wow....life is great!

I don't think it could get any better than it did yesterday! I'm so happy! Thank you, Lord! The morning went great with a huge breakfast of bacon, sausage, pancakes, and egg mcmuffins! Kids ate great. They played, we rehearsed their present for the adults (a play), and got ready for the day. Jennifer and her dad, Dave, showed up. He had a nice tripod and camera all set up...it was great! We took a huge group shot, then papa and I stepped out, then we did just the grandkids. I would have liked to do each individual family but Jared wasn't having any of it and everyone else was getting restless by then. Then we let the kids open gifts while the remaining dishes cooked. Dinner turned out so good and the girls were a great help as usual....thanks girls!!! After dinner the adults did their gift exchange....the girls always steal from each other....we're ruthless. Heather stole from me, Meghan stole from me, I stole from Tara, Amanda stole from Tara, no one dared steal from Karla!!! The guys are all nice and never steal. Pansies! It was fun and we laughed so hard! The kids did the Christmas Story... Dylan read it while Andrew played the angel Gabriel and Mary's donkey, Parker was Joseph, Jordan was Mary, a stuffed Cookie Monster was baby Jesus, Patrick played the Innkeeper and 1st shepherd, Riley was 2nd shepherd, Lauren played Elizabeth and a sheep, Maddie was a little donkey and Joshua was a sheep. It was so darn cute! Thanks for recording Karla! I think the parents loved it! I was going to post the video but I introduced them using their last names....I don't post the grandkids last names. If you want a copy of it I will send it to you. Then Don had to head home and Papa had to go to work. So we had dessert first. Tara made great desserts! After that we played Taboo! Meghan loves that game and has gotten really good at it. Teams were Kevon & Meghan, me and Heather, Karla and Joel, Ryan and Amanda, and Brad & Tara. So much fun and you could feel the love in the air as the couples played each other! lol! Karla and Joel pulled it off and barely won! Everyone left and Andrew & Lauren got to spend the night with Mam & Papa again! I was excited about that! We cleaned the kitchen together and played Deal or No Deal and we won the million dollars!!!! We were so excited you would have thought we actually won it! We watched the Amanda Show again and Funniest Home Video's. We laughed so much! I accidentally scared Andrew and he laughed til he had tears. They greeted papa at the door and he brought mint ice cream cones home. They loved it and so did he! The perfect day! Only bad mark was I lost one of Patrick's present and so I gave him money when he left and Tara and Brad took him to WalMart and he bought the same gift on their way home. To make up for it.... Karla let him bring the adult gifts out and pass the bucket for us to draw numbers though....he liked doing that! And the other drag was Don & Papa had to leave, and Don and Maddie weren't feeling too well with their colds. But all in all I would give it a 9!
We're all going to the KidStuf Christmas party this morning! The kids are excited about that! Then we'll meet Ryan and Amanda. I imagine I will take a nap this afternoon. This cold is killing me! And I need rest. Papa has to work. Today I am so thankful for him and we are praying for him, Marcey, Ernestine and Marie! Also pray for Don, Parker and Maddie to get better! You all have a great day! Pictures coming when I have time!