Ian came to me after church asking if he could come to our house early and help to do some decorating for our Christmas supper on Sunday evening.

I wasn’t going to do a lot of decorating this year, but thought that it would be fun to give him a few boxes of things from the attic.

He also set up the manger scene in the back room.

Then as Ian walked away, I saw Jana and Gloria walking toward me with a gleam in their eyes. I knew they wanted to come home with us from church – and they did.

They just wanted to hang out here and do what they could to help prepare for supper.

One thing they wanted to do was run our little sweeper.

Nate came early to watch football. Grandpa wanted to show him something with his deer antlers.

Jordan (left) had also come after church – to watch football.

Before long Josh was also here to join the other three.

Our children were in charge of the meal, so after Jere came to put some things in the oven, he took Cerwin’s seat and joined the guys.

While the big guys watched football Ian and I played his family’s new Monopoly game (electronic edition).

We weren’t playing long when the girls asked to join us.

If you haven’t played this new game – the prices have gone from hundreds to thousands and millions.

And there is no money. Transactions are handled by this “credit card machine.”

I think the children were impressed that I caught on so quickly.

You collect two million dollars for passing Go!

Jared and Jesse came when Jere and Kristen came to check on the food in the oven – ham balls and mixed vegetable casserole. Jesse wanted me to see what he had set up in the man cave.

This is small doll house furniture.

I asked Jana and Gloria to pose for a picture before the rest of our children and grandchildren arrived.

About this time the rest of our family began arriving and supper was soon ready to be served.

More about that tomorrow night.