One Last '06 Post

Happy New Year, Auld Aung Syne and all that jazz. It's the end of another year, on the cusp of 2007. 2007, folks! As someone said to me this week, can it have been 7 years since Y2K? This coming year will mark the 10th year since I've graduated college. My friends Andy and Kristi will have been married for 10 years in May (though Jim and Carmen beat them to it, hitting the 10 year mark a couple weeks back.) As the song says, "Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin', into the future."

Before we wade into the new year, though, let's take a look at how Christmas went this year for the Shoptaw clan. We had Christmas with my mother's family on the Saturday before. First off, for those of you that know my father, here's a picture I'm sure you never thought you'd see.

For those of you that don't know him, you have to realize my dad is a fairly serious person, not given to much frivolity. That's changed some with Benjamin around, as he really enjoys his grandson, which is why he had the hat on in the first place.

Anyway, we opened gifts up there. Mine was already opened, since I used the money my grandmother gave me (and some from my parents as well) to get my XM/MP3 portable. (Which I can not recommend more highly. I'm getting great use out of it and it's just a wonderful invention.) Benjamin got a number of Thomas-related things, which of course made him quite happy.

Christmas Eve brought church services. In the morning service, the kids got to open the "Gifts for Jesus" that the members of the congregation had brought. Apparently this got Benjamin inspired for present opening, because he spent the afternoon saying, "One more present? Please?" He got to open a couple that day, including (after the evening church service) one from my friend Jim's mother, who takes care of him on Sunday mornings in the nursery and is very fond of him. It turned out to be a Clifford the Big Red Dog ride-on toy. However, we opened it at 9:30 at night not knowing what it was. So I spent the next 30 minutes or so trying to get it together while Benjamin "helped". If we'd have known, I think we'd have put it together when he was in bed!

Christmas day was a lot of fun. Benjamin got up about his usual time (7:15) and we all got out into the den, opened the stocking gifts, then sorted out the presents. Someone did a little better than the others:

That wasn't all from us, of course. We got him a couple of things, then he had the gifts from Grandma Millie and from Grandpa Mike and Grandma Peggy (Millie and Mike are Meron's parents), as well as gifts from "Aunt" Shawn (a friend of Meron's). He had a great time opening the gifts and seeing what he got (more Thomas stuff, Hot Wheels, a blanket for his bed, etc.)

Meron got the first two seasons of Northern Exposure, a scrapbooking tool, and a M&Ms mug. I had a wonderful Cardinal Christmas, with the World Series Champions version of Monopoly, a World Series Champions ornament, and a new Cardinals shirt:

Later that evening, we went out to my parents. Meron got gift certificates, along with a Crock Pot. I got a very nice Busch Stadium Department 56 piece. Benjamin did well again, with the biggest thing being his Thomas Under-the-Bed Table, which was his big gift of the year, coming from my grandmother and my mother.

He's really been enjoying the things he got for Christmas. Meron and I are going to try to get a few things to make this room that is now the office into a Thomas bedroom for him, so when we move him for the new baby he'll be excited about it.

Speaking of, we go on the 11th to get the ultrasound and we'll likely know the gender then. Don't worry, I'll be sure to update the blog when we know. So keep it tuned here!

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and have a great and joyous New Year's Eve. Have a great 2007!