McNeely - Swanson Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone!

For the past three years we have celebrated Christmas with our friends the Swansons. (Please excuse the strange glare over Kevin's head, we just wanted to take a picture quickly because we had a 2 year old to maintain). There are a few rules. We trade houses each year, if it is held at your house you cook dinner and the other family makes dessert. Well, thank goodness it was our year to host it and cook dinner, it would have been pretty interesting to have dinner on a foundation slab. We started the evening with a trip to church. This year instead of a Christmas Eve service, we attended and Christmas Eve Eve service. We normally go to church on Saturday night, and this year our church had one service Saturday night and three during the day on Christmas Eve. This year pastor Steve performed the Joseph Monologue. It is incredible. It is the story of the birth of Jesus told by Joseph. He performs it every three years, it is always very touching. If they decide to put it online I will send the link, it is worth your time.

OK, so after church we headed home. Oh, I forgot to mention that there were about 6000 people at church last night. We got home and had dinner, I made potato soup and we loaded with all the fixin's like you would a baked potato. It was yummy! After dinner it was time for gifts. Another rule we have is that we can only buy gifts for children, not for adults. That was a way for to us to buy Ethan a gift and still not have Aaron and Priscilla worry about a gift for us. So we went to the tree and found his presents. One of his gifts was a flash light. He loves to play with them, so we figured he needed his own. That was only to go along with the main gift.
His very own camoflauge tent, sleeping bag and chair. It was a hit! He loved it! We were so excited. He played in it until it was time to go to bed...and the he slept in it! It just put a huge smile on our faces.

Merry Christmas!!!