Whew, I Survived Another Family Christmas!!

As much as I love Christmas, I'm glad to say it's OVER!! At least for another year. And it'll take me that long to mentally prepare myself for it again.

Our family holidays are crazy. Not just Mom, Dad, us kids and our kids (and grand kids), but aunts, uncles, cousins and their kids. It's a zoo! Nineteen adults and eight kids ... oy!! And two adults were ill and couldn't be there!! It was a houseful for sure.

Kids running all around the house, jumping on furniture, crawling under furniture, spilling their sippy cups, arguing over toys ... and on and on and on.

That's Alien in the pink polka-dots.

Add that Cuz's house has white carpeting throughout and a beautiful WHITE sofa in the Living Room ... well, it made for one hairy evening watching certain kiddies jumped with their sippy cups on said white sofa! And I must add here, Grandson was a perfect little gentleman!! He remembered his manners, and actually told a few of the older kiddies "don't run", "no drinks in that room", etc. I'm sooo proud of him!!

Okay, the griping out of the way ...

Cuz's Hubby cooked dinner this year. Yummy ... absolutely fabulous! Appetizers included shrimp, chips and dip, nuts, salami and cheese tray and more. Dinner was a huge spiral-cut ham, Italian sausage, spinach, sweet potato casserole, baked potato casserole, salad, and Waldorf salad. Dessert included two pumpkin pies and a dozen different holiday cookies. Enough that we all were full by the end of the evening.

Don't forget to KISS THE COOK!

Cuz's hubby made a punch that carried a heck of a punch. I had three or four glasses of it myself. Luckily I wasn't driving home last night! LOL! Dad talked me into getting him a glass of the high powered punch. Dad hasn't had a drink in years, this could get interesting! And of course I had to ask how we'd tell IF he got drunk? He slurs his speech and walks with a stagger because of his stroke. No telling if Daddy was drunk!

Cheers!

We got onto the subject of odd family pictures. Mom looked at me and tells the entire family that I have the biggest collection of photos of her flipping off the camera. It's true! I do! Seems every time I point the camera at Mom her middle finger (in her words) "goes into spasms and I can't help but to stretch it. It's not my fault I'm allergic to cameras". Well, not every time, just most! LOL! And wouldn't you know it? She was showing Aunt M how she flips the bird - and I grabbed the camera! Can't let a birdie pass me by! LOL!

After dessert we opened gifts. I got an indoor weather station with lighthouse design, two pairs of jeans, socks and two checks. Not sure what I'm gonna buy ... probably put it towards a new computer chair. I so forgot to have Alien take a picture of me in my *Winter Wonderland* penguin shirt! I'll have to see if Cuz has any pictures I can snag from her!

I pulled a little joke, a family tradition really, on Grandson. He loves cars. I bought him a bunch of cars for Christmas. They're in those blister packs so while I was wrapping them an idea hit me. I wrapped two of the packages, then put them together and wrapped those together. Then I took the other two sets of cars and did the same. THEN I wrapped those together to make one neat little package. Grandson is NOT a wrap-ripper, he painstakingly unwraps his gifts and throws the paper away before he goes on to the next gift. Poor kid, he spent a good ten minutes unwrapping my gifts! Too funny!

I know there's a gift in here somewhere!

Cuz and Princess O

Grandson and one of the cousin's kids

Traditional Picture of Taking Pictures Picture!


All in all, it was a great Christmas. I'm just glad it's over for another year!
Hoping ya'll survived Christmas!