Christmas, Round 1. Ding-ding!

We're going to string out Christmas for an entire week this year....never done that before.  I always hear of people who have multiple Christmases in one year and am always slighty jealous...and slightly confused.  I grew up with ONE Christmas, ONE big celebration and ONLY on Christmas Day!  Anything other than that is just plain odd....and sinful.  Well, this year we get to experience what most normal people do each year.  The verdict so far:  I LOVE IT!  A week of Christmas?  Oh YEAH!  Christmas started yesterday - an awesome day at Willow Creek where we had our Christmas service - a great time with a great reminder of the miracle of Christmas.  (www.willowcreekbaptistchurch.com)  Then we took a trip down to Grandma and Grandpa Riders (aka Troy's parents) just to spend some time with them and didn't realize the boys would have the start to their Christmas that evening.  Ryan was thrilled to get some Lincoln Logs.  He immediately announced that it was his "favowite present" and clung to it the entire drive home.  Even though it was late when we got home, we opened it.  The little cowboy guy that came with it is his new friend....goes everywhere with him.  Seth got a fun train that does all kinds of exciting things - lights - noises - and he's had a blast following it around the house.  It's amazing how quickly they learn how to make their toys work!  And a bonus - the boys got some matching shirts (I love matching shirts)!  Not only do Ryan and Seth match, they match with their cousins - Chase and Roen.  Maybe they'll have to get a family portrait in their new matching shirts.  Ok, flashback to horrible memories of the last family portrait - uh, no thanks.  Anyway, it was a fun night and a great start to the Christmas 2009! 

We hadn't planned to have our own Christmas present opening ceremony tonight, but we're moving up our trip because of the impending storm and there was really no other time to do it!  So, Troy made the decision to rip in!  We turned on some Christmas music, ate a turkey casserole (kinda Christmasy) and gathered around the tree to have fun with presents:

A huge packaged arrived in the mail from my brother and sister-in-law:  A sit-n-spin!  AWESOME!  It was a huge hit:

Sittin' and spinnin'

We ended the night with this:

D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R

Troy got me one of the coolest and most unexpected things EVER.  You all know that I love love love to read....well Barnes and Noble is about to lose a significant revenue stream because I'm the proud and thankful owner of a:

Sony READER!  (like a Kindle....yeah, the Kindle that I've wanted for 2 years but thought was so ridiculous, lavish, gadgetty and so unnecessary).  WOO HOO HOO!

This thing is AWESOME!  I've already downloaded 3 books to it (the sequel to the Nanny Diaries - just for fun; a book by Ann Rule - because I'm slightly addicted to true crime...don't tell anyone; and a John Piper book that I've wanted to read but have been to cheap to buy at full price.  I'm so so so so so excited.  You have no idea.  I might be the only person in the world who has read Les Miserables (unabridged, BTW) 8 times (not kidding) because I simply run out of choices in my pathetic home library.  Library?  Yes, I know, Mom - I should REALLY take advantage of my local library.  Well, yes, I should.  But....I'm lazy, I'm impatient (don't want to spend time browsing for books and I never figured out the Dewey Decimal System), and I tend to use books as coasters and got in trouble last time I returned a book with a water ring on it.  No joke.  AND, the last time I went to the library I took Ryan and he was too young - threw a tantrum when he had to hand his book to the librarian....the not-very-nice-librarian.  We couldn't get out of there fast enough.  Anyway, I NEVER get cool techy things.  I NEVER get big presents (not a complaint - just a statement that I usually get what I ask for - slippers, mixing bowls, books, etc) and I NEVER NEVER get BIG TECHY presents so I'm super duper pumped.    It looks small in this picture; it's about the size of your typical small paperback.  Ok, gotta run - I've got reading to do!!!! 

Ok, reality check - I have about a gazillion things to do before heading out of town.  Next stop, Bunt Family Christmas.  Stay tuned.  The final stop will be the Cunningham Christmas.  Can't wait!!!