Happy Fangsgiving!

OK, note for the future: Combining Thanksgiving, Christmas, and birthdays all in a 3.5-day visit is just too much. Seriously. I'm exhausted, and I didn't even do anything!

Mom got to surprise dad with his Christmas gift - a new Camcorder and tripod. She and my dad really are grateful to all my online friends that helped out and gave advice about what to look for - and what NOT to buy!

Nephew Raymond luuuuurvvvveeesss opening presents. Anyone surprised? No, I didn't think so. He LOVED his books he got from Gramma & Papa and from Aunt Kim & Uncle Kev. He wanted mommy & daddy to read "what I see in church" and "Martin Luther" and "The Creation" and "My First Catechism" and... :D

He also luuuuuurrrrrrvvvvveeeesss Kai. I was a little concerned about that one, to be honest - most 2-year-olds just aren't crazy about being around a dog that's the same size as them. And even the ones that are used to big dogs like that really aren't "good" with them - they're always sticking their fingers in his nose / eyes / ears / mouth and constantly need watching to make sure they're not torturing the poor dog. But not Ray. Nope, he knows exactly how to behave around dogs, and he was always very careful to be nice to Kai. He LOVED giving him treats and pets and hugs! Of course, that meant he also wanted to pretty much feed the entire Thanksgiving turkey to Kai, who was right there encouraging him! Kai even let Gramma know that she was not to play too rough with Ray. When he squealed because she was tickling him, Kai was right there and grred-barked at her, as if to say, "thus far. No more." Then when she stopped, he backed off and sat down and watched to make sure that Gramma and mommy were going to treat HIS human puppy well! Goodness. I really didn't expect that.

Kev really likes his new FM Transmitter he got for Christmas from my parents, and I'm really happy about my Shiny New Mythbusters DVD collection! :D
Mom was happy with her new crocheted bags for shopping (so she doesn't have to use paper OR plastic anymore!) and with her 6 bags of Vanilla Creme Drops we managed to find - and the new Carhartt gloves we got her.
Heather & Seth liked their Crocheted bags and homemade cookies! YUM.
Dad liked his Carhartt gloves and we completely surprised him with a scraper that attaches to a reciprocating saw. :D

Overall, the visit was a good one. Tempers and patience were starting to go on Sunday, since we were all tired from the visit (and we think Ray's teething again, so he did not have a good night, which of course means mommy & daddy didn't either) and we were all kinda bummed we had to go Back To Reality Land, but in general, I think a Good Time Was Had By All.