Here We Go Again--Part 2

Note to my absent children:  If these posts are making you nostalgic, and you are wishing you were spending the holidays with us, we promise, we're not having any fun.  We are bored, tired of Mom's cooking, and wishing we could go get a root canal--anything to get away from these people!  If, however, these posts remind you why you are glad you couldn't come home this year, well, we're having a BLAST!  You should have been here!

My favorite day of the holiday season is December 24.  I love our traditions of this day.  Since the time when our kids were young, we have begun the day's festivities with a service project.  This year we did one we haven't done before--we went to work at the local food bank.

We signed away our life at the front door,

and then we were led into the refrigerated backroom where the real work began.

We started out by moving piles of stuff from one area to another,

then we tore down hundreds and hundreds of empty boxes.

There were heaps and heaps of boxes. 

We'd finish one pile and the food bank would send us to another pile.

I was a little concerned when I set this up with the food bank, fearing Hailey and Makayla would quickly become bored.

 Quite to the contrary, they pitched right in and were lots of help.

They worked the whole 2+ hours we were there.

They were our very effective box crushers.

We ripped boxes into flat pieces

while Makayla and Hailey kept everyone at the food bank entertained by

their excitement and silly antics.

Here they are, doing the "full body flatten job".

We did learn a few things today:  Don't trust Stan with the box cutter (and his new jeans!) and

given the right tools, Makayla can easily pull Grandpa around.  It was hilarious!

We shoveled and swept the floors

 and went to Fudd's for lunch

By evening we were ready for our traditional Christmas Eve dinner: Hawaiian Haystacks!

We use our after Christmas sale 75% off Target china

and eat until we're full.

Then we eat some more.

Next comes the stockings.  Years and years ago, I sewed six Christmas stockings for our kids. 

Over the years I've added princess stockings and manly plaid to accommodate our expanding family.

The stockings are filled with necessities: toothbrushes, socks, gloves, maybe a toy or kitchen tool and of course, chocolate!

After we read a Christmas story, or watch a church Christmas video and read the pertinent parts of Luke, we pass out the stockings.

 Megan found a million dollars in chocolate in hers.

 Makayla made sure her toothbrush was working,

Hailey really likes the loud, shrill flute in her and Makayla's stocking.

I'm pretty sure Amy was really grateful we gave these flutes to the girls.

Finally, we pulled out the traditional mud pie

We managed to fill our overfilled stomachs some more.

Merry Christmas!