Dinner with the Rankins

We headed up to Denver for a Christmas dinner with Dave, Kathy, Teddy, and Charlie.  Kathy's mother, Marci, and her friend Gary, were there as well.  We had a lovely time.  The kids were playing with all their Christmas loot, while we nibbled on snacks as the turkey baked to perfection.  We ate too much (a theme this Christmas) and enjoyed all the delicacies one would expect at Christmas dinner.  Afterwards, time to open more presents.  Ashley and I agreed having multiple gift openings made Christmas seem longer.  However, we worry Bode will think he gets gifts every time we go somewhere.  Sadly, Bode continued his poor manners after opening his gift from Aunt Kathy and Uncle Dave.  We (Ashley and I) always appreciate clothes for the little dude.  Him, not so much.  It was almost a repeat, with him saying, "Do you have any other presents for me?"  Ungrateful little sh*t :-)  Oh well--maybe we should let him buy his own clothes.  Then, he'll start to realize the importance of nice fitting pants.  Ok, enough blasting Bode--he is only five.  Here are some action photos.  Below is a shot of Bode "helping" Charlie play with his new truck.

Next we have Teddy tearing into a Wii game.  I think this was when he opened Donkey Kong Country Returns.  He really seemed to like it.

Finally, here is a nice shot of the Rankin cousins and Bode playing with a dinosaur/truck thingy.  Lots of entertainment.

That about puts a wrap on Christmas 2012.  We loved spending time with family and appreciate how close we are to so many relatives.  Bode thoroughly enjoys playing with his cousins, and is always sad when we leave.  However, we promise to visit often and invite everyone to come see us in return.

One final note:  As many of you know, I provide a Christmas gift list to aid in you picking something out for me.  I don't expect anything, and I am very appreciative for everything you give me.  However, I must point out one of the nice things about the list and email is you can keep track of who is getting what, thereby preventing duplicative gifts.  Sadly, I received not one, not two, but THREE copies of Halo 4.  Like I said, I appreciate the effort...:-)  Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!