Beals Christmas

Beals Christmas is a multi-day affair complete with multiple family gatherings, lots of delicious food, endless hands of Rook (and other competing board games), tons of laughing and a true celebration of Christmas. 

On Christmas eve the kids got to open the four bean bags their grandparents gave them.  Then they snuggled down for a movie and a snack to rest up for the big day.



But rested kids don't tend to store their energy so instead they began to rehearse for their Christmas recital.  Then they had Sandi take their picture and make it into a poster advertising the "Fab 4."  But then Brevan ran a temperature and had to lay down so the Fab 4 actually stopped touring before they started.  There were many disappointed fans.



But by bedtime, everyone gathered for the annual reading of "The Night Before Christmas."

On Christmas morning we found Jingles (who we'd brought from home to continue his spying) in Tia's bronzed baby shoe wearing Grampy's glasses.  All the better to spy kids with.

 

On Christmas we open "Santa" gifts (it's more a taste since the real Santa gifts come to our house) in the morning and don't usually hit those under the tree until we've had showers, made food and played some games.  It is a tradition we have carried into our family Christmas (the non-rushing, taking it slow present opening) and I am so grateful for it.

 

This way there is lots of time for UNO Attack!

 

It also leaves time to make bread.  In the past few years I have taught Sandi's cousin, Robbi Lee, how to braid the bread and she is a pro at it now.  One of my favorite traditions is that Rob has always come up to spend Christmas (her family celebrates the night before) and this year she came with her adorable boyfriend.  She and Ella braided the bread together.  Be still my momma heart.

There's lots of snuggling at Christmas.

Patti and Dwight, parents-in-love extraordinaire

 

Kristi and Mike




Trish and Brock



Robbi Lee and Chris

You really never know where you will find Maya.  She might be sleeving herself and her cousing Makenna in tatoos,

 

or walking on her hands with her appendages in other people's sneakers.

 

Me working in plain view on Sandi's Christmas scarf. 

If Christmas this year had one theme beyond light and joy it would be American Girl. Ella's entire horizon has been filled with American Girl and every spare second she has is spent pouring over the catalog. Maya has caught the fever as well after watching her big sister breathe life into a molded plastic doll with buck teeth.

But there are still some surprises to find within an American Girl box.

We gave this gift to Sandi's grandmother:

When the real American Girl boxes started being unwrapped, though, the facial expressions said it all.

Apparently just that morning, Maya had said, "I wish I had MY OWN American Girl doll."  Well, guess what?

Her grandparents saw to it that Maya had a curly haired blonde one just like her. When she opened it and realized what it was she dropped the box and ran at me, diving her head into her lap, she was so overcome with joy and excitement.  And, yes, this doll needs a good detangler just like Maya.


Maya and Kaylee (she named her) and some weird allergic reaction under Maya's eye.

Our niece Makenna exclaimed when she opened each gift:  "It's just what I always wanted!" whether it was a pair of socks or a giant pony.

As part of the convalescence theme, Ella got the wheelchair she's been pining for.

 

Oh help us.

The Beals Christmas is magical in so many ways.  But in no way more than the people pictured here.

"Thank you" doesn't even begin to cover it.