Christmas 2007

Christmas was a big hit for the Collins girls this year. It started and Mike's parents on Christmas Eve. I cannot even count how much stuff they got, granted the gifts were from all of Mike's side of the family and us. Ellie was so tired of opening gifts that I had to finish! Some big gifts they got were play kitchen appliances, doll highchairs, games, art supplies, an easel, and a toboggan. We tried the toboggan, but forgot to wax it so it did not work too well.

Christmas morning the girls woke up to Santa. He had Mike's Dad (Greg the Elf) make a refrigerator, oven and sink for the girls. It turned out really well. Everything looks very realistic and very big! Mike did all the painting (using a spray painter) and I did the detail work. The girls basically have a fully supplied play kitchen now to play with. Now, as with all the gifts, we need to find room in our little house to put everything! I think the basement is going to need some rearranging.

Later on, on Christmas day I drove the girls to my parents. Mike stayed behind to finish up our remodeling and other things that just needed to be finished. I am not going to be home until next Monday because we are meeting Mike's family in the Dells this weekend. The girls were experts at opening presents by the time they got to my parents, so it took them about 30 seconds to open their presents and any other presents people would let them open. The gifts were a hit here too. They both got "computers", some games, Dora pajamas, and a basketball hoop. Unfortunately I do not know which gifts are from who because they opened them so fast!

In the end, the girls played with things that are not gifts, but what the gifts come in. They loved popping the bubble wrap and playing cars in the boxes!













Mike got me a synthetic diamond for Christmas. I have been wanted the real thing for over 5 years now, but with kids cannot justify thousands of dollars. So, the past few months I have researched just about everything about synthetic diamonds and found the one I wanted. I gave a hint to Mike and he actually bought it. He did not know that it came as a loose stone, so now we need to get a setting for it! I put it up to a real diamond and there is little difference. We were not supposed to exchange gifts this year, but now I guess I have to let him get the golf clubs he wants!