Christmas Eve part 1 1/2

One tradition we started 5 years ago when we moved here, was that we draw names within our own "little" family, and make a homemade gift for that person.  That usually means I get to make a few more than just the one I'm assigned, so now we draw names in October, so Momma has enough time to help everyone.  (Reminds me, we still haven't finished Seth's gift from Aspen this year. A big crazy quilt of pirate prints, with a life-size chess board as the backing. Whoops.)  We like opening these on Christmas Eve, because they seem to be appreciated and enjoyed more.  (We've tried waiting until Christmas day, but they seem to get overlooked or lost in the shuffle with all the other gifts Christmas morning.)

Seth made Alana a Candy-Dispensing Box.

 Bridger sharing Alana's candy.  (Because he didn't like it. Who doesn't like a Kit-Kat?!)

 Hanna started a photo album for Yeon.  Everyone has hundreds of digital pictures as computer files these days, but it's still nice to have some in a book to look at.  She also made this cute little name decoration.

 Yeon made Snaggletooth--I mean Aspen--this nifty little bag, and beautiful shirt.

 Yeon actually made everyone a gift, not just the one name she drew.  She made Molly and Seth both hats and scarves, from this fabric I bought 2 years ago for Seth and hadn't used yet.  Thanks for putting it to good use Yeon!  Looks pretty cute on Molly.
(Molly was constantly finding candy canes to fill her mouth up.)

 

Troy made Hanna this quilt to fit her bed, from other unused fabric in my "year-supply" of stored up fabric.  I bought this fabric almost 11 years ago.)  Yep, Troy can sew.  He's the man!

I made Troy a year supply of Apple Pie Filling.  (Enough for about one jar every other week.  Back in October, right after drawing his name.  I would've done it anyway.  Is that cheating?)  Plus, Aspen helped me wrap up a big empty box I had emptied going through old unused fabric.  Totally empty.  One of the most beautiful sights he's ever seen.  (He likes when I go through boxes and get rid of stuff.)

Alana cleaned out and organized my cookbook/office supplies cupboard for me.  Ahhh--I LOVE it!  (Maybe I should go through all those notes taped inside the cupboard doors now.)  Alana also made all the girlies some headbands with interchangeable flowers. 

Yeon said shirts like these are very common in Korea.  "Couple shirts."  Couples wear them and go riding on a tandem bike together through the park over there.

We usually leave Bridger and Molly out of the mix.  (A few less gifts I have to make.)  But Hanna almost always gets something for everyone, and Yeon did too.  How nice of them!  After opening all of these, plus the Hanukkah presents earlier in the month, it seemed like there wouldn't be many left for Christmas.  But with 9 people in a family, there were still plenty under the tree.  (Especially when there's stuff like 7 boxes of cold cereal wrapped up.)

After watching some of our favorite parts of the 2006 Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert (featuring Sissle--we LOVE her pure singing and the dancing!) and all the kids going to sleep in the same bedroom telling made up stories everyone progressively adds to ("popcorn stories" in the boy's room this year), it was nearly midnight, and finally "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night."