Crookston Christmas, I

There will be several installments of Christmas, just too much to put into one post! Here's the general overview though.

Christmas 2008 by numbers:

5 days

10 adults

9 grandchildren

2 cats

3 dogs

4 bedrooms

2 toilettes

1 shower

3 minivans

1 cool Honda Element

1 old lady's car (wink, wink)

63 gifts under Grandma's tree

3 pews at church

40 chicken breasts pounded

4 stomach flu victims

3 (unconfirmed) hepatitis A sufferers

6 varieties of Christmas cookies

3 brand new Barbie dolls

2 new playdoh sets

2 American Girls stuffed pets

1 Webkinz Whale

4 new cookbooks

7 new pairs of socks

5 trips to Wal-Mart

1 game of pinochle

1 game of spades

3 games of Settlers of Catan

1 afternoon of sledding

2 pretty gingerbread houses

3 unfinished pinatas (maybe at Easter???)

4 sleepovers with cousins

3 delicious varieties of foul eaten at the farm

2 late night pizzas from Happy Joe's

0 games of Carcassone

2 handcrafted mango margaritas after an especially trying bedtime routine

32 cups of homemade Chex-mix consumed

2 big tables at the Northland for Sunday lunch

with Grandma in town

And some things were innumerable:

hours logged in the rocking chair with Baby Thor

unsuccessful attempts by Sarah (6 y.o.) to reconcile feline and canine cousins

conversations about the probability of spreading stomach flu and/or hepatitis A

gingersnaps eaten

bottles of Mountain Dew guzzled

games of cribbage

Eva's tears over Katelyn's playdoh gift being "better" than her playdoh gift

calculations to determine payment for split receipts

flying leaps from the fifth stair to the pile of pillows on the floor

tearful night wakings for Hope

much needed adult naps

Mario Kart Wii races

Wii World of Goo games

temperature readings below 0

opportunities to shovel snow

trips through the woods being pulled behind the snowmobile

late bedtimes

lazy mornings

pictures snapped

intense conversations

laughter shared

hearts revealed

hugs and kisses given

words of praise for our Father's faithfulness over the past year

With Grandpa at the farm