Pictures from Christmas 2010

Our Christmas morning begins with everyone coming downstairs in order of age.  This was a tradition of J.'s family which we have kept.  Well, actually, the morning begins with children coming in asking if it's time to get up, followed by coffee for the adults and children constantly asking if they can go downstairs.  But eventually, J. and I get things in order and they can come down.  See those pajamas?  That's the reason I spent so much time sewing this past month.  Did you know that 9 pairs of pajamas take a bit of time to make?  All I can say is thank goodness (and my mother) for my serger or else they wouldn't have been finished.

B. with G. (She is playing with one of the stuffed nativity figures I made many years ago.)

The first thing we do is gather together in the dining room to light the Christ candle in our advent wreath, read a Bible passage about Jesus' birth, and say a prayer.  Then we open stockings.

TM and D.

A. with L.

M. with G.

After stockings we eat breakfast which is usually homemade cinnamon rolls and grapefruit.  Then it's on to present opening.  After the chaos the babies caused while everyone opened stockings (I know, it appears calm and peaceful... don't let the pictures fool you.  At one point each baby started to eat her orange like an apple in between running around and grabbing everything they could from other people's stockings),  J. and I decided we needed to pen them for presents.  We brought the pen into the living room so they could see everything, they just couldn't reach it.

G. behind and L. in front

And like all Currys, once they received their new books, they were quite content:

L.

Of course, the presents from Grammy and Grandpa are always popular.  Here is K. admiring his new Lightning McQueen Duplo car:

And P. her Rebecca American Girl:

M., A., and I received wool sweaters from my parents' trip to Ireland:

There were a couple of hand made gifts as well this year.  Here is the jellyfish I knit for A.:

And the octopus for M. (his body is about 4 inches long):

And one of K.'s favorite presents is the oatmeal truck B. made him.  Do you know the book, 10 Minutes Till Bedtime?  It is currently one of K.'s favorites and he particularly likes looking at the vehicles which the hamsters drive.  This is a copy of one of those vehicles:

If you look carefully you can see the little stuffed hamster which A. made for B. to include with the truck: