It's a WRAP!

"The best of all gifts around the Christmas tree: 
the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other."
-Burton Willis

"Christmas is not as much about opening our presents
 as opening our hearts."
-Janice Maediere

"Like snowflakes, my Christmas memories gather and dance
-each beautiful and unique and too soon gone."
-Deborah Whipp

The gifts under our tree... in the WRAPPED stage!

Shuffle on the edge of the couch looking in at all the gifts...
after I blocked them off with our kitchen chairs.
She thinks anything with tissue paper is hers!

A photo of Brian and me last night about to be
"GRAMMIE and POPPA CHRISTMAS"
with our grandkids
for a little early celebration! 

Our festive looking kitchen table with snacks for the evening!

Mariah happily posed in the Santa hat in front of all the
WRAPPED gifts under the tree last night
...before we started to UNWRAP them all!

Beau's first gift was WRAPPED in a little mailbox...
and filled with lots of little surprises!

Mariah went way to the back of the tree
 to find the biggest one she could find with a tag that had her name on it!
This was the gift she wanted more than anything...
the "GINGERBREAD HELLO KITTY"
made specially for her at Build a Bear,
from Grammie and Poppa! 

Beau loved each and every gift and either tried it on
or played with it as he opened them!
Here he is holding a MAD-MAN... while in a new hockey t-shirt,
wrestlers and a turtle along with other gifts lay in front on the table!

A special gift to be unwrapped by Mariah and her mommy
... a cake pop maker... something they can have fun making together.

A gift for Beau and his daddy to enjoy together...
a helicopter that can fly with remote inside or outside.
They were both excited about this one!

Mariah all wrapped up in a cozy new bright pink sweater
picked out especially for her from poppa Brian...
here she is with her mommy!

Beau in his new Spider Man shirt...
here putting stickers on poppa's eyes
and having a big giggle!

Here is Mariah with me after I unwrapped this great book from their family
called "DANCERS AMONG US"
featuring the awesome dance photos of Jordan Matter.

Jana and Nels after the gifts were all unwrapped,
with appreciative smiles!

Another photo from the end of the evening... the kids loved all their gifts
and we are all WRAPPED up in FAMILY LOVE!

The gifts I unwrapped last night...
all fabulous and so me...
Brian and I will unwrap more on the 25th!

I am reminded of ANGELS near and far each year at Christmas,
I got out these little ones after hearing of last week's tragic event in Connecticut.
I bought these little angel bears for my mom in the year 2000...
the year my dad passed away,
they each have a little snowflake on their sweaters....
(and snowflakes are reminders of kisses from heaven.)

I love to do up little gift baskets at this time of year...
here are some I did last week
all bunched together here in a tray.
Whether I am wrapping with gift paper, bags or doing up baskets...
I do LOVE to WRAP!
and this years gifts are all wrapped now and some unwrapped already, too...
"It's a WRAP!"



Well this has been another busy week of WRAPPING things up for CHRISTMAS!

We did an early celebration with our sweet grandkiddies and their parents here last night ... as this year they are off to celebrate the 25th of December with their other grandparents and family there. They alternate years with the grandparents... but we always get in a little celebration with them whether it's our turn
to do it on the 25th or not.

I have not only WRAPPED up all the gifts from us to others... but from my daughter to her family, my good friend Brenda's gifts to her family and a few for my in-laws to give as well... so needless to say... my time has been tied up in wrapping... but now I can say...
it is A WRAP for another season.

Brian and I will share a small opening together on the 25th here...and then will do our traditional boxing day open house where friends and relatives gather here for holiday cheer! We look forward to that day...
and it is open to friends and family near and far. If you are reading this... and would like to join the fun...just come!

I would have to say wrapping gifts is truly one of my most fun parts of Christmas...
the love I wrap them with hopefully lets people know how special they are to me.

My joy multiplies when the receiver of the gift likes not only the present...
but the PRESENTATION of the gift
from the outside, too!
To me... it's all about the thought...
and the WRAP
as well as the GIFT !!!

With all of the extra time I have spent in my WRAPPING QUARTERS in my basement this past week, I have not made it to the gym nearly as often as I should...so my body is feeling a little bit of extra WRAP around it lately, too!
That extra WRAP I will need to burn off in exercise ... hopefully in time!

That being said... I also made my 7th batch of nuts and bolts of the season yesterday...
I don't think I have ever made that
many batches in a season!
But I have WRAPPED lots of those up to give as goodies to family and friends near and far!

It is hard to believe one week has past since the horrific shooting tragedy in the states.
So many TV shows have featured lovely tributes to those killed in the shooting...
I am still keeping those angels in my heart as well as my thoughts and prayers...
and am thinking of their poor family and friends who will not feel as much like celebrating this year at Christmas time...
I hope they have some time to be
WRAPPED in LOVE with family near by
 their trees this year.

I am also thinking of the ANGELS in my life
 as CHRISTMAS DAY approaches.
I feel the spirit of many of those dear to me
 at this time of year especially.

Once again thanks to all who have popped by to read my blog this year. I appreciate your interest in my little corner of the world.
I say thanks to those near and far who have shared cards, letters and photos, via mail and email and send all my loving wishes
back to you in return.
My next blog will be my
FAMILY CHRISTMAS CARD
from my home to yours.
I did not get cards in the mail, but I hope I have reached many of you throughout the year
here on my little blog site.

On that note...
 the 3rd of my poems as seen in the
Special Christmas edition of the
LANIGAN ADVISOR NEWSPAPER,
published by my buddy, LINDA!
She wrapped one up and sent it to me in the mail last week, too... and I loved reading through it... she really puts a lot of her time effort and love into each and every paper she puts together each week.

"Gifts" WRAPPED with "Present"-ation!

I love a parcel... a present ... or a gift...
Whether giving or receiving
they offer a lift.
It's truly so fun to wrap
them all pretty,
With a sparkly dangler...
or one that is witty!
With a tag to match the paper in theme,
I do love a ribbon, too...
I'm quite extreme!
Nothing is sweeter
than sharing a surprise,
It truly adds twinkle
to anyone's eyes!
It's not about the price
or how much is spent,
It's more about the thought,
in what has been sent.
I like the present-ation...
I'm not going to lie...
But gifts wrapped with love
are the best kind of buy!