Cincinnati Christmas First Up

Things around here are never 'normal' that is for sure. Usually on Christmas morning you get up at the crack of dawn and run down the stairs to see what Santa brought. Not this year. WE all slept in. I cooked a big breakfast and we just chilled and waited for Cassie and the crew to make the trip here. Our Christmas morning was at dinner time. We had more food than we could possible eat...still eating leftover even after taking some to WV.  Emmy cooked an Indian dinner with an infusion of Thai.

We choose names each year.  This year Michael had Sarah.  She requested a lamp since she moved into a new apartment, again.  She loved it!!

There's a story here.  The jacket Cassie has on is actually mine.  It is older than the girls are.  It is one of my favorite jackets I own and I wore it to death when the kids were little.  And the sad thing is, they remember it.  It is also the go to jacket to keep warm in what the kids call the 'freezer'.  Look what kind of socks we found!

We also do a home made gift exchange.  Ellis had Pappy's name.  And he got a Barbie that Ellis made a Bronco's cheerleading outfit for.  (maybe I should say he and his Mom made it.)  The joke is that once a long time ago Sarah gave Pappy a Barbie for Christmas.  Somehow a Barbie always shows up Christmas morning for one of the boys.  We did have a can of mock turtle soup that made the rounds for years. Don't know what ever happened to that...I think maybe it got past the expiration date.  I really feel sorry for Ellis next year!

Mark had Trevor's name for the make it gift.  The Oakes are BIG Boncos fans.

They all, including Maddie, have their own jar of treats for the next game...which happens to be tonight and I think they play the Bengals.

Cassie had Emmy's name and she made her these cute ear warmers headband things.

Pappy got a new hat.

Sarah made Michael a scarf...which he loves!

Alaire painted Sarah's favorite tree from New Orleans.

Ellis really didn't know what to think when he opened his gift.

Ellis and Alaire got wind of the make it gift and wanted in on the action.  So to do that Pappy and I made them something.  I made Ellis a pizza out of money.

Pappy let me eat all the chocolate out of the candy box and then he filled it with money for Alaire.  I thought they were cute.  Not to sure they got it until Cassie explained it to them.

At one of the scout campouts Michael learned to throw a tomahawk.  The guy said he was a natural.  And he loves it.  So we got together with Justin, the blacksmith, and asked if they could make a tomahawk.  Justin said OH YES!

Justin got the steel and cut out the shape.  This looks more like an ax here but the piece of steel will be folded in half.

One of a kind that boy!

Auntie Em always finds the coolest things.  Alaire had to hook this thing up to green onions which she then played just like you would play a piano.  Amazing.

Ohio Christmas finished.  Now on the WV for more fun!