Christmas 2008

It's that time of year again.
Christmas.
Not much bah humbug-ing this year. Just when excessive Christmas music was playing. Grr.
Christmases during deployments are always a little sad, but it helps to remember this is God's plan for us and we should be thankful for the blessings He has given us. So without further ado, here's the rundown of presents we received.

• Girl Gourmet Cupcake Maker: I have been wanting to try this out since we bought it on Black Friday. The commercial claims you can actually bake a cupcake, in the microwave, in 30 seconds. NO WAY. Then you frost it with this handy frosting thing that twirls so the frosted cupcake looks all twirly and stuff. So we get it out and set it up. I mix the cupcake batter and put it into the cooker thing. AND IT WORKED!! It was actually baked! Which makes me wonder what they put in there to accomplish that...on to the frosting. I mix it up and fill the tube with this Pepto-Bismol pink gunk. Then the tip falls off and I now have this crap in my lap. Eewww. So we try again and get the frosting on there but it came out of the tube too fast so it kinda just looks like a tropical bird crapped on the cupcake.
  
  
• Easy Bake Oven: We haven't tried this one yet, but I can't wait!!
  
  
• Pixos: This is another one of those wonder-how-it-works toys. Apparently you use the special pen to place plastic balls on a tray in a design. Then you spray it with water and it stays forever. So we follow the instructions and spray away. It's been seven hours and the designs are gummy and partially stuck together. I don't think this one will be around long.
  
  
• Operation, Connect Four, Sorry! Sliders, and Rhino Rampage.
  
  
• Nerf Powerball Blaster: My favorite. You pump it up to get it to the maximum blasting power and fire foam balls at whoever happens to be passing by. It also makes this weird screaming noise when you pump it that gets louder the more you do it.
  
  
• Diego Triceratops Mountain Thing: This one is going back to Wal-Mart because it's missing a piece.
  
  
• Play Doh: I never learn my lesson.
  
  
• 100 Building Blocks: Ditto here.
  
  
• Fire Truck, G.I. Joe, telescope, binoculars, candy, candy and more candy.
  
  
• A forty billion piece jewelry making set.
  
  
• A dinosaur race track. Who thinks up of this stuff?
  

Now for what I got.

• Honey with Tangerine from Italy!!
  
  
• A purse from Italy!!
  
  
• Chocolate from Italy!! By the way, Italian chocolate has about ten times more fat than American chocolate.
  
  
• Stress relieving body wash, a scarf and fuzzy socks.
  
  
• Two cool T-shirts.
  
  
• A neat picture frame that says "Life... makes the best story" on it.
  
  
• Home made candy.
  

All in all not a bad turnout, present wise and family gathering wise. If I eat any more saturated fat I think I will seriously blow an artery.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE ! ! !