More Presents, Again

Grandpa Gary, grandma Kay, uncle Jon Paul & aunt Jessie arrived today for a 3 day visit, so we had Christmas & Avery's birthday again! Jon Paul & Jessie had a blast playing Marbleworks, train, and watching "Over The Hedge" -- I guess we're all still kids at heart.

Grandpa-grandpa John will be here tomorrow, and aunt Jill is on the red-eye from Anchorage right now. It'll be a full house, and there are still some presents under the tree to get to when they get here. Talk about dragging out birthdays & Christmas.

Grandpa Gary shows off his new fuzzy warm fleece.

Yes, that is Avery opening her present with the world's sharpest knife: grandpa Gary's pocket knife. He's been fine-tuning that blade since before I can remember. Yikes!!!

Wow, this thing makes more noises than you can shake a stick at. I can't wait to "drive" with it in the car (paybacks Kay?).Jordan will take a lap anywhere she can get it. Awake grandmas,

sleeping grandpas, she doesn't care. Perhaps she was a lap-cat in a former life.
And speaking of gifts, it certainly isn't glorious or sparkly, but I couldn't be more excited. Check out the platform lifts on the washer and dryer! This means I don't have to bend over to do the (2 or 3 loads per day) of laundry, which was really contributing to the deterioration of my back (in addition to lugging Jordan around).

And, another in the series of best appliances & apparatus for the home -- a mail shredder. I didn't even know they made them, but I recently mentioned once to my mom that I wished I had a mini-shredder for mail , so I didn't have to tear it up into confetti, or carry it down to Devon's office to shred. This way I can easily stash it in the "mud room," and grab it when I need it once a day -- much like the toaster.

Poor Dev, he has a pretty cool gift on the way, but it's late & hasn't arrived yet (my fault, I didn't get it ordered in time to get here before Christmas, but it should be here soon).