Christmas

With 7 siblings and 4 spouses returning home for Christmas this year, things were hopping! I'm glad I'm from a big family - it's too boring if not enough people are around! With that many people, all old traditions were resurrected. First was gathering before so we could all pick on Laree. We still go down in age order, so mom had us line up oldest to youngest. You should have heard Laree's protests... which turned to glee when mom then had us turn around and go downstairs the long way, but in youngest to oldest order!


We still do one present at a time, giving everyone a chance to see what everyone else got. The funny thing is we were just getting started when texts started arriving from people 2 hours behind us who had already finished! Here's Renee w/ her latest toy.


Laree got her own quilt. This thing was enourmous! It's probably 12' square! One square of this thing would be enough for Laree.


Katy and I had the brilliant idea to help Jamie get more presents by doing what he used to do - wrap up his old stuff lying around the house and give it to him. Here, he'd left some stuff behind from his wedding reception the previous year. Katy wrapped up an old movie while I wrapped up his broiler pan!


We had a fancy dinner without making too many memories (Mom's statement that if we never use them, we don't have memories so every time one of the fancy dishes broke, Jamie used to yell out that he'd made a memory).


And finally, our official photographer in her swivel nest.