for her ...
Have I worn you out with all of these pictures?
I know it was a bit excessive, but I just couldn't help myself!
It has been a very blessed Christmas 2007
here at this household ... I hope it was at your house too!
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ...
and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JESUS!
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