Another Christmas

So Christmas has come and gone yet again. We didn't even try to top last year's gifts when we splurged and bought iPods for everyone, but since our family vacation to Texas is right around the corner everyone was okay with less expensive presents this time around.

The Sunday before Christmas, our family put on the church Christmas play called "The Innkeeper's Dilemma. I had found it on skitguys.com and it was perfect for our family. Since our church is tiny and the only people I can coerce into being in the play are those that are related to me, we got all of the parts. My husband played the main role--the innkeeper. Our two oldest daughters played his teenage daughters--parts to which they were well suited. There was a part for all us, even me. I played Mary, who only had two lines. Since I was also the director, that was about as many I could handle. I also did the sound and lighting, and even made a movie of it for those who weren't able to make it. I will confess, though, that when I was putting it together I misspelled the word "Innkeeper." I was so mad at myself for not catching it, but I did put an annotation on YouTube so people will know that I really do know how to spell. Here is the link to the video if you have twenty minutes of your life that you don't know what to do with: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZVGBgaWB...

On Christmas Day, we opened our presents and then spent the day at my parents' house. Here is the annual list of what everyone got. I'm sure you are all hanging on the edge of your seats for this part.

Jay: A socket set, a speaker for his iPod, and a year's supply of guitar strings from Guitar Center.

Joy: A pair of boots she had been coveting, a speaker for her iPod, and an assortment of mustache items like band-aids with mustaches on them.

Sarah: A Ripstick to replace the one Erick backed over that she got for her birthday, a purple coat with fur around the hood, and a speaker for her iPod.

Abby: JustDance4, a full length mirror, and an art set (Black Friday special).

Rachel: A remote control helicopter, a cardboard house to color, and pair of headphones.

Timothy: A Lego Lord of the Rings set, a Darth Vader costume, and an art farm with green gel that the ants eat.

I got Erick a Brooklyn lantern (As Seen on TV) and he got me a sweater. We got cheap gifts this year for each other because of our hugely expensive vacation we are about to take.

The day after Christmas we got eleven inches of snow and I couldn't make it to work. So we stayed home and played with Christmas toys. I played JustDance4 and the girls laughed at me, but I'm determined to get better and beat them all. It is so tiring, though! When I was a kid, playing video games didn't make you tired. I'm going to have to build up some muscle if I want to beat them at this game.