When you've got this many grandparents...

We weren't able to get together with Dave's family for Christmas this year, especially since we just made a trip to the Midwest back in September. However, Grandpa McKinstry and Grandma Swan asked me to pick up a few gifts the kids would enjoy from them. 

Since we knew lots of other family members would be gift-giving Christmas morning, we decided that it would be nice to let the kids open their presents a little early like we did last year. It allows them to focus on and enjoy each present, plus it helps Christmas day not to be so rushed and focused on toy after toy. Last year we started this process a few days prior to Christmas, but this time we let each child open one gift every Saturday in December leading up to the big day. All week the kids would look forward to the end of the week, counting the days. 

The first Saturday they opened presents from Grandma Swan. This was a great pick-me-up since Hadley and Reid had been struggling with sinus infections.

Ready? Set...Go!

While visiting the St. Louis Zoo when Caleb was just over a year old, we picked up a book called Incredible Ocean. Little did we know that it would become a favorite. Thanks to Amazon.com, I found two others in this series - Incredible Earth and  Incredible Animals.

It might not have been a toy like he was expecting, but he was not disappointed!

Thank you, Grandma Swan!

Reid was serious about opening his.

Hadley loved her new ballet gear.

Thanks to Grandma Swan she is all set for the January-May session of Ballet I.

Reid is still working on his...

I originally picked up these magnet tiles for Caleb but then found other items for him instead. It was such a neat set though, I decided to keep it and give it to one of the younger two, and finally decided on Reid as the recipient. Though he may still be a little young for it, I thought he would enjoy the magnets since he loves playing with the ones on the fridge and knew he'd grow into it quickly. He is so hard to shop for anyway since he gets lots of great hand-me downs from his older siblings.

All three of the kids were chomping at the bit to get their hands on it as soon as he ripped the paper off. 

The following week they got to open something from Grandpa.

Caleb was over the top about this thing! After opening it, he shouted that he'd been wanting one, but I actually had no idea he'd even seen one before. I had one when I was a kid and simply picked it up out of nostalgia.

He loves to do artwork. Grandpa made this little fella one happy boy!

For months and months, Hadley has been proclaiming that she is going to have a Princess Sophia birthday. Despite my efforts to get her to choose another option since we did a princess party last year, the decision has stuck. And if you can't beat 'em....join 'em. 

Sophia says thanks, Grandpa.

I found this board game one day at Target and picked it up months ago thinking Hadley might enjoy it, but as Christmas got closer, I thought it might be a good fit for Reid instead since he is the one who LOVES chickens. He doesn't quite know how to play by the rules, but it's okay to do your own thing, right? I really liked that this particular game is collaborative vs. competitive; all players work together towards the same goal so they either win together or lose together - perfect for younger ones who are just learning.

(I actually had to wrap this present twice because after opening the first gift from Grandma the previous week, Reid snuck over and opened some more a couple times when Mommy wasn't watching. Rascal!)

The final Saturday, the kids opened their second gift from Grandpa - gift cards to Build-A-Bear.

Caleb and Hadley love the bears they made before and sleep with them regularly. Both of them, especially Caleb, have been requesting to go again, and since Reid doesn't have his own bear yet, it was a good fit for all of them. Caleb is looking forward to picking one that comes with a free app, Hadley is excited about helping Reid pick out his animal, and Reid has no idea what to expect!

There was also a gift they didn't see yet. While we spent half of the grandparents' gift money on items to open, the rest went into each of the kids' savings accounts, which I am sure they will appreciate more and more the older they get.

One of the greatest parts of this slow process was that we had a chance to stop and talk to the kids about who these gifts came from and why Grandpa and Grandma sent them. This naturally led into a chance to talk about Christ. Having three little ones and so many family members, even if we try to stay modest with gift giving, the number of toys received between all of them can be a bit overwhelming and so we find ourselves constantly looking for ways to focus on what is at the heart of all this activity. We give because He gave to us; it's a demonstration of love - not a burden, not an entitlement. It says, "I am thinking about you, and holding you in my heart." For both the gifts and the sentiments, we are thankful.