My family Christmas party was so much fun. We were definitely missing Kristianne and Ben along with their families. Over the years as the amount of people in our immediate family has grown we have tried to downsize what we do and give so it makes it easier on everyone. The main thing is for us to be together which is all any of us really want.
We had a delicious dinner and lots of goodies. We planned some minute to win it games...
- Tie a tissue box around your waist that is filled with jingle bells. You have to jump around and shake your booty to get the bells out. Whoever gets the most out in under minute wins.
- Relay race with a marshmallow in the end of a tongue depressor.
- Transferring as many mini marshmallows from one bowl to another with chopsticks.
- Transfer as many M&M's from one bowl to another by sucking it with a straw.
We wanted to do things everyone could participate in and I think it worked. All the kids and even some adults were able to play everything. They had a blast. We divide everyone into 2 teams and the team that won got a $1,000,000 chocolate bar and the losing team got a bag of chocolate coins.
We did the left/right game once again with wrapped candy. Again it was a hit and everyone had fun tossing them back and forth.
My Mom always gives everyone a gift but as for the siblings and cousins this is the second year we have done a family favorites thing instead of exchanging gifts. We have a $10 limit and buy 2 of the exact same thing. Ryan and I brought Phase 10, Ranch Doritos and cottage cheese this year. One of our favorite games and our favorite snack (yes you eat them together and its delicious.. try it). We draw numbers and go around and get to pick 2 other items. You can "steal" a gift already picked which makes the game a little more fun. Its turned out to be so much more simple and a lot of fun. We came home with a mini camping kit and couple Starbucks mugs and hot chocolate mix.
After the gift exchange we do the annual raisin grab. Such a fun tradition. Its from my moms side and they have done it for generations. You light raisins and brandy on fire and pretty much grab the raisins out and whoever gets the most wins. Its a weird game. It makes no sense and is kind of dangerous but its tradition and everyone looks forward to it every year.
Being with my family is one of my most favorite things ever. With so many of us it makes it hard to get together. It really makes me miss living closer to family and doing Kenzie day every month like we used to. I have never seen my family as much as we did at that time. Tracker was in heaven being with all his cousins and aunts and uncles. I rarely had to worry about him or help him because someone else was taking care of him. Right at the end he of course had to trip and fall on a chair and bang his eye up pretty good. Ryan had woken up a few days before with a bad stye which made him look like he was in a serious fight or something so my 2 boys ended up having matching eyes by the end of our trip. So sad.
Before everyone left we had a mini birthday party for my sweet niece Bella who will be turning 1 right after Christmas. Can that girl be anymore adorable? Tracker kept trying to give her loves and she was not having it. The pictures I got of their interaction kill me--- her face!
The last picture at the end is so hilarious to me. We were trying to take a family picture but...
1. We are missing about half the people
2. No one is looking because the person who was taking the picture never warned us
& 3. Even if everyone was looking you can see how happy everyone was at this moment...
Ha! This is why we get family pictures done once every 15 years or so.
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