Christmas Day, it took THREE hours

You read that right. It took three hours from the time we opened our first gift to the eating of breakfast to the emptying of overstuffed stockings. Maggie was a trooper. We instituted a 3-1-1 (Maggie 3, Mommy 1, Daddy 1) gift opening policy so we would finish our gifts all about the same time. She did really well taking turns with opening gifts. It helps that she wanted to play with each. I will not be posting pictures of every item we/Maggie got, so if you don't see what you got us on here, don't panic - we aren't ungrateful in the least. We love every gift that was received, and each one was oohed and aahed over. We just don't want to have to post 500 pictures. Here are some fun ones:

Maggie didn't get to bed until almost 10 Christmas Eve, and still woke up at 7:01, so coffee was required at the gift-opening. Daddy helping Maggie open her gifts. Tyler got me an awesome apron from Etsy.com. I had been eying this one for a while, not knowing that my Mom had taken the hint and MADE me one. Now I have TWO favorite aprons for when I do flowers!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE them. Thanks, Mom! The handmade one from my mom. Seth gave Tyler a fanny pack. Thank goodness we knew it was a joke! The special gift from Daddy: a Barbie guitar to replace the one we bought for her in Mexico that has started to fall apart. I got Maggie her very own digital camera. It's a little slow, but once she masters holding it still for more than 1/10th of a microsecond, it will be alright. Tyler's parents bought him a replacement for the green parka he has worn every time it's rained or been chilly enough for a jacket since he was a SOPHOMORE in HIGH SCHOOL. No joke, his green coat was 14 years old, and getting quite worn. We had some rips patched, so it is still in working order and will be donated. And, Tyler really surprised me this year.

The carnage. Wow. What Olive thought about all the hubbub.

We will be rounding out our day with a fancy turkey dinner with all the trimmings, a reading from Luke 2 on Jesus' birth, and maybe take in a movie. We wish everyone who reads this blog (and everyone else, too) a very Merry Christmas!

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the world, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.