Christmas Eve with Brad's fam

We go to Brian & Lora's for Christmas Eve to exchange gifts with Brad's side of the family. Lora is a great cook & she makes dinner.

Cole was feeling a little sorry for himself last night. He kept saying, "No one likes me...". So I had to try to help him snap out of his pity party.
Erin, Eric & the girls came after dinner & I just thought Madelyn looked too cute in this hat!

But when Brad took it off - WHOA - bad hair day huh Madelyn?!

Ok-ya'll are gonna love this story. So one of the farmers here locally that we get lots of our fertilizer & seed & all kinds of other stuff from brought jackets with the the guys names on them up to work for me to give them. She brought them in & was like, "I have presents!". And I said, "Girl presents?!" And she was like, "Uh, noooo." So she showed me the jackets & I told her, "You tell Robert he's on my list!". So she was showing me this box of stuff with coffee cups & tape measures. Yea-definately no girl stuff there. So I was gracious & said thank you. When I got to Brian & Lora's last night, Brad gave Brian the box with his stuff in it. I walked into the kitchen & Lora said, "We got presents." And I was like, "Whaaa? From where?!" She said that the farmers had brought them over about an hour earlier. And I said, "Uh-oh - I think that's my fault..." So apparently the lady told Robert what I said (there I go letting my big mouth get me in trouble again...) & he told her to get us some gifts. And my big mouth paid off this time 'cuz they brought us Vera Bradley purses. Uh - 2 things I love - Vera Bradley & purses! They even had wallets inside! Be still my heart!
Fast forward through the evening & it was time for paper to start flyin'. I gave Brad the camera so I could pass out gifts. I told him, "No pics of my butt..." And here's what I got:

Madelyn wasn't real sure about ripping the paper at first.

We got her this little pink & purple thingie she could ride & it has buttons to push & plays music.

We got Erin & Payton bedding for Payton's crib.

And we also got her a wedding organizer. I think she was actually surprised! (Even though that's something she told me she wanted a few months ago...)

Madelyn was a good helper.

She got a stroller for a baby doll. But she had to try it out first to make sure it was safe for the baby & all.

We got Lora a Longaberger basket...

& some jewelry. Weird, jewelry from a jewelry lady?! But I also got her a totally selfish gift on my part. She makes these cheesy potatoes that are outta.this.world. And she makes them for me at the houseboat, but she doesn't have a potato peeler. So I always help & I waste so much potato peeling it with a knife. (And that's just a shame to waste potatoes.) So I ordered her a Pampered Chef potato peeler & told her it was for the houseboat so it would be there for me to use to peel potatoes when she makes me cheesy potatoes.

This year instead of actual "gifts" for the kids, we got them tickets to see the Harlem Globetrotters. I printed off tickets & some pics of the Globetrotters & wrote down on the papers that we were taking them to see them. I don't know if Cole really "got it", but Derik & Brady seemed pretty excited & I could breath a sigh of relief!

All of us went in together & got Ann & Stan a GPS for their semi.

Lora got me a new coat!

And a scarf too!

Brad got a thingie to carry around one of his gaming systems. (Uh-hello? I can't tell you which one he has NOR what other presents we got because of our little thieving problem?!)