Christmas Eve

Tyndale sent me a Pottery Barn stocking and devotion book. I love being a Tyndale author. Now I have to get around and actually write the book!

Everyone taking life easy.

Christmas Eve day we make some sort of cake for Jesus. Usually it is a Christmas tree cake but this year we went with cupcakes.

Jessica colors the frosting.

Jeff helps frost the cupcakes and Jasmine puts on the sprinkles and colored sugar.

The boys are helping Ty put together the ping pong table my mom bought us.

Wii time

Jasmine helped peel vegetables for a crock pot potroast.

On Christmas Eve we open stocking presents. This year I put either two inexpensive movies or a movie and a book and two packs of candy in each stocking.


Jasmine (8)

Jeff (16)

Adam (14)

Tyler (19)

Jessica (18)


Jessica had to work 12-8. Then she found she'd lost the keys so Rick had to drive the other set out to her. Poor Jessi. We hope they show up because it cost so much to replace the clicker and key with sensor. She's afraid they went down the disposal at work!

Some of our traditions have changed over the years. We used to have the kids exchange names for Christmas presents and I would give them each $10 to shop for whoever's name they had.

Then they started using their allowance and buying dollar store gifts for the others whose names they didn't draw.

We still draw names among the fours kids here but I started putting $1 an A in an envelop for each child each report card day and originally each midterm but now just report card day. However, you get the amount cut in half for a D or F or if you are on restriction on report card day. It's really a good reward system and no one has to take part but they all choose to. This time one person only had $1.25 in his envelop but the person who bought for him had mercy and got him a little better present than what that could buy. The top person had $14 in her envelope.

Plus this year the kids used more of their own money to buy for siblings and Rick and I.

Jasmine drew Ty's name and bought him Angel Wars 4.

Adam got Jessica's name and got her a Snugglie and candy.

Jessica bought for Adam. I hope he doesn't really wear the necklaces on his head. Might be a new style....

Jessica bought me two movies.

Tyler bought me Star Trek Scene It and we found out that neither of us knows much about Star Trek. It was mostly about the original series and I'm a Voyager fan

The ping pong table takes up the whole room.

Jessica bought Ty this sweatshirt. The kids bought each other an assortment of candy, perfume, clothes and DVDs.









We watched Speed Racer and Up and then everyone went to bed. It's 11:15 and all is quiet. Even the rainstorm seems to finally have stopped.