Our gift exchange began with the grandchildren who had exchanged names.

Jesse – the youngest – began by giving a gift to his big brother Josh.

It was cologne, so Josh tested it on Jesse.

He gave some of us an opportunity to smell it.

Next in age – Jared gave his gift to Diana.

Ian had Gloria’s name.

A horse calendar and a gift card.

Gloria gave Jared a soccer ball.

Jana gave Jenna a mix of candy and a gift card.

Diana had Jana’s name.

Nathan receiving a gift from his sister Jenna.

Golf balls

Josh also gave Jordan some golf balls. It appears that they plan to play golf in 2014.

Most of the gifts also had a gift card with them.

Nathan gave Ian a soccer ball.

Jordan also had a soccer ball for Jesse.

Ian, Jared, and Jesse didn’t know it yet, but they were getting a soccer ball goal net from their parents on Christmas morning.

There were also a few gifts for Baby Zuck.

The children each got a variety of candy and a $2.00 bill from Roy and Deb.

It’s always nice to have an aunt and uncle who don’t have any children, because they have a need to give things to children. 🙂

“Okay, Dad and Mom, close your eyes. No peeking.” (Don’t you love my face?”)

Someone kept saying, “Grandpa keep your eyes shut!” He must have been trying to peek.

Cerwin got a new snow shovel from Jordan and Nate – that Jordan said is bulletproof. I wonder who they think will be shooting at Cerwin while he shovels snow. 🙂

By the way – for you locals – it came from PaulB’s where Jordan is employed.

We needed a table lamp for our guest room – and this is so perfect. It came from Country Lane Furniture, Annville, where Jenna is employed.

Thanks to our children and grandchildren for these wonderful gifts.

We don’t usually have special gifts for our children, but this year we did, as a book I helped with was printed earlier this fall. They knew that I had helped work on it, but did not know it was finished.

Benjamin Hershey was born in 1697 and is my Hershey ancestor who came to Pennsylvania from Germany in 1717.

This book features my Great-Great-Grandpa Hershey who purchased our homestead in 1875; Great-Grandpa and Grandma Hershey (who purchased it from his dad); Grandpa Milton Hershey and his siblings who grew up there; my dad Bruce Hershey and his family; as well as my brothers, sister, and I who were all raised on the same homestead.

Cerwin and I built our house in a woodlot on the homestead in 1967.

Chris and Jeff

It was fun watching them look through the book.

Kristen and Jere

I missed getting a picture of Roy and Deb looking through theirs.

We also purchased a book for each of our grandchildren, but will keep most of them here until they get married or have their own house.

Most of the other gifts to our children and grandchildren involved money. (It is easier that way.)

After giving the children a respectable amount of time to page through the book, we began our traditional game of “Now-You-Have-It-Now-You-Don’t.

For our version of the game, Cerwin and I purchase about twenty-five $3.00 gifts. Everyone gets 3 numbers. When your number is called, you get to choose a gift from the center or from one that someone has already chosen, but is in front of their feet. After your third number is called you can choose one available gift and put it behind your feet – a sign that it is taken.

It’s always fun when two or more people want the same gift and keep taking it from each other until someone’s third number is called.

My special gift from Cerwin was a Nook.

I am having fun learning about its features. So far I have downloaded a daily devotional for 2014 – The Quiet Place by Nancy Leigh DeMoss.

I discovered that there are more that 1,800,000 free books (most of which I would not choose to read). The first free book I downloaded is by Janette Oke and T. Davis Bunn, called, The Meeting Place.

I am looking forward to having time to read.