Holiday Brunch Post-Script

So of course because of my goof-up, thinking I had Dad's name when really Dani had dad for the gift exchange, Aaron was giftless at the Holiday Brunch. I felt really bad. So he had to wait until Christmas Day when we were all together again for his gift.

So here he is, sans delicious brunch, festive Salish Lodge ambience & snowy backdrop, ready to open his Seahawks shirt and Carhartt jeans.

Christmas Dinner 2009

Every second year, this being the "on" year, we have an extended family Christmas Dinner get together at the clubhouse at Grandpa & Grandma Wheeler's park. It is always nice to see everyone.

Rex and Donna...

Grandpa & Grandma Wheeler, mom and Marina with little Reece and her new dolly.

The kids all play pool in the back room. Even Reece.

Aaron & Rex chatting and dad napping...

Enjoying a quiet game of cards.

Mom, Jenn and Kay...

Dakota shows Uncle Aaron his new DS.

My table centerpiece that Grandma asked me to make for the buffet table.

Christmas Morning 2009

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas morning is always such an exciting time. This year Dakota, my early riser, woke up TOO early and had a really hard time trying to go back to sleep so we could all get up at a reasonable time... like 5:00.

Christmas morning starts with the opening of stockings. The rule is that when you get up you can get right into your stocking but everything else has to wait until everyone is awake and up. After finally going back to sleep for an hour or so Dakota was still the first one up.

Dakota, surprised and excited by the size of his pile of presents.

Dakota couldn't wait for Marina to open the present he had bought her.It was three pretty scarves for her to wear with her outfits. He saw them in an ad and had Carol take him to the store so he could buy them for Marina all on his own. He is so thoughtful!

Then Marina gave Dakota the gift she had bought him...

...a Matchbox car VW Thing and a big Matchbox Truck that carries other cars on it. Dakota is a huge Matchbox car fan.

I wish we saw more of this at our house:

Marina is looking pretty excited about her pile of gifts too, even though most are too big for wrapping.

Marina had been wanting to redo her bedroom so she was pretty thrilled to find a whole new bedroom just waiting to be put together and put into place!

To go on her bed she got a new comforter/pillow set in the black & green color scheme that she wanted.

Clothes are an OK gift if they are as cool as this Harry Potter T-shirt!

What could be in the nice big package this messy-haired-daddy is holding?

Ah! Exactly the new Memoryfoam pillow I was hoping for!

Posing with mama and the cool present they picked out for her...

...a special Monkey Bread pan so she can make more of her famous Monkey Bread!

Hooray for new Playmobil sets! Kota got a new float plane and also a cool log cabin.

Shhhh.... don't tell Carol what's in those boxes but it's jammies and a pair of sweats.

Here is Dakota with his last packages...

... the Nintendo DS that he has wanted for 3 years! YAY!

What a terrific Christmas Morning! Dakota celebrates with a little "happy dance".

I love my new sweater and turtleneck!

Marina didn't waste any time getting down to putting her new bedroom furniture together. Here she is working on the bookshelf/dresser/desk from Ikea.

This was the first Christmas in a long time that mom & dad and Aaron & Dani & the girls hadn't spent the morning at our place and had brunch with us. We really missed having everyone there but it was fun spending that time with just our family. With an early Christmas Dinner at Grandpa & Grandma Wheeler's house there just wasn't time for everyone to come over in the morning. Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas Dinner will be the subject of a separate blog posting...