Home

Sarah recently wrote, "there's no place like home."  Wherever this life takes her, Kansas will always be home.  In like, wherever my parents live, that will be home to me.  They don't live in the house I grew up in, but it's not the building that makes it home, it's those who dwell within.  Today, we ventured out into the cold, bright and early this morning and headed homeward.  We gathered together with my parents, siblings and their families.  (Unfortunately, my oldest brother and his crew couldn't join us.)  

We arrived a little early and the kids enjoyed a game of cards with their grandparents.

My Dad surprised the kids with a gift.  A gift just from him.  The kids didn't know what to expect. They tore open the packages and... he got them each a car.  

A Hotwheels car. 

"Merry Christmas!  

This will have to do for a few more years!

Have fun!  Grandpa H."

Mom asked everyone to bring an appetizer to share.  Well, we didn't bring just one and neither did anyone else.  It was an all out gorge fest.  SO much food.  SO many choices.  SOO, what was I to do?  Try everything, of course!  And the result?  Food coma.  I should have taken a picture of all the food - it was unbelieveable.  After lunch we exchanged gifts - we don't buy for each other anymore, just the kids.  We all bring a $10 gift and make a game out of it.  Annie was lucky #1.    

  

Scott sat in the back next to the sweets,

so he could snack without everyone watching.

Gotcha!

My folks.

I love them so much!

ADORABLE girls!

The funniest gift was the "kissing ball"

Annie is holding it and wearing a bowl on her head.

DJ was going to take it but the bowl hat didn't fit his head.

Some took naps, some played cards...

and the kids made popcorn snowmen and ate candy.  

Addy was hilarious.  

She would put one piece of candy on her creation, 

then bite something else off.  Too cute!

Annie and her creation.

And Jake's pride and joy.

:-)

As with most of our gatherings, they end too quickly.  Jake drove us home.  It was his first time of extended highway driving.  He's driven an hour before, but we were making some deliveries and he had frequent stops.  He made it from my folks all the way to Lenexa before his drifting within the lane got bad enough that I asked him to pull over.  He drove over an hour and he used cruise control for the first time.  I tried to explain that everyone gets tired.  We now have 3 drivers, so there is no reason to drive tired.  It another part of learning.  He's doing great!  

our driver

the view from the backseat...

the passengers.

Annie coped by sleeping. (tee hee!)

Jake has been working hard on a woodworking project.  He's making a short board (skateboard) out of the longboard that got hit by a car.  He came upstairs and made it clear that I was NOT to look.  He's so excited.   I didn't have to wait too long and he returned with his finished project.

Custom board...

NICE!

I work tomorrow and it's past my bedtime.

xo