Christmas Past

This year was an "off" year for the Gale Family. The older four were spending it with their spouses' families--we are happy to get the whole gang every other year. (Just hope the younger four get that clause in the pre-nup before they commit!) We were all together for the wedding earlier in the month anyway, so that was an unexpected bonus.

 It was pretty quiet and what with the wedding hoopla and the packing up of the household goods, it seemed a little more off. Luckily Shane is young enough to make sure we carried on with the traditions that make it feel like Christmas.

It was Shane's turn to place the Angel

on top of the tree.  He had been waiting for

EIGHT years for his turn to come around again.

Shane's handiwork...

When the children were growing up, we had a tradition that when they turned eight they got

to stay up and help Santa set out the gifts and stuff the stockings. 

I didn't think through to how this would play out when we got to the last child.

Shane took it pretty well--he looked forward to finding out how Santa did it and when his turn came,

he was dubbed the "Stocking-stuffer Elf" and he takes his job very seriously.

The older kids tried to sleep in but Shane wasn't having it. We had plenty

of time to open presents, enjoy our breakfast and get to church early.

To liven things up a little, Santa had Rudolph write a poem to Shane and

he was sent on a treasure hunt to find his gift.

This giant candy cane rawhide chew livened up Gunner's Christmas.

We had a delicious Christmas pie

And I thoroughly enjoyed my annual box of homemade chocolate covered cherries.

Yum!

And this lovely, thoughtful gift was from my thoughtful husband.

A charm bracelet that chronicles our life together.

But that wasn't all--he also gave me a trip to Utah to see our older five and

those GRAND BABIES!

It was a most Merry Christmas!