Gifts from the sibling swaps!

This first picture is not from a sibling. But I wanted to make sure to write about it so here it is. My mom was taken on a trip to Hawaii with my aunt earlier in the year. While she was there she bought me this great nativity. I know I've mentioned it before but I seriously love nativities so I was so super excited to get this one from her. Thanks mom!

In both my family and John's family we swap names for Christmas. None of us can afford to send gifts to each of our siblings, him being the oldest of 8 and me coming from a split home with 5 from one set and 3 from the other set. Two of us overlap so it could get really confusing. So names are exchanged between john and his siblings, and also between my siblings from my mom. That way we could all spend a little bit more on one person/family and get them a nice gift instead of spending money we don't have or having to do such tiny things if anything at all. My sister Monica had us. She gave us this great lego set that the kids put together with John. We have pictures in the what we did later on Christmas day.

The other thing she gave us was more for me. She gave me this wreath with fun ornaments with different people from a Nativity on each. Seriously, does my sister know my family or what??? A lego set and a nativity...the only thing I could think of that would be better is that I really want a lego nativity set! We saw them in an add, but never saw them in a store. If you find one...I want it!!!


John's brother's gift was a lot of fun in whole different direction. He served his mission in Australia and got us some fun things from the land down under. A cute koala which if you ask Ellie is named Coco and is not a bear is a koala. They aren't the same thing. Either way it's been slept with every night since it was opened.

There was also some Ginger beer, some did not like that...thinking it may be more of an "acquired taste" along with the movie Australia we'll watch once the kids are in bed. Looks like a great "chick flick" for me. Also a rugby ball and a boomerang which will be taken out in the next day or so to be played with.

The other part was the MOST favorite part by all who tried them. Sam called it a "Tim Tam Slam". From what we understand, you do it as a contest to see who can eat the most of these. They are so rich that whoever the winner is, I think all they'd win is a stomach ache.

Basically you make "Milo" which is similar to hot chocolate. Then you take these cookies called Tim Tams, in the US they are called Arnott's. You bite off one corner of the cookie, then you bite off the corner opposite. Then you stick one corner that's bit off in the cup of hot milo and suck from the other corner you bit off. The hot milo will melt the chocolate in the middle of the cookie and once the drink starts to come through you pick up the cookie and enjoy the cookie.

As John and the kids put it, it's an explosion of chocolate deliciousness in your mouth. It was really funny. They couldn't not moan with enjoyment every time they took that first bite into the cookie after the sucked the milo into it. (Chocolate cookies and chocolate milk are not liked by me so I just let them enjoy the experience and didn't try it myself.)

Either way, we all enjoyed the gifts from our siblings and are so grateful for the thoughtfulness that came with the gifts. We really enjoyed them! Thank you Sam and Melinda and Monica and Keegan! You brought us great joy!