Christmas 2016
Ahhh, it's that time of year again. I'm basically doing this for Genevieve, but I do love the ability to look back in time and see what the kids have been interested in as they grew. We had a slightly higher budget than normal this year, so Jeff and I got each other gifts for the first time in over a decade. It was NICE! :D
PARKER:
1. Books - The Forgotten God & Christianity: The First 3000 Years
The Forgotten God is a book by Frances Chan; Parker had mentioned wanting more books by him after reading Crazy Love. Christianity: The First 3000 Years is a new release by MacCullogh. It's being heralded as the definitive church history book. I'm a little jealous. But at least he won't be calling me up and asking me to photocopy pages out of my church history book. Haha. I love his passion for God and His Church. :)
2. Headphones
Peyton got a set last year and Parker really liked them. Being in an apartment means he's gotta be more considerate when playing the guitar. They're also great for just listening to songs because the bass and treble are better than average. Not sure why Peyton ended up with nicer headphones before Parker! Haha!
3. Ditto Loop Pedal
This is for his guitar... makes it repeat recorded musical patterns that he can then play on top of. He's so much like Jeff. Both boys are, really. Their ability to riff and play without specifically "learning" something is simply amazing. I can't wait to hear what he comes up with!
ALSO RECEIVED: Stocking suffers included a Paul Tripp devotional and a fidget cube that occupies your hands so that you don't constantly drum and annoy people. Haha. Nana gave him three CS Lewis books and money, Uncle Dwayne & Aunt Brenda sent him money, Cliff & Bacon sent him Darth Vadar socks, and Mimi closed it out with an iTunes gift card.
PEYTON:
1. Messenger Bag
Peyton has talked about wanting one of these for a few years, but he just never saw one that really looked like he wanted... a vintage, but durable. I came across one that was PERFECT on Amazon. It's caramel colored canvas with a brown leather toss-over flap. So dapper!
2. Holman Christian Study Bible
Bible collecting is an addiction that is being passed on to each of my kids, which makes me SO happy. We really spend a lot of time teaching them about how to compare translations, and when I got my own HCSB, he looked it over and decided that would be his next grab. The one I found was black leather with an embossed crown of thorns on the front.
3. iPod Nano
Bless his heart, for as careful and trustworthy as Peyton is with all of his possessions, he's had the WORST freak-accident luck with electronics over the years. He's been using a cracked Shuffle sized Nano that would only work when plugged in to charge, then still only having a half-operational screen. So this was good timing, double the space, and greatly appreciated. We made sure to include a durable cover... just in case.
ALSO RECEIVED: Stocking suffers included a Paul Tripp devotional and a set of grammar pencils that say things like, "Semicolons are underrated". Nana gave him a Dave Brubeck album (Gone With The Wind) along with some money, Uncle Dwayne & Aunt Brenda sent him money, Cliff & Bacon sent him Storm Trooper socks, and Mimi closed it out with an iTunes gift card.
MABRY:
1. Ocarina (Wind Instrument)
Every Christmas has to include a musical instrument of some kind, and this year it was Mabry who lucked up. She's drawn toward the unusual and quirky, which is exactly what the Ocarina is. Think of a ceramic flute type thing in the shape of an over-sized egg. Yeah, just go Google it. Haha. If you're a fan of Legend of Zelda, you knew before I even started typing a description.
2. Toiletries Travel Bag (filled with goodies)
An adorable red back with little white stars. It opens up to reveal... MAKE-UP! My not-so-subtle way to announce that she can officially wear it in public. I was in 7th grade when I started wearing it, and I was almost a whole year younger than she currently is. The bag also included facial cleanser and moisturizer. She was giddy.
3. iPod Nano
Aside from the Shuffle we got her for car rides when she three (and lost before she was 4), Mabry has made it all the way to now without her own way to really enjoy music. This year, though, she has truly come into hero own, musically. She's developed a love of 80's songs, and lots of indie folk stuff. Enough to practically fill an iPod without any trouble. Add a cute teal blue cover and she was pinging!
ALSO RECEIVED: Stocking suffers included a little blue KJV bible (she specifically asked for this version because she loved the poetic verses), banana yellow headphones (because I broke her on my NYC trip), and a couple of cute pairs of fun knee socks. Nana gave her a wooden box of water color paints, as well as some money. Uncle Dwayne & Aunt Brenda sent her money, Cliff & Bacon sent her a NICE set of water color pencils and a "Cats In Paris" water color book, and Mimi closed it out with an iTunes gift card.
FIN
1. Tip-Over
This was a game we had years before he was even born that the older boys enjoyed, and I figured it was right up Fin's critical thinking ally. I can't explain it, other than to say it's brain teasing and includes tipping blocks over to form a pattern.
2. Catapult Marble Run
This was a last minute gift to replace the one that was ordered and did't come in (back-ordered for months). Jeff saw it at Cracker Barrel, of all places. Haha! Fin LOVES Rube Goldberg machines AND marbles, so this was the best of both worlds.
3. Electronic Globe
Dear LORD is this the best gift EVER?! Yes... yes, it is. It not only teaches countries and state capitals (which he mostly knows all of right now), it teaches mountain ranges and river and lakes and monetary units and asks questions about land mass and tons of other things. He can sit and learn geography for as long as his little heart desires!
ALSO RECEIVED: Stocking suffers included a kid's study bible, brain teaser called IQ Twist, and a mini magnifying glass that belonged to Papaw. Nana gave him t-ball batting practice set and money, Uncle Dwayne & Aunt Brenda sent him a Paw Patrol set, Cliff & Bacon sent him a United States board game, and Mimi closed it out with a hologram book about the animals of the Polar region.
Jeff: Waxed canvas woodworking apron, U2 memorabilia biography, U2 20 year anniversary documentary of Achtung Baby, U2 PopMart concert DVD
Mel: Jars of Clay CD of rearranged hymns of the faith, Creeds And Councils book, Five Views On Election book
Here are the Christmas Eve-shirts for this year...
(Fin's says, "Great Lakes... more like AWESOME lakes")
Here's our Christmas morning shot!
PARKER:
1. Books - The Forgotten God & Christianity: The First 3000 Years
The Forgotten God is a book by Frances Chan; Parker had mentioned wanting more books by him after reading Crazy Love. Christianity: The First 3000 Years is a new release by MacCullogh. It's being heralded as the definitive church history book. I'm a little jealous. But at least he won't be calling me up and asking me to photocopy pages out of my church history book. Haha. I love his passion for God and His Church. :)
2. Headphones
Peyton got a set last year and Parker really liked them. Being in an apartment means he's gotta be more considerate when playing the guitar. They're also great for just listening to songs because the bass and treble are better than average. Not sure why Peyton ended up with nicer headphones before Parker! Haha!
3. Ditto Loop Pedal
This is for his guitar... makes it repeat recorded musical patterns that he can then play on top of. He's so much like Jeff. Both boys are, really. Their ability to riff and play without specifically "learning" something is simply amazing. I can't wait to hear what he comes up with!
ALSO RECEIVED: Stocking suffers included a Paul Tripp devotional and a fidget cube that occupies your hands so that you don't constantly drum and annoy people. Haha. Nana gave him three CS Lewis books and money, Uncle Dwayne & Aunt Brenda sent him money, Cliff & Bacon sent him Darth Vadar socks, and Mimi closed it out with an iTunes gift card.
PEYTON:
1. Messenger Bag
Peyton has talked about wanting one of these for a few years, but he just never saw one that really looked like he wanted... a vintage, but durable. I came across one that was PERFECT on Amazon. It's caramel colored canvas with a brown leather toss-over flap. So dapper!
2. Holman Christian Study Bible
Bible collecting is an addiction that is being passed on to each of my kids, which makes me SO happy. We really spend a lot of time teaching them about how to compare translations, and when I got my own HCSB, he looked it over and decided that would be his next grab. The one I found was black leather with an embossed crown of thorns on the front.
3. iPod Nano
Bless his heart, for as careful and trustworthy as Peyton is with all of his possessions, he's had the WORST freak-accident luck with electronics over the years. He's been using a cracked Shuffle sized Nano that would only work when plugged in to charge, then still only having a half-operational screen. So this was good timing, double the space, and greatly appreciated. We made sure to include a durable cover... just in case.
ALSO RECEIVED: Stocking suffers included a Paul Tripp devotional and a set of grammar pencils that say things like, "Semicolons are underrated". Nana gave him a Dave Brubeck album (Gone With The Wind) along with some money, Uncle Dwayne & Aunt Brenda sent him money, Cliff & Bacon sent him Storm Trooper socks, and Mimi closed it out with an iTunes gift card.
MABRY:
1. Ocarina (Wind Instrument)
Every Christmas has to include a musical instrument of some kind, and this year it was Mabry who lucked up. She's drawn toward the unusual and quirky, which is exactly what the Ocarina is. Think of a ceramic flute type thing in the shape of an over-sized egg. Yeah, just go Google it. Haha. If you're a fan of Legend of Zelda, you knew before I even started typing a description.
2. Toiletries Travel Bag (filled with goodies)
An adorable red back with little white stars. It opens up to reveal... MAKE-UP! My not-so-subtle way to announce that she can officially wear it in public. I was in 7th grade when I started wearing it, and I was almost a whole year younger than she currently is. The bag also included facial cleanser and moisturizer. She was giddy.
3. iPod Nano
Aside from the Shuffle we got her for car rides when she three (and lost before she was 4), Mabry has made it all the way to now without her own way to really enjoy music. This year, though, she has truly come into hero own, musically. She's developed a love of 80's songs, and lots of indie folk stuff. Enough to practically fill an iPod without any trouble. Add a cute teal blue cover and she was pinging!
ALSO RECEIVED: Stocking suffers included a little blue KJV bible (she specifically asked for this version because she loved the poetic verses), banana yellow headphones (because I broke her on my NYC trip), and a couple of cute pairs of fun knee socks. Nana gave her a wooden box of water color paints, as well as some money. Uncle Dwayne & Aunt Brenda sent her money, Cliff & Bacon sent her a NICE set of water color pencils and a "Cats In Paris" water color book, and Mimi closed it out with an iTunes gift card.
FIN
1. Tip-Over
This was a game we had years before he was even born that the older boys enjoyed, and I figured it was right up Fin's critical thinking ally. I can't explain it, other than to say it's brain teasing and includes tipping blocks over to form a pattern.
2. Catapult Marble Run
This was a last minute gift to replace the one that was ordered and did't come in (back-ordered for months). Jeff saw it at Cracker Barrel, of all places. Haha! Fin LOVES Rube Goldberg machines AND marbles, so this was the best of both worlds.
3. Electronic Globe
Dear LORD is this the best gift EVER?! Yes... yes, it is. It not only teaches countries and state capitals (which he mostly knows all of right now), it teaches mountain ranges and river and lakes and monetary units and asks questions about land mass and tons of other things. He can sit and learn geography for as long as his little heart desires!
ALSO RECEIVED: Stocking suffers included a kid's study bible, brain teaser called IQ Twist, and a mini magnifying glass that belonged to Papaw. Nana gave him t-ball batting practice set and money, Uncle Dwayne & Aunt Brenda sent him a Paw Patrol set, Cliff & Bacon sent him a United States board game, and Mimi closed it out with a hologram book about the animals of the Polar region.
Jeff: Waxed canvas woodworking apron, U2 memorabilia biography, U2 20 year anniversary documentary of Achtung Baby, U2 PopMart concert DVD
Mel: Jars of Clay CD of rearranged hymns of the faith, Creeds And Councils book, Five Views On Election book
Here are the Christmas Eve-shirts for this year...
(Fin's says, "Great Lakes... more like AWESOME lakes")
Here's our Christmas morning shot!