Merry Christmas!   Jesus is the reason for the season!

Like millions of other little children I woke up earlier than I normally would:  6am!  I knew I would find something from Santa Claus downstairs, but I couldn't go see until 7am.  Barbara and my great grandparents were not here yet.  They wanted to be here to see my joy.  Mommy and I snuggled in bed while we waited.

This beautiful day was foggy and frosty outside.

Barbara had been told to arrive at 7am, thinking I wouldn't be awake until that time.  She pulled into the driveway when her car clock turned to 7am on the dot.  I hurried out onto the balcony and hollered "Merry Christmas."   I was glad I waited for them to get here even though it was hard.

Barbara turned on the video camera and I shyly came downstairs.  There were little blocks on the floor which I didn't understand.  Grandma told me to start with my stocking.  

I found some little toys in it.  The best thing was a package of bracelets like my dad wears.  His says ALS on it.  (Pops had ALS.)  Mine said Megaforce.  There was a note in my stocking.  Bridget helped me read it.  It was from Santa and said I was to follow the trail.  So off I went.  Through the dining room, the pantry, laundry room, kitchen, breakfast room and then the trail stopped at the back door.  I opened the door ...  and boy was it cold and there was frost on the ground.... I saw something big and green!  Before I could go outside I had to get on shoes and socks.  I put on my good dress shoes because they were the first shoes I could find.  

Everyone, except Andy, Kristan, and Anna Kate, came outside with me.  I found a big two man tent.  GGM helped me unzip the door.  Inside I found more gifts from Santa.  A sleeping bag, a magnetic dart board, a Nerf gun, old-fashioned Lincoln Logs, and a remote control car.  PaPa agreed to sleep in my tent with me when it warms up A LOT.  I played a little bit with everything, running from one thing to another. 

 This new outdoor kitchen was Grandma's gift to Papa.

Santa Claus drank the milk and ate the cookies I left for him out for him.

I did help pick up the trail of Lincoln Logs.  

 Grandma made Monkey Bread, which is a tradition for this family. 

I had not played darts before but I quickly understood what I was to do and I think I will be a very good darts player with a little more practice.  I am good at driving the remote control car, but I will get better with more practice.  Barbara's street will be a great place for me to drive it.  

When I was going to my stocking to see what Santa had left me, I noticed two packages of the floor tiles I used when I was a baby.  I do still have them on the floor in my toy room at home.    The note said they were from Santa to Anna Kate and Barbara, to be used in the Big TV room at Barbara's home.  In just a month or two AK will be crawling and she will need a soft clean place to crawl.  What a great gift from Santa!  

He also gave Anna Kate a first Christmas ornament.

I was outside waving at Daddy when he arrived.  I told him about my gifts from Santa and he also agreed to sleep in my tent with me... when it warms up.  I think we could bundle up and sleep outside when it is cold, but I'm the only one who thinks that would be a good idea.

I was impatient to open up the gifts under the tree, but I had to wait for us all to eat PaPa's breakfast tacos.  Then we had to wait for Uncle Tim and Andy's little family to come down and eat their breakfast.

Finally it was time.  It was wild.  There were more presents than normal.  No one knows why. Barbara made a list of my gifts and who they were from so I can send thank you notes.  (She misplaced it... hopefully it is found and didn't get thrown out with the gift wrapping paper.)  I'll list my toys on my blog soon............... List has been found..Yea!

This is the list of my gifts I got at Grandma's house.  There were other gifts at Mimz home.  If I left something off or made a mistake, I am sorry.   It was hard to keep track in all of the excitement.  Also, some of the pictures are fuzzy.  I was so busy and excited I couldn't stay still for long to have my picture taken:

Santa gave me a two man tent, sleeping bag, dart board, remote control car, gun, old-fashioned Lincoln Logs, and stocking stuffer, including Megaforce bracelets

Lisa and her family gave me a Polar Express train, a neat fire truck, police car, and ambulance and...

 ... a Monkey Popper.

PaPa and Grandma gave me a Bean Bag Toss game, Telling Time Clock, house shoes and socks, Kerplunk game, Toss Across game, Nerf gun bullets,...

and a Magnetic Story board

Mommy and some from Daddy:  

Work boots, Nerf gun,...

Giant Fire Truck puzzle, ...

SWAT team uniform and shield,...

 2 Polo shirts,...

Walkie Talkies, Van shoes, and socks. 

Grammie and Bubba gave me a Sooner shirt...

...and three Auto Good CD's.

Andy, Kristan, and Anna Kate gave me a Magellan Shirt.

Bridget gave me a skate board, with a handlebar, knee pads, and elbow pads.

Uncle Tim gave me a check.

GGM and GGF gave me money for my college fund. 

We think someone gave me a Chess game.  We will have to ask around to find out who that was from. A funny thing: One gift was a mystery.  It was a very nice juicer.  Mommy talked to Aunt Lisa and found out it was a gift from Lisa's family to Uncle Tim.

Mommy, Daddy, and Barbara gathered up all of my toys and put them in one pile out of the way.  Barbara put a few of my things in her car, so she and my great grandparents can play with them:  a large puzzle, and three games.

GGM and GGF think they got the best gifts: Panda Express gift card, tea towels to embroider on, coffee, two jigsaw puzzles, and some good eats.  All things they will use.

Barbara got some good gifts too: 

butcher paper for me to draw on, markers for me to draw with, Pringles for us to eat while watching football bowl games, and other things I can't think of right now.

 Anna Kate had no idea what was going on, but she was happy.

 She played with this snowman for the longest time.

Anna Kate knows how to make Bridget laugh.

Everyone liked the gifts that I gave them.  Mimz had taken me shopping so I could look for things I thought they would like.  She wants me to know that it is better to give than to receive. She is so right.  It made me happy to give gifts.  GGF said he would try the coffee in the morning.  Barbara opened the Biscotti and cookies to share with everyone. 

 Mommy, Bridget, PaPa, Andy, and Tim went for a boat ride...

... in PaPa and Grandma's new pontoon boat.

Grandma fixed a ham, and PaPa tried out his oil-less turkey frier.  He fixed a whole turkey and some turkey legs.

After the gifts were organized and the mess was cleaned up, and everyone started working on preparing a Christmas dinner, it was time for Daddy and me to go see Mimz.  I knew we still had gifts under Mimz' tree to be opened. When we left Daddy was wearing a walkie-talkie on his belt and so was I.  We were ready to talk to each other when we got farther apart.

Mimz had spend the night at Uncle Scott's.  She said Morgan woke everyone up early.  (Kids and Santa Claus!)  After they ate breakfast, Mimz went home waiting for round two of opening Christmas gifts when Daddy and I arrived at her home. 

Oh my, Oh my, Oh my!  Uncle Scott, Aunt Jill, and Morgan gave me a go-cart!  It was Morgan's but she barely rode it and it was just sitting in their garage.  Oh what fun for me! Daddy will show me all I need to know about riding a go-cart!  Daddy and Uncle Scott rode dirt bikes when they were boys.

I have always loved shoes and I think I got three pairs of shoes plus a couple pair of house shoes for Christmas.  Daddy gave me some new cowboy boots.  Mommy gave me the work boots I have been wanting.  I also got a pair of Vans, which I can wear when I am riding the skateboard Bridget gave me.  I can wear then when riding my scooters also.  I am the luckiest boy!

My gifts to Mimz and Barbara were reindeer antlers and a nose for their cars.  They will use them next Christmas.  I have seen them on many cars and I kept asking Barbara to get some for her car.  Mommy and I got some for her car and I decided that would be a fun gift for Mimz and Barbara.  They were both very pleased with their gifts.   It is the little things that make us happy.

Mimz knew just exactly what I would like: a Learn To Tell Time Clock, new puzzles, and an I Spy game.  And she gave me a new two wheel scooter like the one I have at the lake.  

At noon a transformer in Mimz neighborhood blew, so we were without electricity for a few hours.  Fortunately Mimz had all her cooking done and we were not having a family get-to-gather at her home today.  The Watson family was all meeting at cousin Lacey's home around 5pm.  Mimz had food ready to take.   And of course, I fell asleep during the drive.

Mimz and Daddy had a great evening of fun with family and friends, but I had a FANTASTIC  time with my cousins.   I was still going strong when Mimz left around 10.  I was included in every move the big boys made.   My favorite part of the evening might have been the fire pit in their large back yard. The kids had a great time gathering twigs, limbs, and leaves to throw on the fire. All the dads were out there sitting around the pit and supervising the fun.

All of the cousins are in the picture except Hudson (age 9).  We were waiting to eat.  The boys, Mason (5) Harper (7), Becket (7) were at one end of the table.  The girls, Landry (5) Ava Kate (5) and Addison (7) were at the other end.   Addison and Ava's parents are best friends to L & L.  They join us every year for this celebration. This was a very happy and exciting day for me.